The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy
This chaplet is prayed upon ordinary rosary beads.
Opening Prayers
Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
Then, optionally, say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed.
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.
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.
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 arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth 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.
On the large (Our Father) beads:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Thy dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On the ten small (Hail Mary) beads:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Concluding Doxology
After five decades, conclude by saying three times:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Closing Prayer
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Thy mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Thy holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Amen.
The Signature Prayer
A short prayer often associated with this devotion, inscribed on the image of the Divine Mercy:
Jesus, I trust in You.
Contexte Historique
The devotion to the Divine Mercy was given to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, through a series of revelations from Jesus Christ in the 1930s. Our Lord requested that she record these messages in a diary, now known as ‘Divine Mercy in My Soul.’ The core of the devotion is the message of God’s boundless mercy towards all souls, especially sinners. It is expressed through the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the veneration of the Image of Divine Mercy with the signature ‘Jesus, I trust in You,’ and the observance of the Feast of Mercy on the first Sunday after Easter.