In 2000, John Paul Il proclaimed Sister Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who died in 1938 at the age of 33, the first saint of the new millennium. She was chosen by God to be the apostle of His Divine Mercy.
In 1935, Saint Faustina received a vision of an angel sent by God to chastise a certain city. She began to pray for mercy, but her prayers were powerless. Suddenly she saw the Holy Trinity and felt the power of Jesus'grace within her. At the same time, she found herself pleading with God for mercy with words she heard 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." (St. Faustina's Diary, 476).
As she continued saying this inspired prayer, the angel became helpless and could not carry out the deserved punishment. 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." From then on, she recited this form of prayer almost constantly, offering it especially for the dying.
in subsequent revelations, the Lord made it clear that the Chaplet was not just for her, but for the whole world. He also attached extraordinary promises to its recitation.
"Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you (Diary, 1541).
"Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death (Diary, 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 (Diary, 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 (Diary, 687).
"I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy" (Diary, 687).
This chaplet is also a powerful weapon to use against the coming chastisements (storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, etc), as reported St. Faustina's Diary (1731):
"Today I was awakened by a great storm. The wind was raging, and it was raining in torrents, thunderbolts striking again and again. I began to pray that the storm would do no harm, when I heard the words:'Say the chaplet I have taught you, and the storm will cease.' I began immediately to say the chaplet and hadn't even finished it when the storm suddenly ceased, and I heard the words: 'Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My Will.""
The Chaplet is recited on ordinary Rosary beads:
Begin with the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Apostle's Creed:
Then, on the large bead (Our Father bead) before each decade:
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 (Hail Mary beads) of each decade, say:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Conclude with (Say 3 Times):
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.