Today my holiness shines bright and clear.
1. Today I awaken with joy, expecting only the happy things God has prepared for me.I
²I ask only that they come, and that I may recognize that my invitations are answered by the thoughts to which I send them.II
³And when I accept my holiness, I will ask only for joyful things to come to me.
⁴For what use could pain be to me?
⁵What purpose would my suffering serve?
⁶And what would sorrow and loss offer me, if today I turn away from madness and choose instead to accept my holiness? III
2. Father,
my holiness is Yours.
²Today I would rejoice in it,
and find my sanity again through forgiveness.
³Your Son remains exactly as You created him.
⁴My holiness is part of me, and it is part of You as well.
⁵And what could alter Holiness Itself?
I Grant yourself a happy day today. Try it without reservation: bring to mind the idea of holiness and make it your own. It is not difficult. Deep within yourself you know what it means to be holy, for holiness is not something foreign or strange, but the natural condition of one who knows himself to be free of all guilt. And you can feel that way right now. It is only a matter of remembering that state and claiming it as your own. Do not be afraid to do so. It will not be a pretense or self-deception: you have every right to recognize yourself as innocent. In fact, it is the only condition you can accept with absolute honesty.
You are truly holy, so simply dare to be yourself. When you do, you will notice how your heart fills with joy and your mind grows still in the peace of one who fears nothing. That will be your proof, the evidence that what you experience is real: your joy, your confidence, and your inner security are the sign of your true identity. What further proof could you need to be convinced that holiness is what you are and what rightfully belongs to you?
When you enter this state, you will discover with surprise that the happiness you feel extends over everything you see. What once seemed neutral or gloomy will become radiant, and the events of the day will be touched with ease and joy. But there is more: your holiness is not limited to yourself; it touches everyone you encounter. Its very presence spreads and heals. You do not have to intend to heal, nor force yourself to help, nor plan anything. It is enough to recognize your own innocence and accept it as real. It will act for you, naturally and effortlessly, for holiness knows no obstacles.
You need not add anything, correct anything, or fix anyone. Simply embrace your holiness as what you truly are. That inner gesture does everything, for it opens the door to the remembrance of God. Try it today and observe it simply: you will see your day become a reflection of the joy of your being.
II This line may seem a little difficult to grasp, and that is natural, for it condenses into a few words several ideas you already know well, but now combines them in a new way.
Do you remember Lesson 193: “All things are lessons God would have me learn”? And do you also recall the teaching that giving and receiving are the same, repeated again and again in the Text? Well, here both ideas merge into one: what you send forth with your mind will be what you receive, because what you give is what inevitably returns to you.
If you begin the day sending happy thoughts, filled with confidence and peace, what you will experience will be happy events that come as joyful lessons God would have you learn.
It is not that Heaven functions like an administrative office where your petitions are classified and, depending on their nature, you are granted joy or sorrow. It is not like that. Everything is in your mind. What you experience—what seems to come to you—is nothing but the response to the invitation you previously extended through your thoughts.
Your mind is the only stage on which everything happens, and within it operates without exception the Law of God: giving and receiving are the same. If you recognize yourself as holy and allow your holiness to shine clear and radiant, that light will be reflected in your dream and make it clear and radiant as well.
There is no complication whatsoever. In truth, everything is as simple as God Himself.
III Isn’t it wonderful to be holy? For that—precisely that—is what you are. Everything else is but an insubstantial dream, a mirage without strength or power to alter your eternal condition. Nothing can change what God has created perfect. Yet there is something that can veil that certainty from your awareness: your own thoughts. It is they which, when you believe in them, lead you to doubt your holiness and feel guilty or unworthy.
Therefore, watch your mind gently but firmly. Each time a dark thought arises in you—any idea that robs you of peace—dismiss it immediately and remember what you truly are. Do not delay; do not prolong it, for the faster you return to your holy state, the less power the illusion will have. That gesture, repeated again and again, opens an inner space where light becomes present and joy blossoms effortlessly.
Today, make it your intention to recall this idea throughout the day: “I am holy as God created me.” At first it may seem like a simple exercise, but soon you will notice its fruits. With constant practice, the experience of your holiness will become ever more accessible and natural, until it turns into a habitual state of your mind. Then, with a mixture of relief and wonder, you will ask yourself how it was ever possible that you treated yourself so poorly for so long and believed in your unworthiness.
Father, may I remember with gratitude today my holiness, and may nothing turn me away from the joy of being Your Son.