The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a cherished devotion within the Roman Catholic tradition, rooted in the divine visions of Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), widely recognized as "the Apostle of Mercy." A Polish nun of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, she was canonized in 2000.
Saint Faustina claimed that the prayer was conveyed to her through divine conversations and apparitions of Jesus, who made explicit promises concerning the recitation of the prayers. Extracts from these conversations are cited in her official Vatican biography.
Often recited with rosary beads, like the Holy Rosary or the Chaplet of Holy Wounds, the chaplet may also be said without beads, by counting prayers on one's fingertips. The recitation can be paired with the veneration of the Divine Mercy image.
Instructions for the Divine Mercy Chaplet:
Start at the Crucifix of the Rosary Beads: Make the Sign of the Cross - "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
First Our Father Bead: Recite the Our Father prayer.
First Three Beads of the Rosary Beads:
Bead #1: "You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world."
Bead #2: "O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us."
Bead #3: "Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!"
Second Our Father Bead: Recite the Hail Mary prayer.
Chaplet:
On all the Our Father Beads: "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 all the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade (5 Decades x 10 Beads): "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."
On the Joiner of the Rosary Beads (Repeat three times): "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world."
Closing Prayer: Conclude the Chaplet by saying the following prayer three times, still on the Joiner of the Rosary Beads: "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 Chaplet is an engaging form of prayer, weaving both devotion and meditation. It's an opportunity to reflect on God's boundless mercy, seeking His grace and guidance while also extending your own heartfelt prayers for the well-being of the world. This prayer, steeped in a tradition of trust and surrender, invites us all to deepen our faith and to rely on the infinite Divine Mercy that envelops us.