FORMS OF DEVOTION TO DIVINE MERCY
THE IMAGE OF MERCIFUL JESUS
On February 22, 1931, Jesus revealed himself to Sister Faustina in a cell in the convent in Plock (Poland) and ordered her to paint an image, showing her the pattern of the image in a vision.
“Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the whole world. I promise that the soul that venerates this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on Earth, especially at the hour of death. (...) I want this image, which you will paint with a brush, to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy. I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards the souls of sinners” (Diary, 47-49).
“By means of this Image I shall be granting many graces, so let every soul have access to it” (Diary, 570).
THE FEAST OF DIVINE MERCY
“I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners (...). I pour out an ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that accepts the sacrament of reconciliation and receives the Eucharist shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and avoid punishment; on that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow will be opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet” (Diary, 699).
“Even if a soul is like a decaying corpse, so that, from a human standpoint, there would be no hope of restoration and everything would already be lost - it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full” (Diary, 1448).
THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY
Lord Jesus dictated the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to Sister Faustina in Vilnius (Lithuania) on September 13-14, 1935 as a prayer for God’s grace of mercy toward sinners.
“Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will” (Diary, 1731).
“Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever recites it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this chaplet only once, will receive the grace of My infinite mercy” (Diary, 687).
“It pleases Me to grant everything souls ask of Me by saying the chaplet. When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one. Write this for the benefit of distressed souls; when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother (...). Tell them no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul that has placed its trust in My goodness. Write that 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 Saviour” (Diary, 1541).
“At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgence is the same. When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated and his unfathomable mercy envelops the soul” (Diary, 811).
The Chaplet is to be recited on Rosary beads. 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass 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, 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 arose 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 Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.
On the large beads (once):
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 small beads (10 times):
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
In conclusion (3 times):
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us and on the whole world” (Diary, 476).
THE HOUR OF MERCY
In October 1937, in Cracow (Poland), Lord Jesus instructed Sister Faustina to venerate the hour of His death and to connect with Him in prayer referring to the value and merits of His Passion.
“I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of a sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You” (Diary 187).
“At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will allow you to enter into My mortal sorrow. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion…” (Diary, 1320).
“...as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoking its omnipotence for the whole world (...). In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others simply by asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world - mercy triumphed over justice
(...) try your best to meditate on the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to say the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step in to the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer wherever you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant. I claim veneration for My mercy from every creature” (Diary, 1572).
“On the Cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls - no one have I excluded!” (Diary, 1182).