Divine Mercy: The "Emergency Prayer" for a Wounded World
"The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy." In the 1930s, Jesus gave Saint Faustina Kowalska a prayer specifically designed as a "vessel" to draw graces from the ocean of His Heart. Today, the Chaplet is the most popular intercessory prayer in the Catholic Church for the dying and the conversion of sinners.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a Catholic prayer given to St. Faustina Kowalska — prayed on ordinary rosary beads, offering the Father the Body and Blood of Christ with "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world." It is especially prayed at 3 p.m. and during the Divine Mercy novena before Divine Mercy Sunday.
The Divine Mercy devotion is built on three pillars, often remembered as the ABC of Mercy: 1. Ask for His Mercy. 2. Be Merciful to others. 3. Completely Trust in Jesus.
1. The Apparition: Poland, 1935
On September 13, 1935, Sister Faustina saw an angel about to strike the earth in divine justice. She began to plead for the world using words she heard interiorly. As she prayed, the angel became helpless. Jesus later confirmed those words: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood..."
This prayer is technically Eucharistic in nature. In it, we participate in the Priesthood of Christ by offering His sacrifice to the Father on behalf of the whole world.
The Symbolism of the Rays
Meaning of the Divine Mercy Image
The Pale Ray
Represents the Water which makes souls righteous. It refers to the Sacraments of Baptism and Confession.
The Red Ray
Represents the Blood which is the life of souls. it refers to the Holy Eucharist, the source of eternal life.
2. The 3:00 PM Hour: A Moment of Grace
Jesus asked Faustina to pause at 3:00 PM—the hour He expired on the cross. He said: "In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking" (Diary 1572).
Even if you only have one minute, Jesus suggested this short prayer: "You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls... O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us."
The Promise for the Dying
The most staggering promise regarding the Chaplet is for the hour of death. Jesus said: "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."
Exorcists also report that the Chaplet is incredibly effective in spiritual warfare, as it invokes the "sorrowful Passion" which is the very thing that defeated the enemy once and for all.
"Jesus, I trust in You." — The short, infinite prayer.