The Power of the Divine Mercy Chaplet

In both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible we find many promises. They were given to groups of people and also to individuals and some of them were fulfilled on certain conditions.

Although, God has always been trustworthy, many people have not always received the benefits of these promises. This is because many biblical promises relate to our eternal life after death. But there are also many others which relate to our present, earthly life. Jesus promised: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me! Let anyone who believes in me come and drink! From his heart shall flow streams of living water" (John 7,37-38). "Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or property for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life" (Matt 19,29). "Set your hearts on God’s kingdom, and these other things will be given you as well" (Luke 12,31). In the revelations given to Saint Maria Faustina, Jesus attached some promises to praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It is an amazing and precious gift of God. We know about the chaplet from Saint Faustina’s Diary, which has the title “The Divine Mercy in my soul”.

It was revealed to Saint Faustina through a vision. It happened on Friday 13th September in 1935 on the eve of the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross in Vilnus. In her Diary she wrote: "When I saw this sign of the divine wrath, which was about to strike the earth... I began to implore the Angel to hold off for a few moments, and the world would do penance... Just then I saw the Most Holy Trinity.... I found myself pleading with God for the world with the words heard internally. As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel’s helplessness. He could not carry out the just punishment which was rightly due for sins. Never before had I prayed with such inner power as I did then. The words with which I entreated God are these: 'Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins and those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us.' The next morning, when I entered the Chapel, I heard: 'Every time you enter the chapel, immediately recite the prayer which I taught you yesterday... This prayer will serve to appease My wrath'" (Diary 474-476). On that day Jesus precisely dictated to her the words of the Chaplet which we know. The date of the revelation of the Chaplet underscores the primary place of the cross in the mystery of the revelation of God’s Mercy. God revealed Himself most fully as Mercy in His redemptive Passion and Death on the Cross.

The source of it is God Himself. Faustina didn’t make up the Chaplet. She got it directly from heaven through the revelation... It was dictated word by word by Our Lord to Saint Faustina. The source reveals the value of things. For example: a computer printout of a picture is good if it comes from an excellent printer. Just as a car is good if it comes from a high­ quality car manufacturer. Diamonds are good, even the best, if they come from Africa. The same is true in human relationships. What increases the value of the gift is the giver. Who the giver is, increases the value of a gift. The Chaplet then is great and valuable, by virtue of its Divine Author, God who is its source. It is an expression of God’s greatness and mercy.

God in many instances in the Diary said that the Chaplet served to mitigate and appease His angel. It is so, because through this prayer we offer the eternal and perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Man in the state of sin is an enemy of God and deserves punishment. Christ through his body on the cross reconciled us to God. Through him we have access in one Spirit to the Father. Jesus said that He would draw all people to Himself when he ascended into Heaven.

The question to be asked is who is the chaplet offered to? It is offered to our Eternal Father by man. But our “offer” is taken up into Christ’s offering. We offer through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ and also for the sake of Christ. What is offered? The Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord. And for whom is it offered? It’s offered for man and his sins: “...in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world”. God is everything here: the giver, the gift and the receiver. He gives himself as the perfect gift to be offered. He is united with the giver by dwelling in his soul. He receives man’s gift because He is united and one with the Father. Jesus in this prayer gives us an opportunity to unite our souls with His complete, perfect Sacrifice on the Cross. This is possible through grace.

In the words “I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity...” we are offering the complete Jesus, God and Man. Nothing is left. The chaplet is also a share in the Son’s work of mediating between God and man. Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man. By offering the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus we plead with God. We don’t let that sorrowful passion and suffering of the Son be in vain. “Have mercy on us and on the whole world”.

Praying the chaplet does not allow us to focus only on ourselves. It leads us to rescuing other souls for whom we pray “and on the whole world”. There are a lot of people hidden under the meaning “the world”. Some of them we know. They live in our families, parishes, societies. The others are unknown to us. But they are in danger of eternal condemnation.

There are general and specific promises. The willingness to give is constant in God. God is basically saying “I promise to shower you with all the graces you want on condition that it will agree with My will”. His word is true. This is what every child would love to hear from their father.

Christ said to Saint Faustina: "It pleases me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the Chaplet. When hardened sinners say it, it will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one" (Diary 1541). (...) "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, priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation" (Diary 687).

In addition there is a special promise given for the dying over whom the chaplet will be prayed. Jesus promised: "When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, the indulgence is the same. God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul" (Diary 811).

Jesus said that even if a sinner recited the chaplet only once, he would obtain the merciful grace of conversion and death in a state of grace. Of course the chaplet must be prayed with the proper attitude of trust in God, humility and repentance for sin.

We know that a dying person in mortal sin can be saved, provided he turns even a little to God. Provided he opens his soul even by a crack to God’s omnipotent mercy.

Man has free will and God accepts his decision where to go to after death. God’s omnipotent mercy acts upon the soul at the moment of dying. The grace of forgiveness of sins is so precious at the hour of death. As Catholics we know that the grace of forgiveness of sins is given to us by the Sacrament of Reconciliation. God, however, is not limited by the sacramental structure that He instituted in the Church. The sacraments provide facility and certainty that we will receive the grace of forgiveness, provided we do not place obstacles before it.

Other promises attached to the chaplet pertain to the temporal aspect of death, the actual dying. It will be peaceful and happy. Jesus also said: "I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Saviour" (Diary 1541). It proves how much Jesus desires to bring us back to the Father’s house.

Saint Faustina offered the chaplet many times for dying people about to go to hell. Nearly immediately she saw the fruit of her prayer. These people were dying in peace. She felt the power of Mercy envelop these souls. Jesus faithful to His promises saved these people. (Diary 811,1565).

Saint Faustina also recognised that this prayer was pleasing to God. He assured her that by saying the chaplet she brought humankind closer to Him (Diary 929). Indeed the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy is powerful. Perhaps many of us have had such a first hand experience. For sure in heaven we will see the results of our prayer to the Divine Mercy. What’s more, we may offer this chaplet asking God for any other ordinary graces which will be granted to us. There is only one condition. The grace we ask for agrees with God’s will.

One day Saint Faustina was awakened by a great storm. She began to pray that the storm would not cause any harm. Jesus stopped her prayer saying: "Say the Chaplet, and the storm will cease." Faustina started praying it and even before the end the storm ceased. (Diary 1731).

In another situation she prayed the Chaplet asking God for rain. They haven’t had rain for several days and eventually before supper a heavy rain fell on the earth. (Diary 1128, 1731). In conclusion we have to admit that the Chaplet indeed is a vessel, a link, a bridge and a path to the infinite ocean of Divine Mercy, to God.

Fr Peter Prusakiewicz CSMA, Poland