The Chaplet
of Divine Mercy |
Begin with:
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 trepasses as we forgive those who trepass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
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.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of the sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
On the large 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 10 small beads of each decade:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Conclude with (after five decades):
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (3 times)
Jesus dictated the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to Sister Faustina in Vilnius in 1935. In the revelations that followed He disclosed to her its value and efficacy, as well as the promises He attached to it.
In this prayer we are offering "the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity" of Jesus Christ to God the Father. We are uniting ourselves with His sacrifice offered on the Cross for the salvation of the world. By offering God the Father His "most dearly beloved Son", we are using the most convincing argument with which to be heard. We are asking for mercy "for us and for the whole world." The word "us" refers to the person reciting the chaplet and those for whom he desires to offer it or for whom he should pray. The "whole world" indicates all people living on earth and the souls in Purgatory. By praying the words of this chaplet we are performing an act of love towards our neighbor, which along with trust, is the indispensable condition for obtaining graces.
Jesus promised, It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet (1541) and He added, if (it) ... be compatible with My will. (1731)
The special promises pertain to the hour of death; that is, the grace of happy and peaceful death. This grace may be obtained not only by those who recite the chaplet with confidence and perseverance but also by the dying, at whose bedside others will pray it.
Priests, Jesus said, 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) Jesus promised to grant grace to those who recite this prayer at least once in their lifetime, providing it is said with an attitude of complete trust, humility, and a sincere, deep sorrow for sin.
