The Divine Mercy Chaplet is one of the shortest and easiest chaplets to pray.
It was given to St. Faustina, a polish nun, by Christ as a way to intercede for souls. Christ also wanted the chaplet prayed in a special way starting on Good Friday to prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday with a novena of chaplets.
The Chaplet of Novenas
Traditionally, we pray a novena for nine days for a special prayer request. Christ asked that the Divine Mercy Chaplet be prayed as a novena with nine different and very specific intentions for each day. The novena leads us to the celebration of the Divine Mercy Feast Day– the Sunday after Easter.
“I desire that during [these] nine days you bring souls to the fountain of my mercy, that they may draw strength and refreshment and whatever grace they need in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death.” (Diary of St. Faustina #1209)
The novena is beautiful in its intentions. On the first day we bring all of mankind to immerse them in Christ’s mercy:
“Today, bring to Me: All Mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me.”
R: Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind, and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen
As the novena continues we see requests to pray for priests, religious, children, the Poor Souls in Purgatory, and more. The novena also remembers certain souls who comforted Him through His Passion such as faithful souls and those souls who especially venerate and glorify Christ’s mercy.
A Chaplet to Save Souls
Christ dictated the Divine Mercy Chaplet to St. Faustina in 1935 in Vilnius, Lithuania as a remedy to His great justice about to befall a certain city. St. Faustina’s powerful vision of an angel about to chastise a city in Poland caused her to beg for mercy. However, her prayers were powerless until she interiorly heard the words:
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. (Diary, 475)
As she prayed, the angel became helpless to carry out the deserved punishment. (Diary #474). The next day, as she was entering the chapel, she again heard this interior voice, instructing her how to recite the prayer that our Lord later called “the Chaplet.” This time, after “have mercy on us” were added the words “and on the whole world” (#476). For the rest of her life St. Faustina rarely ceased praying the chaplet. She also found it helpful to pray for the souls of the dying with the chaplet.
Christ’s Powerful Promises
St. Faustina’s revelations tells us that Christ said the chaplet was for the whole world. He encourages souls to pray the chaplet (Diary #1541) and attaches extraordinary promises to its recitation:
- Whoever recites 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)
It’s So Easy to Pray
The Divine Mercy Chaplet has a beautiful and easy simplicity paired with powerful promises. It’s prayed on ordinary rosary beads, While it may be prayed at any time, Our Lord specifically told St. Faustina to recite it during the nine days before the Feast of Mercy.
“By this Novena, [of Chaplets] I will grant every possible grace to souls.” (#796)
It is also highly recommended to pray the Chaplet during the “Hour of Great Mercy” — three o’clock each afternoon (recalling the time of Christ’s death on the cross). In His revelations to St. Faustina, Our Lord asked for a special remembrance of His Passion at that hour.
Get your Novena Booklet here which also includes some other prayers of mercy that St. Faustina prayed.
Here’s two guides on how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet!
Get your Divine Mercy Novena Booklet as well.
