The culture of Valentine greetings has now spread to almost every country of the world. It is a beautiful custom to send greetings of love and appreciation to others. It does not have to mean a surrender to commercialism. The “best things in life are free” is most true when applied to signs of love. God is love and every small act of courtesy, a smile, a kind word, a gesture of help is a sign of God’s presence, whether recognized as such or not.
Mother Franziska was almost by instinct a loving person. She realized that friendliness and even a spirit of fun made her world a better place reflecting the Creator who saw all of his creation as good.
One does not need to be especially religious to be pleasant and polite but when one is conscious of the presence of God and sees kindness as a mission and ministry, the act and the world become holy. What a beautiful meditation to take the sunrise as a model of behavior for the day. Jesus said that the sun and rain fall on the good and the bad. We can begin our day with a prayer asking God to send us where our blessing of joy will give him glory.
Mother Franziska made an effort to be joyful to others even when her own heart was wounded and breaking by disappointment of direct attacks by enemies. She saw joy as an indispensible quality for a Christian and a religious. She did not wait until she felt joyful to dispense happiness. She made the effort to “give joy and make happy” and found that her own smile became genuine. Looking for the good and the bright side helped her to see the humor in many situations that would have felt humiliating to lesser souls. It is difficult to humiliate someone who can laugh at themselves.
“The joy of the Lord be your strength.” Is a blessing often used in the liturgical prayer of the Church. It can be a source of strength, zeal and courage to all who ask God for this grace and practice it daily.
