By Christina Semmens
“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” ~Psalm 118:24
Awe Came Upon Everyone
We are now one week removed from the glorious celebration of Easter Sunday. In fact, the Second Sunday of Easter, or Divine Mercy Sunday, marks the eighth day of the Easter feast. In Scripture, the significance of the eighth day encompasses new beginnings and fulfillment, or complete wholeness.
And this is what the Resurrection signifies—a new beginning of wholeness that leads to holiness, to transforming union with God. And part of how we come to holiness is by partaking in the Most Holy Eucharist. In fact, one precept of the Church is that every believer receives the Eucharist at least once a year during the Easter season.
In the first reading, we hear of how all the believers devoted themselves to meeting together and breaking bread in their homes, where “they partook of food with glad and generous hearts” (Acts 2:46). In other words, they ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart.
Exultation is a state of intense happiness. Sincerity is having a genuine heart free from deceit or hypocrisy. Both conditions should apply whenever we come to receive Holy Communion. Therefore a good question to ask is, “Am I partaking of the Eucharist with exultation and sincerity?”
His Mercy Endures Forever
On Divine Mercy Sunday, we are not only celebrating the fulfillment of God’s promises through the Resurrection of Jesus, but also the invitation to experience the wholeness of life with Him. Although the psalm proclaims “His Mercy endures forever,” we forget that reality, don’t we?
Saint Pope John Paul II knew this, so he instituted Divine Mercy Sunday to give us a yearly reminder of God’s goodness and His everlasting love, and how we should always rejoice in this day that God has made.
“Peace be with you”
Jesus used these words to greet His disciples in the Upper Room on Easter Sunday. They also served as a greeting between Christians and within society for almost fifteen hundred years. Although it is no longer a common greeting in society, it still plays a significant role in the celebration of the Mass to this day as we exchange peace with the priest and with one another just prior to our receiving the Eucharist. This is not a trivial occurrence, but echoes Jesus’ instructions that “as the Father has sent me, even so I send you” (John 20:21).
To be an instrument of peace is a key aspect of discipleship. Jesus gives us His peace when we receive Him in the sacrament of the Eucharist with sincerity and exultation. He also fills us with His Father’s love and mercy so we can serve as instruments of peace for His Father with all whom we encounter in our daily lives so that they, too, like us, may rejoice in exultation this Easter season.
Therefore, on this Divine Mercy Sunday, let us remember, “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Prayer:
Merciful Father, help me grow in my capacity to know of your everlasting love for me. Grant me the graces necessary to receive the precious gift of your Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Most Holy Eucharist with deeper sincerity and exultation so I may experience a greater peace and wholeness this Easter season as I continue on my journey towards holiness.
Call to Action:
Resolve to receive the Most Holy Eucharist with exultation and sincerity this week so you may experience the wholeness and peace of Christ’s life within you, and may share that peace with others during this Easter season.
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I love the question you pose…”Am I taking the Eucharist with exultation and sincerity?” Exultation is such a powerful word for the gift we have been given!