 The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy is a Roman Catholic devotion based on the visions of Polish nun and canonized saint, Sister Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), known as the "Apostle of Mercy". The chaplet is often said as a rosary based prayer with the same set of rosary beads used for reciting the Holy Rosary or the Chaplet of Holy Wounds. However, the chaplet may also be said without beads, usually by counting prayers on the fingertips. According to Sister Faustina's visions, written in her diary, the chaplet's prayers for mercy are threefold: to obtain mercy, to trust in Christ's mercy, and to show mercy to others. Still, according to Sister Faustina's visions, Jesus Christ promised that all who recite this chaplet at the hour of death or in the presence of the dying will receive great mercy. Jesus said, "....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior". Jesus also promised that anything can be obtained with this prayer if it is compatible with His will. It is prayed daily at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA. In the Philippines, the "3 o'clock Prayer" is broadcast on radio & television stations daily at 3:00 p.m. Sister Faustina recounts in her diary that, in her vision, she saw an angel sent to a city to destroy it. Sister Faustina began to pray for God's mercy on the city and felt the strong presence of the Trinity. After she prayed the internally-instructed prayers, the angel was powerless to harm the city. In subsequent revelations, Sister Faustina learned that the prayers she spoke were to be taught to all the people of the world. According to Roman Catholic tradition, the chaplet may be said at any time, but it is said especially on Divine Mercy Sunday and Fridays at 3:00 PM. In 2000, Pope John Paul II ordained the Sunday after Easter Divine Mercy Sunday, where Roman Catholics remember the institution of the Sacrament of Penance. The hour Jesus died by crucifixion, 3:00 PM (15:00), is called the Hour of Mercy. In novena, the chaplet is usually said each of the nine days from Good Friday to Divine Mercy Sunday. Although the prayers said on the beads of the rosary chain share specific similarities in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Chaplet of Holy Wounds, these are distinct chaplets and were introduced over 20 years apart, one in Poland, the other in France. The chaplet is associated with a Polish image painted by Adolf Hyla. Hyla painted according to the visions Sister Faustina described. In the image, Jesus stands with a hand outstretched in blessing. The other hand clutches the side wounded by the spear, from which proceed beams of falling light. The words “Jesus I Trust in You” usually accompany the image (“Jezu Ufam Tobie” in Polish). |
