Psst: Get your free printable: ‘How to Say The Divine Mercy Chaplet’ at the bottom of this post!
I bet there’s a good chance the image below looks familiar to you. It’s displayed in churches around the world and quite famous. If you’ve seen this image before but don’t know the amazing story and meaning behind it, then this post is for you.
In this post, I’m going to give you a rundown of the Divine Mercy Devotion. I began to form a devotion to The Divine Mercy in 2018 after a period of loss and mourning in my life. Through this devotion, I obtained great consolation, mercy, and grace from the Lord. His mercy helped me through that difficult time, and I would love to see more souls led to Jesus through this beautiful devotion.
As I’ve just mentioned, this post provides a basic introduction to The Divine Mercy. If you want to learn even more about The Divine Mercy, there are other high-quality, detailed resources available online. I’ve put together a list of these at the end of this post. (Click here to jump to additional resources).
Where Did The Divine Mercy Image Come From?
The Divine Mercy Image was first revealed to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905 – 1938), a Polish nun, in a mystical vision. In this vision, Jesus appeared to her with his right hand raised in a position of blessing and his left hand placed over his heart. Two rays shone out from his heart, one red and one pale.
Jesus asked St. Faustina to have an image painted portraying the way he’d appeared to her with the signature, “Jesus, I trust in you.” He also asked her to have the image venerated first in her chapel and then throughout the whole world. Today, many versions of the image have been painted and the Divine Mercy devotion has spread across the globe.
As instructed by her spiritual director, St. Faustina recorded her visions and revelations in a diary. Her Diary is now published and popular reading among Catholics and devout Christians.
In Faustina’s Diary, we read about the meaning of the two rays shining forth from Jesus’ heart:
The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.”
(Diary, Entry 299)
In summary, the two rays in the Divine Mercy image represent:
- Red ray – blood and life of souls
- Pale ray – water and righteousness of souls
How is the Divine Mercy Devotion Practiced?
There are multiple forms of devotion to The Divine Mercy. Each method is inspired by the series of revelations experienced by St. Faustina:
- The Divine Mercy Image – Jesus has promised to defend from enemies, especially at the time of death, the soul of anyone who venerates the Divine Mercy image. He wishes to pour out his graces to those who venerate the Divine Mercy image and trust in his mercy. It is not in the image itself that the graces lie, but in the pierced heart of Jesus which he desires us to meditate upon.
- Hour of Great Mercy – The three o’clock afternoon hour is set apart for reflection on Jesus’ Passion. During this hour, we are called to turn our attention to Jesus’ suffering on the cross and to ask for his mercy. This can be done to the degree that our responsibilities at that time allow, whether it be a brief mental prayer or a long-form meditation such as the Stations of the Cross.
- Feast of Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday) – Jesus revealed his desire to St. Faustina that the Sunday after Easter be designated as a day for sinners to come to his fount of mercy and obtain unmeasurable graces. In St.Faustia’s Diary, Jesus says to her, “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are opened all the divine floodgates through which graces flow” (Diary, Entry 699). At the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000, St. Pope John Paul II named the first Sunday after Easter Divine Mercy Sunday.
- Chaplet of Divine Mercy – The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is prayed on ordinary rosary beads and is inspired by the revelations of St. Faustina. In a vision, Jesus revealed to her that any soul who recites the Chaplet will receive great mercy at the hour of death and that if a sinner were to recite this Chaplet even just once, he would receive grace.
- Novena of Divine Mercy – A novena consists of nine days of prayer and meditation, usually tied with a specific prayer request or feast day. Participants recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for nine days in a row. The Novena of Divine Mercy may be said at any time, but it is especially recommended during the nine days before the Feast of Mercy, beginning on Good Friday and ending on Divine Mercy Sunday.
How to Say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
You can download this free printable “How to Say The Divine Mercy Chaplet” by clicking the button below.
More Resources on The Divine Mercy Devotion
Here is a list of other resources for learning about The Divine Mercy:
Pray More Novenas – Pray the Divine Mercy Novena
Marian Fathers – The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion
Fr. Michael Gaitley – Free 30-minute Crash Course on Divine Mercy
Laudate App – Contains podcasts and follow-along versions of the Divine Mercy Chaplet
St. Pope John Paul II Encyclical Letter – Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy)
Books –
- Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, by St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
- The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion by Fr. Seraphim Michalenko