Echoes of heaven: It's really hard to have a better day than this

For the last few weeks I have been praying the "Only for today" prayer, St. John XXIII's "decalogue." It's really amazing how often during a day one of the "only for today" lines will float to the top of my mind just when in need reinforcement in not mentioning getting my feelings hurt or not trying to "improve" anyone but myself, and so forth.

This morning I realized my thoughts had wandered and I firmly applied myself to the line I'd just read unthinkingly:

9) Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

And as it penetrated, I was suddenly seized with the joy of an ineffable moment of knowing just how well God knows me, really knows me, and loves me and ... well, it's ineffable.

I'll just say that I had, at that moment, a capacity to receive and what I received was joy.

Then on GoodReads I got an email from Manny, who swims in the same parts of the internet I do and also comments here (we're pals is what that all means). He pointed me to the Our Sunday Visitor piece Untangling the Catholic Web.

I can’t help but think that if you can only read five blogs, these are among the best.

Happy Catholic was listed among a lot of luminaries and international spots (like the Vatican or Cardinal Dolan - I'm getting giddy just thinking of it). I knew something was coming because I'd supplied a photo, but I'd completely forgotten all about it. By the way, this piece has tons of good places for you to find solid Catholic info online, so go read it.

That was like a bouquet of flowers to begin the day.

Then I swung by Manny's place Ashes From Burnt Roses and got a shocker that stopped me in my tracks. Manny had just reviewed my book Happy Catholic. He read it for Lent, for heavens' sakes which is about the biggest compliment there is.

His review included not one but four excerpts. So I know he wasn't kidding around when he said he liked it. Prefacing all this was the nicest set of compliments for this blog that I've ever read. (I mean, Manny and I are pals, but I had no idea ... Manny, you sweetheart!)

It’s hip, fresh, and on contemporary culture from a Roman Catholic perspective. Her motto which is right at the top of the blog and reflects her upbeat personality is, “Not always happy, but always happy to be Catholic.”

It was like closing the door with one set of flowers only to have the doorbell instantly ring to find another set waiting for me.

Just in case I didn't get the point, right? The "good providence of God" - that timing - sometimes I have to remind myself that there is no such thing as coincidence. This is the sort of thing that helps with that.

As today's "well said" points out:

And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true.

And brings joy.