If You're Sick or Homebound
You're not out of the reach of God's mercy.
Can you receive the graces promised on Mercy Sunday if you can't go to church due to a serious reason, such as being homebound, seriously ill, or disabled?
Try to arrange for a Eucharistic Minister to bring you Communion. Parishes should arrange for Eucharistic Ministers to visit the homebound and bring them the Eucharist and, if possible, literature on Divine Mercy Sunday, Chaplet prayer cards, and rosaries.
If a visit is not possible, however, you can still participate in the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday by making a Spiritual Communion with great trust. God will give you all the graces that He sees that you need because of your great trust.
Our Lord said to St. Faustina: The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much (Diary, 1578).
Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things and I desire You in my soul.
Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
As though You were already there,
I embrace You and unite myself to You;
permit not that I should ever be separated from You.
Amen.
The Church also made special, compassionate provisions for obtaining a plenary indulgence[1] on Divine Mercy Sunday by those who cannot go to Mass on that day, including those who are seriously ill or involved in non-postponable work.
You also can see the celebration of Holy Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday on EWTN (check your TV listing). The Act of Spiritual Communion will be recited at that time.
[1]The extraordinary graces promised to the faithful by our Lord Himself through St. Faustina should not be confused with the plenary indulgence granted by Pope John Paul II for the devout observance of the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday). The Decree of the Holy See offers:
"A plenary indulgence, granted under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff) to the faithful who, on the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin, take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy, or who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in You!)..."
