Feast of St. Faustina
One
Jesus Reveals the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
On Friday, September 13th, 1935, Jesus began to reveal the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to St. Faustyna. She writes, “I saw an Angel, the executor of divine wrath…From the cloud, bolts of thunder and flashes of lightning were springing into his hands; and from his hand they were going forth, and only then were they striking the earth.” 474
Faustina began to plead with God for the world, but her initial prayer was powerless before divine justice. Then she experienced the grace of Jesus within her and found herself pleading before the throne of God with words she heard interiorly from God, “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 and on the whole world.” 476
As she prayed this prayer, the Angel became helpless and could not carry out the punishment. The following morning, September 14th, Jesus taught Faustina how to pray these words on the beads of the Rosary. This is where the Chaplet of Divine Mercy came from. Jesus gave it to the world as a powerful prayer for the conversion of sinners.
Two
The Power of the Chaplet
Jesus explained the power of the Chaplet to Faustyna, saying, “Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet; the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the chaplet” (Diary 848). He also said, “The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death” (Diary 754).
The Chaplet is especially powerful for the dying, “When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person…unfathomable mercy envelops the soul” (Diary 811).
One day, Faustina poured out her heart to Jesus, saying, “I see many souls rushing headlong into the terrible abyss of hell. You see, Jesus, this is the pain that gnaws at my heart and bones.”
Jesus listened to the outpouring of her heart with gravity and interest, as if He had known nothing about it. This made it easier for her to speak. Then He said, “My daughter, those words of your heart are pleasing to Me, and by saying the chaplet you are bringing humankind closer to Me” (Diary 929).
That may be the simplest way to understand the power of the Chaplet: By saying the Chaplet for our loved ones, we bring them closer to Jesus.
Three
The Image Is an Invitation to Trust
Before giving Faustina the Chaplet, Jesus appeared to her with one hand raised in blessing and the other touching His garment at His breast. From His Heart came two great rays, one red and the other pale. The two rays symbolize the infinite mercy He desires to pour out upon every person, no matter how sinful the person’s past has been.
Jesus told her, “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You” (Diary 47). The Image of Divine Mercy and the Chaplet belong together.
Many people do not pray because they feel unworthy. Their past has been too bad. The Image shows them the Merciful Jesus inviting them to place their trust in Him. It allows them to look upon Jesus, to see the rays of mercy flowing from His Heart, and to say one simple prayer: Jesus, I trust in You.
The Image introduces us to Jesus. It invites us to approach Him without fear and to trust in His mercy.
Four
The Chaplet Teaches Us How to Begin Praying
The simplest place to begin prayer is by speaking to God, but often, we don’t know what to say. Well, the Image of Divine Mercy invites us to turn to Jesus, and the Chaplet gives us the words to say.
Jesus taught us exactly what to do when he taught Faustyna how to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. He said to her, “You will recite it…on the beads of the rosary, in the following manner, “First of all, you will say one Our Father and Hail Mary and then the Creed. 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.” 476
Five
From the Chaplet to Meditation
We have to build a bridge of authentic friendship and trust with those who are not interested in Jesus. Then patiently keep it up. But when an opportunity arises, we invite them to encounter Jesus. Maybe they share some struggle with you, the need for a job, or a spouse, or help in some difficulty, or the need for some healing. Assure them that you will pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for them and then invite them to pray for it on their own or pray it with you for their intention.
Keep several Divine Mercy prayer cards on hand, cards that include both the Image and the instructions for praying the Chaplet. Once they have begun turning toward Jesus and speaking to Him through the Chaplet, invite them to take the next step: meditating with Jesus in the Rosary.
The Image introduces them to Jesus. The Chaplet teaches them to speak to Him. The Rosary teaches them to listen to Jesus and follow Him. This is how we help another person begin a real friendship with Jesus.