# Praying the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ
*2015-07-15*

> Bill Young introduces the feast of St. Bonaventure and leads listeners in the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds, explaining its origins and the promises attached to this devotion.

## St. Bonaventure’s Feast

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young. Today is Wednesday, July 15, the feast day of St. Bonaventure. He was a Franciscan theologian, Doctor of the Church, and a bishop. As a young man he was healed through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, later entered the Franciscan Order, and wrote the biography of St. Francis. When he died on July 15, 1274, the Second Council of Lyon was shocked to learn of his passing. He was celebrated for his kindness, gentleness, and deep love of God, and his funeral was marked by many tears.

## Origins of the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds

We will now pray the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, also called the Chaplet of Mercy. This devotion originated with Sister Mary Mother, a nun in a convent at Cranberry, France, who died on March 21, 1907. She reported a private revelation in which the Lord Jesus taught her two invocations and a series of promises, including:
• All who invoke His holy wounds will receive graces.
• His wounds sustain the world; they are the source of every grace.
• Those who bring their pains to His wounds will find relief.
• The sinner who offers the wounds to the Eternal Father will obtain conversion.
• No death will be final for souls who die in His wounds; they will receive true life.
These promises emphasize that the devotion is a heavenly prayer, meant to be spread and offered especially for the sick.

## Structure of the Chaplet

The chaplet is prayed on ordinary rosary beads. The prayers are as follows:
1. **Opening Prayer** – “O Jesus, Divine Redeemer, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.”
2. **Trisagion** – “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.”
3. **Grace and Mercy** – “May God, in His present dangers, cover us with the most precious blood. Amen.”
4. **Eternal Father** – “Eternal Father, have mercy on us for the sake of the blood of Your only Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
5. **Invocation on the Hail Mary Beads** – “O my Jesus, forgiveness and mercy through the merits of Your holy wounds.”
6. **Our Father Beads** – “Eternal Father, I offer You the wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to hear the sins of our souls.”
7. **Closing** – Repeat three times: “Eternal Father, I offer You the wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to hear the sins of our souls. Amen.”

## Living the Chaplet in Daily Life

The chaplet invites us to unite our actions with Christ’s wounds. Even the smallest deeds, when offered in the blood of His wounds, become valuable to Him. By meditating on the wounds, we grow in love and receive the fruits of sanctity. The devotion is especially powerful when prayed for the sick, for the souls in Purgatory, and for those seeking conversion.

*Invoking the holy wounds of Christ draws us into His mercy, offering grace, healing, and eternal life to all who pray with faith.*