The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was dictated to St. Faustina by Jesus Himself, on September 13th and 14th, 1935. In her Diary, St. Faustina tells us about all of the graces Jesus promised if the Chaplet is said with trust and a spirit of true charity.
“The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” (Diary entry 754)
John Paul II said in “Dives in Misericordia 14.15”, “At no time and in no historical period,-especially at a moment as critical as our own - can the Church forget the prayer that is a cry for the mercy of God amid the many forms of evil which weigh upon humanity and threaten it.”
How to Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy?
In this prayer we are offering God His most dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ. We offer the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross for the salvation of all humanity.
The Method
This Chaplet is prayed with an ordinary rosary. First of all make the sign of the Cross and then follow with:
One Our Father
One Hail Mary
One Apostles’ Creed
Then for each decade, we repeat the words that were taught by Jesus Christ to St. Faustina:
On the large bead before each decade, you say,
“Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
On the ten small beads of each decade, you say,
“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
You conclude by saying three times,
“Holy god, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
The Novena of Divine Mercy
The Chaplet can also be prayed as part of a novena which is said for nine consecutive days. The Novena of Divine Mercy should begin on the Good Friday and end on the first Sunday after Easter, which is the Feast of Divine Mercy and the conclusion of the Easter Octave. The Chaplet is recited each day of the novena for different types of souls (souls that don’t yet know Jesus, souls of priests and religious, souls of purgatory etc.). In this way the novena prays for all of humanity.
The Hour of Mercy
At three o’clock in the afternoon Jesus died on the Cross and it is called The Hour of Mercy.
“Immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it […] for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world - mercy triumphed over justice.” (Diary entry 1572)
Even though the Chaplet can be prayed at anytime in the day, Jesus is particularly touched by our prayers said at this Holy Hour. He asked St. Faustina that His Passion be meditated upon at this time with the Stations of the Cross in adoration. The Chaplet is a means of meditating upon His Passion. However, if you haven’t got time, even the shortest of prayers give Him pleasure at this hour. For example:
“Jesus, I trust in You” (written on the image)
“Oh Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.” (Diary entry 187)
The Graces Promised by Christ for Those who Pray The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Jesus came to save us and Our Redeemer came back to tell St. Faustina. Jesus promised that if we pray the Chaplet with confidence and perseverance, our souls and those for whom we pray shall be saved. It is for this reason that it is a very beautiful chaplet to be prayed with someone who is approaching death. Jesus promises a happy and peaceful death. It must be said with an attitude of complete trust, humility and sincere sorrow for sin.
“The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” (Diary entry 754)
“At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the pardon is the same. When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My son.” (Diary entry 811)
Even if we specifically confide our soul or someone else's to God’s mercy through Jesus Christ, when praying this Chaplet, it is important to pray it based on the conditions said by Jesus Himself. That is by not forgetting to include “the whole world” in our prayer. Our salvation is also that of our brothers and sisters.
Other Chaplet Devotions
There are many other prayers that are associated with the chaplet. Here are just a few examples:
The Chaplet of St. Joseph - let St. Joseph show you the way to understanding his beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
The Chaplet of the Holy Spirit - let the Holy Spirit help you to follow God’s will for you in your daily life.
The Chaplet of Saint Michael the Archangel - Learn more to rely on our heavenly angel especially in these times of torment.
Be Filled with the Light of His Divine Mercy with Hozana!
Let us all pray for the salvation of souls by confiding all of your loved ones and the world to His Divine Mercy by joining this community of prayer for nine days with the Novena of Divine Mercy. Let His grace fall upon all kinds of souls : priests, religious, faithful, unbelievers, heretics, humble, purgatory, lukewarm and merciful!
