It is one of the most powerful prayers in the history of the Church. It takes only 7 minutes to say, yet it carries promises that can save souls at the hour of death.
In the 1930s, as the world teetered on the brink of World War II, a humble Polish nun named Sr. Faustina Kowalska received a series of visions from Jesus. He appeared to her as the King of Divine Mercy, with rays of blood and water streaming from His heart.
His message was urgent: "Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My Mercy."
He gave her a new prayer—the Divine Mercy Chaplet—to appease God's just anger and open the floodgates of grace. Pope John Paul II later called Divine Mercy "the limit imposed by God upon evil."
Here is everything you need to know about this prayer, how to say it, and why it changes everything.
How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Tools needed: A standard set of Rosary beads.
The Chaplet is prayed on ordinary rosary beads. However, unlike the Rosary, which meditates on the life of Christ, the Chaplet focuses entirely on the Passion of Christ. It is an act of offering Jesus' suffering to the Father in atonement for our sins.
Step 1: Opening Prayers
Make the Sign of the Cross. 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."
Then, repeat three times:
"O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!"
Step 2: The First Beads
On the first three small beads (starting from the crucifix), pray:
- Our Father
- Hail Mary
- The Apostles' Creed
Step 3: The Decades (Repeat 5 Times)
On the large bead (Our Father bead) of each decade, 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 the 10 small beads (Hail Mary beads) of each decade, pray:
"For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."
Step 4: Concluding Prayer
After the 5 decades, pray the Holy God prayer (The Trisagion) three 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."
The Divine Mercy Novena (9 Days)
Jesus asked St. Faustina to start a Novena to the Divine Mercy on Good Friday, ending on Divine Mercy Sunday (the Sunday after Easter). Each day, we bring a different group of souls to the ocean of His mercy.
- Day 1 (Good Friday): All mankind, especially sinners.
- Day 2 (Holy Saturday): The souls of priests and religious.
- Day 3 (Easter Sunday): All devout and faithful souls.
- Day 4 (Easter Monday): Those who do not believe in God and those who do not yet know Him.
- Day 5 (Easter Tuesday): The souls of those who have separated themselves from the Church (heretics and schismatics).
- Day 6 (Easter Wednesday): The meek and humble souls and the souls of little children.
- Day 7 (Easter Thursday): The souls who especially venerate and glorify His mercy.
- Day 8 (Easter Friday): The souls who are detained in Purgatory.
- Day 9 (Easter Saturday): The souls who have become lukewarm. (Jesus said these souls wound His heart the most).
You can find the full prayers for each day on the MyPrayerTower app.
The Hour of Mercy (3:00 PM)
Jesus asked for special remembrance of His Passion at 3:00 PM, the hour He died on the Cross.
"At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion... This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion." (Diary, 1320)
How to observe it:
- Set an alarm on your phone for 3:00 PM.
- If you can, pray the full Chaplet.
- If you are at work/busy, just pause for 5 seconds and say: "Jesus, I trust in You." or "Jesus, mercy."
The Extraordinary Promises
Jesus made incredible promises attached to this chaplet. It is not magic; it is an act of trust.
-
For the Dying: "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." (This is why it is common to pray the Chaplet at the bedside of the dying. It is a shield against despair.)
-
For Hardened Sinners: "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."
-
Protection from Storms: St. Faustina recorded that praying the Chaplet stopped violent storms. It has power over nature because it invokes the Creator.
-
Peace of Soul: "Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My Mercy."
Divine Mercy Sunday (The Feast)
Jesus requested a feast day on the Sunday after Easter. St. John Paul II officially established Divine Mercy Sunday in 2000.
The Promise of "Clean Slate": Jesus promised that the soul who goes to Confession (within a week before or after) and receives Holy Communion on this feast day shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. This is an extraordinary grace. Usually, Confession forgives sin, but the "temporal punishment" (Purgatory time) remains. On Divine Mercy Sunday, the slate is wiped completely clean, as if you were just baptized.
The Image & Its Meaning
You have likely seen the painting: Jesus walking towards us, left hand pointing to His heart, right hand raised in blessing. Two rays stream out:
- The Red Ray: Symbolizes the Blood, which is the life of souls.
- The Pale Ray: Symbolizes the Water (Baptism), which makes souls righteous.
The signature at the bottom is mandatory: "Jesus, I Trust in You." Jesus told Faustina: "I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I Trust in You."
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is it okay to pray the Chaplet for myself?
Yes. "Have mercy on us" includes you. We must first receive mercy before we can give it. It is not selfish; it is necessary.
How is it different from the Rosary?
The Rosary is a meditation on the life of Christ through the eyes of Mary. The Chaplet is an act of atonement directed to the Father. The Rosary is like a "school" of prayer; the Chaplet is like a "battle cry" or a petition.
Can I sing it?
Yes! The Chaplet is often sung. The melody adds to the meditative quality.
Do I have to say it at 3 PM?
No, you can pray it anytime, anywhere (in the car, walking, in bed). However, 3:00 PM is the "Hour of Great Mercy," so it is especially powerful then.
Conclusion: Just Trust
The message of Divine Mercy is simple: God loves you, no matter what you have done. There is no sin greater than His mercy. The only thing that blocks His mercy is our refusal to ask for it.
St. Faustina wrote: "The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy."
So pick up your beads. Set your alarm for 3:00 PM. And simply ask.
Join millions of Catholics praying the Novena this year. Download the MyPrayerTower app for daily reminders and audio guides.