The Divine Mercy Chaplet
WHY DO WE PRAY THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET?
We recite the Divine Mercy Chaplet to seek mercy, both for ourselves and for others. Through this prayer, we acknowledge our dependence on God, recognizing our own frailties, and exchanging our worries for unwavering trust in Him. By uttering the words "Jesus, I trust in You," we aim to authentically embody this trust in our lives.
Those who sincerely say ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears … There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights to the holiness of God. Saint (Pope) John Paul II (Krakow, Poland – June 7, 1997)
WHEN TO PRAY THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET?
We recite the Divine Mercy Chaplet to seek mercy, both for ourselves and for others. Through this prayer, we acknowledge our dependence on God, recognizing our own frailties, and exchanging our worries for unwavering trust in Him. By uttering the words "Jesus, I trust in You," we aim to authentically embody this trust in our lives.
Those who sincerely say ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears … There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights to the holiness of God. Saint (Pope) John Paul II (Krakow, Poland – June 7, 1997)
HOW TO PRAY THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET?
Using regular Rosary beads (or your ten fingers), follow this structure:
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Begin with the sign of the cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Prepare your heart and mind.
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.
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Pray the prayer of St. Faustina.
On each of the three small beads, pray:
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You! (x3)
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Pray an Our Father.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.
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Pray a Hail Mary.
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
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Pray the Apostle’s Creed.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
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First decade
On the first large bead: in the traditional Rosary prayer, we say the Our Father for each large bead. In the Divine Mercy Chaplet, we pray the following:
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: In a traditional Rosary prayer, we pray the Hail Mary on each small bead. In the Divine Mercy Chaplet, we pray the following:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (x10)
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Repeat this pattern four times.
For each decade: begin with the “Eternal Father” prayer, and then pray, “For the sake” ten times.
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After five decades, pray for mercy.
Repeat the following prayer three times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (x3)
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Close your time in prayer.
Let us pray: 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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Conclude with the sign of the cross.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
JESUS TOLD ST. FAUSTINA ABOUT THE CHAPLET
“Say unceasingly the Chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it, they will receive great mercy at the hour of death. 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.” (Diary, 687)
“It pleases me to grant everything souls ask of me by saying the chaplet. When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one. Write this for the benefit of distressed souls; when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust, let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. Tell them no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul that has placed its trust in My goodness. Write that 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 Saviour.” (Diary, 1541)