How to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

For those unsure about how to pray this powerful devotion.

During the 1930s, a Polish nun named Faustina Kowalska received several visions and messages from Jesus. During these private revelations a great emphasis was placed on the Divine Mercy of God.

One of the devotions that Jesus revealed to St. Faustina was the “Divine Mercy Chaplet.” He said to her, “At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgence is the same … When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My son.”

He also said to her, “It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet … if what you ask for is compatible with My will.”

Below is a short beginner’s guide for those interested in praying this powerful chaplet.

Guide to praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet

The chaplet can be prayed using an ordinary rosary.

Each rosary (the string of beads) has a crucifix at the end of a short extension below the loop. Begin by holding the crucifix and making the sign of the cross.

At the start there is a brief set of optional prayers that can be prayed while holding the first large bead.

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.
(Repeat 3 times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

Next, moving your fingers to the three small beads, the prayers include an Our Father, Hail Mary and Apostle’s Creed.

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;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will 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.

For the remainder of the chaplet, on each large bead pray the following prayer.

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 each small bead, pray this prayer.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

After praying five decades, pray this concluding prayer three times.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

And you may also pray this optional prayer at the end.

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

At the very end, make again the sign of the cross.