DIVINE MERCY GUIDE 1
The Essence of devotion to the Divine Mercy Trust indicates our relationship to God; It does not consist only of the virtue of hope, but also of the virtues of living faith, humility, perseverance and contrition for sins committed. Simply put, this is the attitude of the child, who in all circumstances infinitely confides to the merciful love and omnipotence of the Heavenly Father. Trust is to such degree an essential part of the devotion to the Divine Mercy, that without it this devotion is not possible. Because basic and essential expression of the worship of Divine Mercy is also an act of trust. The very attitude of confidence (without any forms of piety) those who trust, ensures the grace of Divine Mercy. I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy. (687). I have opened My Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be confirmed in good. Whoever places his trust in My mercy will be filled with My divine peace at the hour of death. 2
(1520) The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts. (1578) The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I myself take care of it. (1273) Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness. (1541) Mercy indicates our attitude towards every human being. Lord Jesus said to Sister Faustina»I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbours always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it. I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbour: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the thirdby prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of 3
mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. (742) Active love of neighbour is also a condition for receiving grace. If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgement. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgement with their mercy. (1317) The Lord Jesus wants that his worshippers through the day, make at least one work of mercy. My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain. My daughter, I desire that your heart be an abiding place of My mercy. I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart. Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in My mercy which I so ardently desire for souls. (1777) * Bold phrases that have at the end the brackets ( ) the number, are the messages of Jesus to the holy Sister Faustina Kowalska. 4
Chaplet of Divine Mercy Why and how to pray it This prayer was dictated to Sister Faustina by Lord Jesus in Vilnius year 1935. In the following apparitions, her revealed its value and efficiency, and explained the related promise. In this prayer, we sacrifice to God the Father Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, we merge with his sacrifice on the cross for the salvation of the world. When we give God the Father, his beloved Son, we refer to the strongest reason to be heard. We ask, have mercy on us and on the whole world. The word Us refers to the person praying the rosary and to those to whom he wishes or feels obliged to pray. The whole world this is all of humanity that lives on earth and the souls suffering in purgatory. Specific promises relating to the last hour: the grace of happy and peaceful death. Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salva- 5
tion. 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 that the whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy. (687) What the Lord Jesus said to Sister Faustina shows how great the graces attached to this prayer are: By saying the chaplet you are bringing humankind closer to Me (Diary 929). The Lord Jesus attached great promises to this prayer provided that the conditions of the correct devotion to the Divine Mercy are met, that is, the spirit of trusting God and being merciful towards neighbour is required. Perseverance in praying is an expression of this trust; the greater the trust is, the greater the perseverance in saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is. The Lord Jesus said to Sister Faustina that by saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy one can obtain everything. However, apart from the grace of a good death, He has never claimed that everything can be obtained immediately, having said the prayer once. The Lord Jesus attached a promise of obtaining all graces to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy said with trust He said: It pleases Me to grant everything they [people] ask of Me by saying the chaplet (Diary 1541), adding: if ( ) [it] is compatible with My will (Diary 1731). God s will is an expression of His love for man, thus everything that is not compatible with it is either bad or harmful. Apart from the general promise, there are promises that concern the hour of death, and to be more precise: the grace of a happy and peaceful death, in other words, death in the state of grace and without experiencing fear and terror. These graces can be obtained not only by those who say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with trust themselves but also the dying by whose bedside others will say this prayer. At least once, but in the mood, which is consistent with the content of prayer, especially in faith, trust and humility and with sincere and deep regret of our sins. 6
To pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy use an ordinary rosary. How to pray Chaplet of Divine Mercy Begin with: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. On the five large beads: 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 ten small beads: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Conclude with (3 times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. 7
Jesus I trust in You Image of the Merciful Jesus The picture of the Merciful Jesus has been one of the most well-known images of the crucified and risen Christ in the history of the Church and in the contemporary world. This is an unusual picture not only because of the fact that it is the most popular one but, above all, because the Lord Jesus Himself is its coauthor. On the 22th February, 1931, in a cell of the convent of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Płock, He appeared to Sister Faustina she saw Him just as He is represented in the image and He commanded her to paint His picture according to the vision. She wrote about this in her Diary : In the evening, when I was in my cell I saw he Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale ( ) After a while, Jesus said to me: Paint an image according to the pattern you see: with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel and [then]throughout the world (47). Thus, the image was painted because Jesus Himself had desired that. The picture is both a sign and a visual synthesis of the whole Divine Mercy message, which He conveyed by Sister Faustina: on the one hand it reminds us of the mystery of God s merciful love for man revealed in the Holy Scriptures, it exhorts us to form the Christian attitude of trust towards Him and mercy towards neighbour and, on the other hand, it is a vessel for drawing graces to which He attached many promises. Jesus I trust in You I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is the image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You (327). By means of this Image I shall be granting many graces to souls; so, let every soul have access to it (570). Sister Faustin wrote in here diary: Today I saw the glory of God which flows from the image. Many souls are receiving graces, although they do not speak of it openly. Even though it has met up with all sorts of vicis- 8
situdes, God is receiving glory because of it; and the efforts of Satan and of evil men are shattered and come to naught. In spite of Satan s anger, the Divine Mercy will triumph over the whole world and will be worshiped by all souls. (1789). The most frequent mistake about the Image of Divine Mercy The soul that will venerate this image will not perish (or other promises quoted without the conditions). This promise as well as other promises of the Lord Jesus will be fulfilled if man meets certain conditions and, as regards the Devotion to the Divine Mercy, the conditions are the following: trust in the Lord God and the attitude of an active love towards neighbours. The soul that will venerate this image that is, the soul who prays with trust before it and also performs acts of mercy; it is not a person who, for instance, has the image in the wallet. A general promise of all possible graces and rewards in this world (provided that they are in accordance with God s will) as well as specific promises: the grace of eternal salvation, great progress on the path of Christian perfection and the grace of peaceful death these are the promises Jesus attached to a prayer said in front of the image on condition that it is said with trust and that it is conjoined to deeds of mercy towards neighbour. 9
Hour of Mercy What should we pray? The hour of the Lord Jesus death, 3pm, is a privileged time as regards the devotion to the Divine Mercy. At that hour, in spirit we stand beneath Christ s cross in order to entreat for mercy for us and the whole world for the sake of the merits of His passion. The Lord Jesus said to Sister Faustina: At three o clock implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world (Diary 1320). I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world-mercy triumphed over justice. (1572) Immediately, it needs to be explained that what is meant here is not sixty minutes but the moment of Jesus agony on the cross, therefore the prayer at 3pm. It is frequently written and said that the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy must be said at 3 pm and that the Chaplet said at that time has a special power. It is thought so due to lack of knowledge of the devotion to the Divine Mercy in the forms conveyed by Sister Faustina and maybe due to the need for a ready-made wording of the prayer. The prayer at the Hour of Mercy is a separate form of devotion to the Divine Mercy. Jesus associated a specific promise with it and He also said how it should be said. He never mentioned that the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy should be said at that hour. Reccommended prayers at the Hour of Mercy O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You. (187) 10
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. (1319) Certainly, at 3pm we can say the Chaplet, as at any other hour during the day and night, however then we do not say the prayer at the Hour of Mercy (but we say the Chaplet). The Chaplet to the Divine Mercy cannot be the prayer at the Hour of Mercy because it is directed to God the Father (Eternal father, I offer you ), and the prayer at the Hour of Mercy is to be addressed to Jesus directly. The prayer at the Hour of Mercy when said regularly makes us start having a personal, direct contact with Jesus because it tells us to: meditate upon His Mercy revealed in the Passion, address to Him in a direct manner, like to a very close person, and, it tells us, for the sake of the merits of His Passion, to entreat Him for the graces necessary for us and the world. * Bold phrases that have at the end the brackets ( ) the number, are the messages of Jesus to the holy Sister Faustina Kowalska. 11
Divine Mercy novena and the Feast of Mercy When and why should you do it The Feast of Mercy is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, that is on the Second Sunday of Easter, which is called the Divine Mercy Sunday today. On the day of Sister Faustina s canonization, 30th April 2000, the Pope instituted the feast for the whole Church. Divine Mercy novena In preparation for this feast we are to recite the novena which consists in saying the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy for 9 days. The Divine Mercy novena begins on Good Friday. In the diary of sister Faustina is written yet another Divine Mercy novena, which the Lord Jesus dictated only for her use, and gave promises that relates only to sister Faustina. But we can pray along so we stat it here. The Lord Jesus said to Sister Faustina: The Feast of My Mercy has issued forth from My very depths for the consolation of the whole world (Diary 1517). Novena to The Divine Mercy which Jesus instructed her to write down and make before the Feast of Mercy. It begins on Good Friday. I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fount of My mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever graces they need in the hardships of life and, especially, at the hour of death. On each day you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls, and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of My Father. You will do this in this life and in the next. I will deny nothing to any soul whom you will bring to the fount of My mercy. On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My bitter Passion, for graces for these souls. (1209) First Day Today, bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me. 12
In response to this invitation of Jesus we are praying: Our Father.. Hail Mary and Glory be.. then Chaplet of Divine Mercy. In the end are recommended litanies to Divine Mercy. Second Day Today bring to Me the souls of priests and religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me the strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them, as through channels, My mercy flows out upon mankind. (Followed by prayers as the first day) Third Day Today bring to Me all devout and faithful souls, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness. (Followed by prayers as the first day) Fourth Day Today bring to Me the pagans and those who do not yet know me. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. (Followed by prayers as the first day) Fifth Day Today bring to Me the souls of heretics and schismatics, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart; that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church, My wounds heal, and in this way they alleviate My Passion. (Followed by prayers as the first day) Sixth Day Today bring to Me the meek and humble souls and the souls of little children, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who would keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is able to receive My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence. (Followed by prayers as the first day) 13
Seventh Day Today bring to Me the souls who especially venerate and glorify My mercy, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over My Passion and entered most deeply into My Spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death. (Followed by prayers as the first day) Eighth Day Today bring to Me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice. (Followed by prayers as the first day) Ninth Day Today bring to Me souls who have become lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will. For them, the last hope of salvation is to flee to My mercy. (Followed by prayers as the first day). 14
The Feast of Mercy First Sunday after Easter First Sunday after Easter The Feast of Mercy is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, that is on the Second Sunday of Easter, which is called the Divine Mercy Sunday today. On the day of Sister Faustina s canonization, 30th April 2000, the Pope instituted the feast for the whole Church. The institution of the feast was inspired by a desire of Jesus which was conveyed by Sister Faustina. The Lord Jesus told her: I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy (299). I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender Mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened (699). In many revelations the Lord Jesus did not only define the place of the feast in the liturgical calendar of the Church but also the reason for its institution, the way it should be prepared, celebrated, and He also spoke about the great promises. The greatest of them is the grace of complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. It is connected with Holy Communion received on that day, following a good Confession (without any attachment to the smallest sin), in the spirit of the devotion to the Divine Mercy, that is, trusting God and loving neighbour actively. Basically, the most special grace is greater than the graces of the 6 sacraments, apart from the sacrament of baptism, since only the sacramental grace of the holy baptism is the forgiveness of all sins and punishment. However, as far as these promises are concerned, Christ associated the remission of sins and punishment with Holy Communion received during the Feast of Mercy, therefore, as regards this, He raised it to the rank of the second baptism. In preparation for this feast we are to recite the novena which consists in 15
saying the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy for nine days. The novena begins on Good Friday. The Lord Jesus said to Sister Faustina: The Feast of My Mercy has issued forth from My very depths for the consolation of the whole world (1517). 16
Spreading of Devotion to the Divine Mercy Souls who spread the honour 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 Saviour (1075). This is what the Lord Jesus promised to everyone who will proclaim His Mercy, spread its honour in any way. Priests can rejoice at His additional promise: 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 (1521). These promises show how important it is to spread the honour of the Divine Mercy since Jesus promises His maternal care, during the lifetime and at the hour of death, to everyone who will undertake this task. Therefore, apart from the Image, Feast, Chaplet and Hour of Mercy, spreading honour of the Divine Mercy is also a form of the Devotion, because Jesus also attached promises to it and the promises pertain to all people. The most frequent mistakes in spreading and practising the Devotion to the Divine Mercy As regards spreading and practising the Devotion to the Divine Mercy, the most frequent mistakes result from the fact that only excerpts from the Diary, analysed out of context, are disseminated and also from the fact that the devotion is practised incorrectly. Certain sentences are taken out of the Diary and disseminated, however, the entire work is not analysed and a sentence (statement) is considered an axiom or the entire truth about something. Examples: I desire that there be a congregation which will proclaim God s mercy and, by its prayers, obtain it for the world.someone who has read this sentence thinks that the Lord Jesus wants a concrete religious congregation to be founded, a congregation which will undertake certain tasks. However, the analysis of the entire Diary shows that the Lord Jesus does not mean one 17
congregation but a great work in the Church which today we call the Apostolic Movement of the Divine Mercy (cf. Diary 1155). The soul that will venerate this image will not perish(or other promises quoted without the conditions). This promise as well as other promises of the Lord Jesus will be fulfilled if man meets certain conditions and, as regards the Devotion to the Divine Mercy, the conditions are the following: trust in the Lord God and the attitude of an active love towards neighbours. The soul that will venerate this image that is, the soul who prays with trust before it and also performs acts of mercy; it is not a person who, for instance, has the image in the wallet. What is a frequent mistake is that the forms of the Devotion to the Divine Mercy, for instance the Chaplet, Novena or Litany, are propagated, however the essence of the Devotion to the Divine Mercy is not explained. The other group of mistakes has its origins in the incorrect practice of the Devotion to the Divine Mercy. Most frequently: the faithful are not inculcated with the Christian attitude of trust in God and mercy towards neighbours but they are taught devotions only, for instance to say the Chaplet, some of the words are added or omitted when the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy is said, private revelations and devotions are combined, Sister Faustina s mission is analysed without taking the Holy Scripture into consideration. Spreading honour of the Mercy, that is, proclaiming the mystery of the Divine Mercy, most fully revealed in the crucified and risen Christ, by the testimony of life, deeds, words and prayer is not only to show the road to a beautiful and happy life on earth but also, and maybe first of all, it is to serve the work of salvation and sanctification of the world as well as it is to prepare humanity for Christ s second coming to earth. My daughter, write down these words: All those souls who will glorify My mercy and spread its worship, encouraging others to trust in My mercy, will not experience terror at the hour of death. My mercy will shield them in that final battle. (1540) Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the 18
works of My hands are crowned with mercy. (301) O Eternal Love, I want all the souls You have created to come to know You. I would like to be a priest, for then I would speak without cease about Your mercy to sinful souls drowned in despair. I would like to be a missionary and carry the light of faith to savage nations in order to make You known to souls, and to be completely consumed for them and to die a martyr s death, just as You died for them and for me. O Jesus, I know only too well that I can be a priest, a missionary, a preacher, and that I can die a martyr s death by completely emptying myself and denying myself for love of You, O Jesus, and of immortal souls. (302). Source of Divine Mercy guide: - Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady Mercy www.faustyna.pl - The Holy See - http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html - Pilgrim-info.com - www. pilgrim-info.com Souls who spread the honour 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 Saviour (1075). 19