DIVINE MERCY DEVOTION
The Roman Catholic tradition includes a number of devotions to Jesus Christ. Like all our devotions, these prayer forms are not part of the official public liturgy of the Church but are based on the popular spiritual practices of everyday Catholics. Many are officially approved by the Holy See as suitable for spiritual growth but none are deemed necessary for salvation. Some devotions arise from private revelations, or personal religious experiences of saints. Some of the most popular are the Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus (which is celebrated following Christmas with a litany prayer), Novena to the Infant of Prague (usually prayed from the 16th to the 24th of December), Sacred Heart of Jesus (whose feast is 19 days following Pentecost) and Divine Mercy (a devotion which includes the chaplet below). This devotion is prayed beginning on Good Friday, and then each day until the 2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday). The Divine Mercy Novena will take place in the church at 12:00 pm on Good Friday and every day following at 3:00 pm in the church. It will be concluded on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7th. Please join us at church or feel free to pray the novena at home. Not all devotions are for everyone, find one that speaks to you.
DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET
Optional Opening Prayer:
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 three times:
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
Pray the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Apostles Creed, and then for each of the five decades:
On each “Our Father” bead of the rosary, pray: 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 of the 10 “Hail Mary” beads, pray: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Concluding prayer (repeat three times):
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Optional Closing Prayer: Optional Closing Prayer 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.