Praised be Jesus Christ!
This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. Today I would like to take the opportunity to tell you about a great devotional prayer in the Church with which I have found many people to be unfamiliar: the Divine Mercy Chaplet. In 1935, St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, received a vision from the Lord to pray for those in need of conversion and the mercy of God. She heard these words interiorly: “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; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us… and on the whole world” (Diary, 475) After hearing those words, she recited this form of prayer almost constantly, especially for those people who were dying. Further revelations (authenticated by the Church) stated the following about this prayer, which was later called the “Chaplet”:
“Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you (1541). Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death (687). When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior (1541). Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy (687). I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy (687). Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will. (1731)
I have begun offering the Chaplet at the bedside of persons who are dying. I also like to pray it for those who are away from the Church. I encourage you to pray this devotion as well in similar circumstances. It is powerful because it serves as an intercessory prayer that extends the offering of the Mass. It’s also appropriately prayed at the 3 o’clock hour, the hour of Divine Mercy, when Jesus died on the cross.
Here is how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet:
(Optional Opening Prayer)
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls,
and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
(Repeat 3 times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostle's Creed
For each of the five decades (On each “Our Father” bead of the rosary, pray)
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 each of the 10 “Hail Mary” beads, pray)
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Concluding prayer (Repeat 3 times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
(Optional Closing Prayer)
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
This Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday. Today I would like to take the opportunity to tell you about a great devotional prayer in the Church with which I have found many people to be unfamiliar: the Divine Mercy Chaplet. In 1935, St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, received a vision from the Lord to pray for those in need of conversion and the mercy of God. She heard these words interiorly: “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; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us… and on the whole world” (Diary, 475) After hearing those words, she recited this form of prayer almost constantly, especially for those people who were dying. Further revelations (authenticated by the Church) stated the following about this prayer, which was later called the “Chaplet”:
“Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you (1541). Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death (687). When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior (1541). Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy (687). I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy (687). Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will. (1731)
I have begun offering the Chaplet at the bedside of persons who are dying. I also like to pray it for those who are away from the Church. I encourage you to pray this devotion as well in similar circumstances. It is powerful because it serves as an intercessory prayer that extends the offering of the Mass. It’s also appropriately prayed at the 3 o’clock hour, the hour of Divine Mercy, when Jesus died on the cross.
Here is how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet:
(Optional Opening Prayer)
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls,
and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
(Repeat 3 times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostle's Creed
For each of the five decades (On each “Our Father” bead of the rosary, pray)
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 each of the 10 “Hail Mary” beads, pray)
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Concluding prayer (Repeat 3 times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
(Optional Closing Prayer)
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
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