O Lord, I want to be completely transformed into your mercy
and to be your living reflection.
May the greatest of all divine attributes,
that of your unfathomable mercy,
pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful,
so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances,
but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls
and come to their rescue.
Help me, O Lord, that my ears may be merciful,
so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs
and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.
Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful,
so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor,
but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.
Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful
and filled with good deeds,
so that I may do only good to my neighbors
and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.
Help me, O Lord, that my feet may be merciful,
so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor,
overcoming my own fatigue and weariness…
Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful
so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor…
May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.
Amen.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a relatively recent but very popular devotion revealed by Our Lord to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun. On Good Friday 1937, Christ appeared to Saint Faustina and asked her to recite this chaplet for nine days, starting on Good Friday and ending on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), now known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
The chaplet is most often recited during those nine days, but it can be prayed at any time of the year, and Saint Maria Faustina recited it almost unceasingly. A standard rosary can be used to recite the chaplet, and the entire devotion takes just 20 minutes—about the time it takes to pray the rosary.
There are two opening prayers; the second is repeated three times:
First 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.
Second Prayer
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You! (repeat three times)
On each of the Hail Mary beads in each decade, pray the following prayer:
For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.