While the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is less than a hundred years old, it’s now a well-known and beloved devotion of the Catholic faith. The chaplet is one of our daily prayer programs on CatholicTV, in addition to the daily Mass, the Rosary, and the Divine Office. Pray the chaplet with us every day at 3:00pm ET, or pray anytime with one of our Divine Mercy Chaplet videos.
Read on to learn more about the history and practice of this powerful prayer.
During the 1930s, a Polish nun named Sr. Faustina received revelations from Jesus about God’s message of mercy for the world. She recorded these revelations in what we now know as the Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska. These revelations sparked a movement that spread throughout the Church, ushering in graces that our world needs today more than ever.
We traditionally pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at three o’clock in the afternoon, the hour that Jesus died on the Cross. It’s a beautiful and poignant way to remember his loving sacrifice that made it possible for us to receive the mercy of God. However, you can pray this devotion at any time of the day or night. In fact, Our Lord instructed Saint Faustina to pray the chaplet “unceasingly.” Even just repeating the words, For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world, can be a powerful prayer to meditate on throughout the day.
You can pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet with rosary beads, following this outline of prayers:
Along with giving St. Faustina the chaplet to pray, Jesus also asked her to have an image painted of himself with one hand over his heart and the other raised in blessing. From his heart, two rays shine forth—one red and one white—symbolizing the blood and water that poured out when Jesus’ side was pierced with a spear (Jn 19:33–34). Below the image, we read the words, Jesus, I trust in you. This image is well-loved not only for the promises associated with it but also for its simple yet powerful message of profound trust in Our Lord’s limitless mercy—a message we all need.
In the year 2000, Pope St. John Paul II declared Divine Mercy Sunday as an official feast of the Church, celebrated on the Sunday following Easter. Abundant graces are available to those who practice the devotion on this day. One way to prepare for this feast is by praying the Divine Mercy Novena: reciting the chaplet every day beginning on Good Friday and concluding on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday. But like the chaplet, this novena can be prayed anytime during the year to receive grace when you need it most.
If you find it easier to pray along with a visual aid, then you’ll want to tune in to CatholicTV every day at 3pm ET to pray the chaplet with us. You can also watch a past episode or one of our Divine Mercy Chaplet videos and pray anytime that works with your schedule. Your hosts will lead you in prayer at multiple locations across the country and around the world, from the CatholicTV studios in Massachusetts to Lough Derg, Ireland.
Each episode of the chaplet opens with beautiful sacred music as Bishop Robert Reed exposes the Eucharist in a monstrance for adoration. You’ll also have a front-row seat to the beautiful art and architecture of the church, chapel, or cathedral hosting the chaplet. Bishop Reed and his co-hosts begin with the opening prayers and then chant the chaplet. Finally, each chaplet concludes with a hymn of benediction as Bishop Reed returns the Eucharist to the tabernacle.
Whether you prefer to chant, recite, sing, or simply listen, praying with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy video is an effective way to practice this powerful devotion. It can also be a prayerful alternative to other “background noise,” such as the news or the radio; give your home, office, or car an ambience of prayer by playing the chaplet on repeat instead. With options to pray the chaplet via video, on TV, or online, it’s never been easier to practice this devotion and learn a new way to pray. Try it today and see what graces Our Lord wants to give you.
Your gift helps CatholicTV deliver the Good News into millions of homes across the nation. We need your support to continue connecting people with Christ and the Church.
