# The message and prayer of the chaplet of divine mercy
*2016-04-22*

> Bill Young discusses the spiritual significance of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and leads a guided prayer session focused on the salvation of the world.

## Personal encounters with the Trinity

I want to share a bit about my own journey with the Divine Mercy. After attending a Marian conference at Ave Maria College on the west coast of Florida, I received a picture of Divine Mercy that I now keep in my computer room. Since hanging it up, I have experienced some amazing things, including what I call 'Trinity Shields'—patterns of three, such as flowers or birds arranged in a triangle. I discovered that this was a common practice in the fifth century to teach the mystery of the Trinity: three persons in one God.

This reminded me that wherever the Lord Jesus is, the Father and the Holy Spirit are not far away. Whether it was God speaking to Him on the mountain or the Holy Spirit descending upon the apostles, the Trinity is always present. I don't believe in coincidences; I believe these signs were the Holy Spirit guiding me.

## The origin and purpose of the chaplet

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was given by our Lord to St. Faustina in 1935. In this prayer, we offer the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ to the Father, uniting ourselves to His sacrifice on the cross for the salvation of the whole world. By offering the Father His beloved Son, we use the most powerful means of having a prayer granted.

When we pray for 'us,' it includes both the person reciting the chaplet and those for whom they are praying. The 'entire world' refers to all people living on earth as well as the holy souls in purgatory. This is an act of fraternal love and trust in God, which are indispensable conditions for obtaining the graces of eternal love.

## Promises of mercy and the hour of death

The devotion stems from a vision St. Faustina had of an angel punishing the world for its sins. To calm the wrath of God, she prayed: 'Eternal Father, I offer you the body and blood, the soul and divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.' As she prayed, she saw the angel become helpless, unable to carry out the just punishment due for sins.

Jesus recommended this chaplet as a last hope of salvation, even for the most hardened sinner. He specifically promised the grace of dying in peace and sincerity to those who recite it with trust. While it can be prayed at any time, it is ideally recited at 3:00 p.m. to commemorate the hour of His passion.

## Praying the chaplet

The chaplet is prayed using standard rosary beads. It begins with the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed. On the large beads (the Our Father beads), we pray: 'Eternal Father, I offer you the body and blood and 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 small beads (the Hail Mary beads), we pray ten times: 'For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.' The prayer concludes by reciting three times: 'Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.'

*The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a powerful tool for bringing humankind closer to God through trust in His infinite mercy and a desire for the salvation of all souls.*