The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a prayer taught by Jesus Christ to Saint Faustina, with the desire that it be prayed by all people. Like the veneration of the image of Divine Mercy, the recitation of the Chaplet contains a special grace that comes from the very fact that it is a gift from God:

“…the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the chaplet. ” (Saint Faustina Diary, 848).

When we pray the Chaplet, we offer to God the Father “the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity” of Jesus Christ as an atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. By uniting ourselves to the sacrifice of Jesus, we appeal to the love with which God the Father loves His Son.

This outward form of devotion to Divine Mercy is inseparably united with trust in God and works of charity. Indeed, the prayer of the Chaplet itself becomes one of the seven

spiritual works of mercy: to pray for the living and the dead. The Chaplet has a particular emphasis on sinners and those who are dying.

Jesus taught this prayer to Sister Faustina between 13 and 14 September 1935 (the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross) in Vilnius, which is today the capital of Lithuania. She was in her cell when she had a vision of an angel who had come to earth to punish the world for its sins. She understood this as a sign of the “divine wrath” and began to plead with the angel to refrain for a time from carrying out this punishment, assuring him that the world would do penance.

However, when she found herself before the majesty of the Most Holy Trinity, she no longer dared to repeat this plea. It was only when she felt the power of Jesus’ grace within her soul that she began to pray the words of a prayer which she heard interiorly. She recorded this experience in her Diary:

“As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel’s helplessness: he could not carry out the just punishment which was rightly due for sins. ” (Saint Faustina Diary, 474 and 475).

It was the Lord Himself who taught Sister Faustina how the Chaplet should be prayed in order to avert that just punishment:

“..on the beads of the rosary, in the following manner: First of all, you will say one OUR FATHER and HAIL MARY and the I BELIEVE IN GOD. Then on the OUR FATHER beads you will say the following words: “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 HAIL MARY beads you will say the following words: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.” In conclusion, three times you will recite these words: “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (Saint Faustina Diary, 476).

By praying the Chaplet — without adding to or removing anything from what Christ revealed — we ask for “mercy on us and on the whole world”, thereby performing an act of mercy. When it is prayed with trust in Divine Mercy and with the conditions that should accompany every good prayer — humility, perseverance, and submission to God’s will — the faithful may confidently await the fulfilment of Christ’s promises.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is therefore a unique gift of grace: through these words given by Jesus Himself, we unite our prayers to His sacrifice on the Cross and implore the Father’s mercy for ourselves and for the entire world.