The Divine Mercy Devotion | The Complete Guide

Every year, from Good Friday through the first week of Easter, Catholics around the world prepare their hearts for one of the Church’s most powerful messages of hope: the Divine Mercy devotion.

This devotion, revealed to a humble Polish nun in the early 20th century, has since spread across the globe, offering comfort to sinners, hope for the suffering, and a renewed invitation to trust in the unfathomable mercy of Jesus. With Divine Mercy Sunday and the popular Divine Mercy Novena beginning on Good Friday, now is the perfect time to rediscover (or learn for the first time) how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and reflect on the heart of this extraordinary devotion.

The Divine Mercy message began with a simple but profound request from Jesus: “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’”

In 1931, Sister Faustina Kowalska, a young nun from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland, began receiving visions and messages from Christ. Jesus revealed to her His burning desire to pour out His mercy upon all souls—especially the most hardened sinners—and asked her to become His “apostle of mercy.”

At His direction, Sr. Faustina recorded her experiences and Christ’s words (including those above) in a diary, now published as Divine Mercy in My Soul. This diary is the spiritual foundation of the Divine Mercy devotion.

Jesus told her that His mercy was greater than any sin and that He longed for all souls to return to Him without fear. His key messages included the importance of:

• Trusting completely in His mercy,
• Showing mercy to others through deeds, words, and prayers, and
• Calling upon His mercy—especially at the hour of His death and ours.

Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938) was born in Głogowiec, Poland, the third of ten children in a poor but devout Catholic family. From an early age, she felt called to religious life. At age 20, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.

Despite being assigned humble tasks like cooking and gardening, Sr. Faustina lived a deeply mystical life, receiving extraordinary revelations from Jesus over the course of several years. Her diary reflects her intense union with Christ, her sufferings, and her unshakable trust in God’s will.

She died at just 33 years old from tuberculosis. In 2000, she was canonized by Pope John Paul II, who called her “a gift of God to our time” and established Divine Mercy Sunday on the Second Sunday of Easter—the very feast day Jesus requested in her diary.

The Divine Mercy devotion is a collection of spiritual practices centered on God’s mercy, as revealed to St. Faustina. The key elements include:

• The Divine Mercy Image: A depiction of Jesus with red and white rays emanating from His heart, symbolizing the blood and water that flowed from His side. Beneath the image are the words: “Jesus, I trust in You.”
• The Divine Mercy Novena: A nine-day prayer that begins on Good Friday and ends the day before Divine Mercy Sunday. Each day includes specific intentions Jesus gave to St. Faustina, from priests and religious to lukewarm souls.
• The Chaplet of Divine Mercy: A powerful prayer prayed on rosary beads, invoking God’s mercy for ourselves and the whole world.
• Divine Mercy Sunday: Instituted in 2000, this feast offers a plenary indulgence to the faithful who go to confession (within 20 days before or after), receive Holy Communion, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Jesus made this remarkable promise to St. Faustina:
“The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” (Diary 699)

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy can be prayed using a standard five-decade rosary or specific chaplet beads for the Divine Mercy chaplet. It can be prayed at any time, but Jesus specifically requested that it be prayed at 3:00 PM—the Hour of Mercy—recalling His death on the Cross.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You may begin with an optional opening, such as: 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 fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!

1. Our Father
2. Hail Mary
3. The Apostles’ Creed

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.

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

Repeat for five decades - saying the "Eternal Father" on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" on the following "Hail Mary" beads.

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

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.

The Novena of Divine Mercy begins on Good Friday. Each day of the novena includes a special intention revealed by Jesus to Faustina. These intentions encompass all of humanity, including sinners, priests, religious, children, and those who do not yet know God.

You can find the daily intentions and accompanying chaplet prayers in our Divine Mercy prayer pamphlet or online at the Divine Mercy official website.

To help you fully enter into this beautiful devotion, we’ve gathered a selection of Divine Mercy resources available in our store. Whether you’re looking for a chaplet, an image for your home, or a prayer booklet to guide your novena, we have options to support your spiritual journey.