What is the Divine Mercy Chaplet?

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a Catholic devotion centered on the saving Passion of Jesus and God’s mercy toward sinners. It is usually prayed on ordinary rosary beads and takes about ten minutes.

Where it comes from. The chaplet arose from private revelations received by St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish religious sister, in the 1930s. She recorded the prayer in her Diary, and the Church later approved and widely promoted the Divine Mercy devotion. Private revelations do not add to the deposit of faith or require the assent owed to Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Their proper role is to help Christians live the Gospel more fully in a particular time (CCC 67).

What it expresses. The chaplet asks the Father to show mercy through the offering of Christ’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Its focus is Jesus’ one perfect sacrifice on Calvary, made present sacramentally in the Eucharist. Christ is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (1 Jn 2:2), and Christians approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy (Heb 4:16). The prayer also reflects the blood and water flowing from Christ’s pierced side (Jn 19:34).

How to pray it. Using rosary beads:

1. Make the Sign of the Cross. Pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles’ Creed.
2. On each large bead, pray: 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.
3. On each of the ten smaller beads, pray: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
4. After five decades, pray three times: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
5. Conclude with the Sign of the Cross. Other approved concluding prayers may also be added.

When to pray it. The chaplet may be prayed at any time. Many pray it at 3:00 p.m., recalling the hour of Christ’s death (Mk 15:34-37), during a Divine Mercy novena, or at the bedside of someone who is dying. It does not replace the Mass, confession, or repentance. Genuine trust in mercy includes turning away from sin and showing mercy to others (Mt 5:7; CCC 1846-1848). Begin by praying one chaplet for a person who needs hope, healing, or conversion.