The Power of Praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Saint Faustina was born Helena Kowalska in the village of Glogowiec west of Lodz, Poland, on August 25, 1905. In 1935, St. Faustina received a vision of an angel sent by God to chastise a certain city. She began to pray for mercy, but her prayers were powerless. Suddenly she saw the Holy Trinity and felt the power of Jesus’ grace within her. At the same time she found herself pleading with God for mercy with words
she heard interiorly:

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; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us. (Diary, 475)

As she continued saying this inspired prayer, the angel became helpless and could not carry out the deserved punishment (see 474). The next day, as she was entering the chapel, she again heard this interior voice, instructing her how to recite the prayer that our Lord later called "the Chaplet." This time, after "have mercy on us" were added the words "and on the whole world" (476). From then on, she recited this form of prayer almost constantly, offering it especially for the dying.

The following morning, Sister Faustina heard these interior words: "Every time you enter the chapel, start reciting the prayer which I taught you yesterday" (476).

St Maria Faustina Kowalska - Saint of the Divine Mercy; The Devotion for our Times

5th October, the Feast Day of St. Faustina Kowalska secretary of Jesus Divine Mercy.  Born Helena Kowalska on August 25th  1905 in Glogowiec, Poland. –  At the age of 33, Sister Faustina died in Krakow of tuberculosis. She went home to the Lord on October 5, 1938. In 1968, the process of beatification was started in Rome. On April 13, 1993, after completion of the beatification process, Pope John Paul II declared that Sister Faustina would be known as Blessed Faustina.

It was just seven years later — on April 30, 2000 — that Sister Faustina was elevated to the title of Saint Faustina. The declaration of her sainthood was scheduled on a Sunday of particular importance to Sister Faustina. April 30th was the Sunday after Easter which was also the Sunday Sister Faustina said Jesus would like dedicated to his Divine Mercy.  St. Faustina wrote about her spiritual experiences and her conversations with Jesus in her Diary. 


"I am to write down the encounters of my soul with You, O God, at the moments of Your special visitations. I am to write about You, O Incomprehensible in mercy towards my poor soul. Your holy will is the life of my soul. I have received this order through him who is for me Your representative here on earth, who interprets Your holy Will to me. Jesus, You see how difficult it is for me to write, how unable I am to put down clearly what I experience in my soul. O God, can a pen write down that for which many a time there are no words? But You give the order to write, O God; that is enough for me." (Diary, 6).


"[April] 26. On Friday, when I was at Ostra Brama to attend the ceremony during which the image was displayed, I heard a sermon given by my confessor [Father Sopocko]. This sermon about Divine Mercy was the first of the things that Jesus had asked for so very long ago. When he began to speak about the great mercy of the Lord, the image came alive and the rays pierced the hearts of the people gathered there, but not all to the same degree. Some received more, some less. Great joy filled my soul to see the grace of God.

Then I heard the words, You are a witness of My mercy. You shall stand before My throne forever as a living witness to My mercy." (Diary, 417)

Jesus makes great promises to those who spread this devotion and trust in Him...

"But God has promised a great grace especially to you and to all those... who will proclaim My great mercy. I shall protect them Myself at the hour of death, as My own glory. And even if the sins of soul are as dark as night, when the sinner turns to My mercy he gives Me the greatest praise and is the glory of My Passion. When a soul praises My goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of hell." (Diary, 378)

"Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior. At that last hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend itself except My mercy. Happy is the soul that during its lifetime immersed itself in the Fountain of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it. " (Diary, 1075)

" The Lord said to me, My daughter, do not tire of proclaiming My mercy. In this way you will refresh this Heart of Mine, which burns with a flame of pity for sinners. Tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak." (Diary, 1521)

Jesus also warns those who do not recognise the Message of Divine Mercy which is His work to save souls from eternal damnation.  Let us pray to St. Faustina that all Priests will become more open to this work of Mercy of Jesus and establish the Feast Day properly in their Churches for the next Divine Mercy Sunday May 1st 2011 and that His Image of Divine Mercy be placed in a prominent place in our Churches and be properly venerated so that all souls may have access to it.  We must never undermine the importance of this great devotion to save souls and to free souls from their suffering in purgatory. 

When once I asked the Lord Jesus how He could tolerate so many sins and crimes and not punish them, the Lord answered me, I have eternity for punishing [these], and so I am prolonging the time of Mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation. My daughter, secretary of My Mercy, your duty is not only to write about and proclaim My Mercy, but also to beg for this grace for them, so that they too may glorify My Mercy. 

The Time of Mercy.....

From the Diary of St. Faustina...the words of Jesus

"Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy... " (Diary 1588) "I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation..." (Diary 1160)

"While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of My mercy...." (Diary 848) "He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice." (Diary 1146)

Our Lord gave us the Chaplet of Divine Mercy through Saint Faustina, and He made it clear to her that it was for the whole world. He also attached extraordinary promises to its recitation. He said, "Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you...(Diary, 1541). Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death... (Diary, 687). 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..(Diary, 1541).. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy... I desire to grant unimaginable graces to souls who trust in My mercy.(Diary, 687).. Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will." (Diary, 1731).

Praying for those who are dying......

Jesus asks us to pray for the dying, particularly the Chaplet of Mercy...I think we can remember especially those whom we know as well as those who are in the limelight, who are famous as they too have souls.  How many are praying for them ?   In our prayer meeting we include all those that we have heard about or have read about in the papers or have seen on the news, who are terminally ill.  We did pray for Alex Higgins the snooker player who had been very ill with cancer and who died last week.  It is not for us to judge a person's life but to have hope and trust in Gods mercy. 

In the Diary of St. Faustina Jesus said  "Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties [that is, insistent prayers] obtain for them trust in My mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer. You know the whole abyss of My mercy, so draw upon it for yourself and especially for poor sinners. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy not embrace a trusting soul." (Diary, 1777).

My Sister Mary..

My own sister Mary died this year after losing her life to cancer on March 16th.  Mary endured a great deal throughout her life, and I am sure that when she died she went straight to her reward in Heaven as she was a pure and good soul who loved God and suffered very much.  While with her on that last day in hospital, I prayed the Chaplet of Mercy as she went through her final agony.  She died at 2.55pm just before the 3pm hour of Mercy in St. Joseph's Hospital and she was buried on the Feast of St. Joseph.  Jesus promised that those who resemble Him in His suffering, will resemble Him also in His glory.  Mary suffered greatly from her childhood to adulthood on this earth, but she is now enjoying the peace and joy of Heaven with Jesus, Our Lady and all the Saints and Angels. 

Here is Mary in happier times in her youth at home and I know that she is now interceding for me, for our family and she will intercede for all those who suffer grievously...

From the Diary of St. Faustina,  St. Faustina relates :  I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands

Jesus said to her: 'Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory.'   Diary 446

Praying for Our Priests

If we could at least pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy each week with even just one other person for our Priests in our Parish and Priests we know, we would be helping so many.  Remember the promise of Jesus regarding the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

"Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet..." (Diary, 848)

"Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will" (Diary, 1731).