HOW TO PRAY THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET

 

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a popular Catholic prayer that is especially meaningful around Easter.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet has its roots in 20th century Poland, when Jesus appeared to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet can be prayed with traditional Rosary beads, though to do so isn’t necessary. The Chaplet only takes a few minutes, and thousands of Catholics around the world pray it every day to ask for God’s mercy.

The period of time from Good Friday to Divine Mercy Sunday (the first Sunday following Easter) is when many Catholics will pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet.


"Where, if not in the Divine Mercy, can the world find refuge and the light of hope?" -Pope Saint John Paul II

The Divine Mercy Chaplet, also known as the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy, is a powerful prayer in which we ask for God’s mercy.

The Origin of the Chaplet

In the 1930s, Jesus appeared to St. Faustina Kowalska, a humble and kind Polish nun, and revealed to her the depths of His mercy. St. Faustina entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925, but she passed away just thirteen years later from tuberculosis in 1938. Throughout her life of holiness, she continually received revelations from Jesus and diligently wrote down what He told her in her diary. St. Faustina was canonized by St. (Pope) John Paul II on April 30, 2000.

In 1935, an angel appeared to St. Faustina, and she heard the call to pray for mercy. The next day, Christ appeared and urged her to pray the Chaplet herself and with others at the hour of death. She wrote down this revelation in her diary:

"Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. 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. 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. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy. Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will."

-St. Faustina’s Diary

We pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for mercy — in our own lives and in our neighbors, too. And we also pray to remind ourselves that we must rely on God; we must recognize our weakness and replace our anxieties and worries with abounding trust in God. We pray so that we might honestly live out the words “Jesus, I trust in You.”


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)

You can pray the Chaplet at any time, but here are three times that are especially impactful when praying for God’s mercy:

After Mass
The Divine Mercy is an intercessory prayer that extends the offering of the Eucharist, so it is especially appropriate to use it after receiving Holy Communion at Mass.

Before the Feast of Mercy
The Chaplet may be prayed at any time, but our Lord specifically told St. Faustina to recite it as a novena during the nine days before the Feast of Mercy (the first Sunday after Easter). He then added: “By this Novena, [of Chaplets] I will grant every possible grace to souls.” (St. Faustina’s Diary, 796)

At 3:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. is known as the “hour of great mercy” in remembrance of Christ’s death on the cross at 3:00 p.m. on Good Friday. Similarly, people often pray the Stations of the Cross at this time.

How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Time needed: 20 minutes.

Using regular Rosary beads (or your ten fingers), follow this structure:Begin with the sign of the cross.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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.

 
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)

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.

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.

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.

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)

Repeat this pattern four times.

For each decade: begin with the “Eternal Father” prayer, and then pray, “For the sake” ten times.
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)
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.


Conclude with the sign of the cross.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.


Reflection
Devotion to God’s Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God’s willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, “God’s love [mercy] endures forever.”

HOW TO PRAY THE HOLY ROSARY

* If you do not know the prayers of the Rosary, you will find them in the Rosary Diagram.

1. Holding the crucifix of the Rosary with your right hand, make the Sign of the Cross and then kiss the crucifix.
2. It is good to begin your Rosary by offering it for some intention.
   Example: “I offer this Rosary for all my spiritual needs and those of my family, for the conversion of sinners, in reparation for my sins and those of all sinners, for world peace and the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart.”
3. On the crucifix, pray the Apostles’ Creed.
4. On the first single bead after the crucifix, pray an Our Father.
5. On each of the next three beads, which are grouped together, pray a Hail Mary.
6. After the three Hail Marys, pray the Glory be. Now this is where the “decades” begin.
7. On the next single bead, announce the decade and then pray an Our Father. (Example: “The First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation. Our Father, Who art...”)
8. On each of the ten beads that follow, pray a Hail Mary while reflecting upon the mystery assigned to this decade (see list of mysteries below). Some people find that looking at a picture depicting each mystery helps them meditate on the mystery.
9. After the ten Hail Marys, pray the “Glory be” and “O my Jesus...”
10. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have prayed all 5 decades.
11. Many Catholics also pray the “Hail Holy Queen,” the Prayer to St. Michael, and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin at the end of the Rosary.
    

More About the Holy Rosary

The diagram above at the right shows a five-decade Rosary such as those most commonly used by Catholics. The purpose of the beads is to keep track of the prayers, especially the sets of 10 Hail Marys. As seen in the chart, the single beads are the Our Fathers, while the group of three beads and the five groups of ten beads are the Hail Marys. As we pass each bead through our fingers, we pray the appropriate prayer, and then move to the next one. By doing this, we simply work our way around the Rosary, beginning at the Crucifix and ending at the centerpiece.

It is best to use a Rosary that has been blessed by a priest, but this is not absolutely necessary, although there are extra indulgences attached to praying on a blessed Rosary. In times of persecution, for example, Catholics have been known to use stones or pebbles, or even their fingers or toes to count the Hail Marys.

The Rosary should be prayed in a reverent position of the body. For example, we are encouraged to kneel before an image of our Blessed Mother or the Crucifix, or in a church or chapel before the Blessed Sacrament while praying the Rosary, but this is not mandatory. Kneeling is a sign of reverence and it also helps the mind stay alert and free from distraction during prayer. Some people, however, are not physically able to kneel, at least for the entire Rosary, and it is certainly acceptable to sit in a reverent, alert position. The Rosary may also be prayed while walking, whether in procession or on a simple walk alone or with others. The sick may pray it while lying in bed, and many Catholics pray extra decades until they fall asleep in bed at night.

A very important point is that the heart of the Rosary is not the repetition of these prayers, but our meditation upon the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary during each decade. As we pray each set of Hail Marys, we should meditate upon the event in the lives of Jesus and Mary assigned to that decade, and on the grace or virtue manifested in that mystery, praying humbly for the grace to imitate Their example in our lives.

The mysteries are divided into three groups:

The Joyful Mysteries: (Mondays, Thursdays)*
1st Mystery: The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38)
2nd Mystery: The Visitation (Luke 1:39-56)
3rd Mystery: The Birth of Our Lord (Luke 2:1-21)
4th Mystery: The Presentation (Luke 2:22-38)
5th Mystery: The Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52)

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays, Fridays, Sundays in Lent)*
1st Mystery: The Agony in the Garden (Matt. 26:36-56)
2nd Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar (Matt. 27:26)
3rd Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns (Matt. 27:27-31)
4th Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross (Matt. 27:32)
5th Mystery: The Crucifixion (Matt. 27:33-56)

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays)*
1st Mystery: The Resurrection (John 20:1-29)
2nd Mystery: The Ascension (Luke 24:36-53)
3rd Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:1-41)
4th Mystery: The Assumption of Our Lady
5th Mystery: The Coronation of Our Lady

* These days are suggested for praying these sets of mysteries, but they can be prayed any day. Those who are able are encouraged to pray all 15 decades every day.

THE PRAYERS OF THE ROSARY

The Sign of the Cross
IN THE NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. (When you say “of the Father, ” touch your forehead; when you say “of the Son,” touch your breastbone; when you say “of the Holy Ghost,” touch your left shoulder and then your right shoulder.

The Apostles' 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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

The 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.

The Hail Mary
HAIL MARY, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among 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.

The Glory Be
GLORY BE to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O My Jesus
(Requested by Our Lady at Fatima in 1917; pray after each decade)
O MY JESUS, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy mercy.

Concluding Rosary Prayer
O GOD, Whose only begotten Son, by His life, death and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, by meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the malice and wickedness of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.