Information taken from the website: thedivinemercy.org

The Divine Mercy message and devotion is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God's mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.

On August 25, 1905 Helena Kowalska was born in Poland; the third of ten children living off a small farm and her father's carpentry work. She would become known to the world as St. Faustina

Through St. Faustina, Jesus gave the world new channels for obtaining the outpouring of His grace. The Image of The Divine Mercy The Feast of Mercy (Divine Mercy Sunday) The Chaplet The Novena to The Divine Mercy The Hour of Great Mercy.

T HE R ED R AY Stands for the Blood which is the life of souls T HE P ALE R AY Stands for the Water which makes souls righteous “These two rays issued forth from the depths of My most tender Mercy at that time when My agonizing Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross… Fortunate is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.”

“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy” (Diary, 699).

“I want this image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy. On that day, the depths of My Mercy will be open to all. Whoever will go to confession and Holy Communion on that day will receive complete forgiveness of sin and punishment.”

In 1933, God gave Sister Faustina a striking vision of His Mercy, Sister tells us: “I saw a great light, with God the Father in the midst of it. Between this light and the earth, I saw Jesus nailed to the Cross and in such a way that God, wanting to look upon the earth, had to look through Our Lord’s wounds. And I understood that God blessed the earth for the sake of Jesus.”

T HE T HREE O’ CLOCK H OUR T HE H OUR OF D IVINE M ERCY “At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion” (Diary, 1320). “…for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul… it was the hour of grace for the whole world — mercy triumphed over justice.” (1572)

“I saw an Angel, the executor of God’s wrath… about to strike the earth… I began to beg God earnestly for the world with words which I heard interiorly. As I prayed in this way, I saw the Angel’s helplessness, and he could not carry out the just punishment…” The following day, an inner voice taught her to say the prayer she had prayed… The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

“Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death.” “Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy….”

H OW TO P RAY THE C HAPLET 1. Make the sign of the Cross 2. Optional Opening Prayer 3. Our Father 4. Hail Mary 5. The Apostles Creed 6. The Eternal Father 7. On the 10 small beads of each decade: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” 8. Repeat for the remaining decades: “Eternal Father” (6) on the Our Father bead and “For the sake of His sorrowful passion” (7) prayer on each of the 10 Hail Mary beads. 9. Conclude with “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (repeat 3 times)

Jesus asked that the Feast of Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. Jesus gave Sr. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena.

Day 1 (Good Friday) All mankind, especially sinners Day 2 (Holy Saturday) The Souls of priests and religious Day 3 (Easter Sunday) All devout and faithful souls Day 4 (Easter Monday) Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him Day 5 (Easter Tuesday) The souls of separated brethren Day 6 (Easter Wednesday) The meek and humble souls and the souls of children Day 7 (Easter Thursday) The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus’ mercy Day 8 (Easter Friday) The souls who are detained in purgatory Day 9 (Easter Saturday) The souls who have become lukewarm

1935 – Sr. Faustina writes to her Spiritual Director, “The time will come when this work, which God so commends, [will be] as though in complete ruin, and suddenly the action of God will come upon the scene with great power which will bear witness to the truth. It will be as a new splendor for the church, though it has been dormant in it from long ago.” March 6, 1959 – Holy See – acting on misinformation – prohibited the spreading of this devotion which led to 20 years of total silence April 15, 1978 – Holy See – after thorough examination –reverses its decision. The one man primarily responsible – Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the Archbishop of the Diocese of Cracow, Poland. October 16, Cardinal Woityla declared Pope John Paul II.

April 30, Blessed Faustina is canonized in Rome on Divine Mercy Sunday and Divine Mercy Sunday is proclaimed. August 18, John Paul II consecrates the whole world to the Divine Mercy from The Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Krakow at the site of St. Faustina's tomb. April 3, Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday - Pope John Paul II dies, leaving us a message for Divine Mercy Sunday.

Be Merciful as Your Father is Merciful We are called both to receive God’s Mercy and to use it to be merciful to others. Even the strongest faith is of no use without works. Jesus' Call to Mercy “I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor…”: By deed By word By prayer

Corporal Works Feed the hungry Give drink to the thirsty Clothe the naked Shelter the homeless Comfort the prisoners Visit the sick Bury the dead Spiritual Works Teach the ignorant Pray for the living & dead Correct sinners Counsel those in doubt Console the sorrowful Bear wrongs patiently Forgive wrongs willingly W HAT ARE THE W ORKS OF M ERCY ?

Discussion and Closing Prayer Saint Faustina, You told us that your mission would continue after your death and that you would not forget us. Our Lord also granted you a great privilege, telling you to "distribute graces as you will, to who you will, and when you will." Relying on this, we ask your intercession for the graces we need, especially for the intentions just mentioned. Help us, above all, to trust in Jesus as you did and thus to glorify His mercy every moment of our lives. Amen