Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Today is day 7 of 8 in the Octave of Easter. The joy of Easter is just too much for just one day, so it overflows into an octave, into eight consecutive days. Often, during The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, retreatants are encouraged “to be glad and rejoice intensely because of the great joy and the glory of Christ our Lord.” Sharing in the happiness of Christ is, itself, a gift of God. The Church’s invitation is persistent. The alleluia verse at mass today is “This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it” (Psalm 118:24). “Hæc dies, quam fecit Dominus: exsultemus et lætemur in ea.”
A lot of people just don’t care. Their hearts and minds are focused elsewhere. Other people find themselves only somewhat joyful because Christ rose from the dead. Such people have some real work today. They must learn and practice being truly joyful. Joy is not manufactured, it is found, it is received, and it is cultivated. The joy is found in God himself, it is received by hearing his word, and it is cultivated by meditation, reflection, and repetition.
Now is no time to fake being joyful. Now is the time to learn how to be deeply joyful by working at it. If all you have is a little speck of joy, build it up. If you have no joy at all, not even a speck, ask for God’s grace to be the foundation.