(Diary,
1209-1229)
It is greatly recommended that the following novena intentions
and prayers be prayed together with the Chaplet of Divine
Mercy, since Our Lord specifically asked for a novena of
Chaplets, especially before the Feast of Mercy.
FIRST
DAY "Today bring to Me ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL
SINNERS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this
way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the
loss of souls plunges Me."
Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion
on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon
our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive
us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart,
and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your
love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind
and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most
Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful
Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence
of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.
SECOND
DAY "Today bring to Me THE SOULS OF PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS,
and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who
gave Me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them
as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."
Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase
Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,*
that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all
who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company
of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests
and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your
blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which
they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light,
that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation
and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for
ages without end. Amen.
* In the original text, Saint Faustina uses the pronoun
"us" since she was offering this prayer as a consecrated
religious sister. The wording adapted here is intended to
make the prayer suitable for universal use.
THIRD
DAY "Today bring to Me ALL DEVOUT AND FAITHFUL SOULS,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought
Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop
of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."
Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You
impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive
us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never
let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that
most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your
Heart burns so fiercely.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls,
as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His
sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround
them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never
fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but
rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they
glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.
FOURTH
DAY "Today bring to Me THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN
GOD* AND THOSE WHO DO NOT YET KNOW ME. I was thinking also
of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal
comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."
Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole
world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate
Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of
those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace
enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol
Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the
abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of
those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet
do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate
Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These
souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You.
Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy
for endless ages.
Amen.
*Our Lord's original words here were "the pagans."
Since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII, the Church has
seen fit to replace this term with clearer and more appropriate
terminology.
FIFTH
DAY "Today bring to Me THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAVE
SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM MY CHURCH,* and immerse them in
the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore
at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return
to unity with the Church, My wounds heal and in this way
they alleviate My Passion."
Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse
light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who
have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by
Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let
them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart;
but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity
of Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of
those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church,
who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces
by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon
their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon
His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since
they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart.
Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy
for endless ages. Amen.
*Our Lord's original words here were "heretics and
schismatics," since He spoke to Saint Faustina within
the context of her times. As of the Second Vatican Council,
Church authorities have seen fit not to use those designations
in accordance with the explanation given in the Council's
Decree on Ecumenism (n.3). Every pope since the Council
has reaffirmed that usage. Saint Faustina herself, her heart
always in harmony with the mind of the Church, most certainly
would have agreed. When at one time, because of the decisions
of her superiors and father confessor, she was not able
to execute Our Lord's inspirations and orders, she declared:
"I will follow Your will insofar as You will permit
me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus "
I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice
with which You speak to me" (497). The Lord confirmed
her action and praised her for it.
SIXTH
DAY
"Today bring to Me THE MEEK AND HUMBLE SOULS AND
THE SOULS OF LITTLE CHILDREN, and immerse them in My mercy.
These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened
Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels,
who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole
torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving
My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence."
Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn
from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive
into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek
and humble souls and the souls of little children. These
souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly
Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before
the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance.
These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate
Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of
love and mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls,
upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded
in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.
These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their
fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne.
Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love
You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them:
Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing
out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.
SEVENTH
DAY "Today bring to Me THE SOULS WHO ESPECIALLY VENERATE
AND GLORIFY MY MERCY, * and immerse them in My mercy. These
souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply
into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate
Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness
in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire
of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at
the hour of death."
Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive
into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls
of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness
of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power
of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities
they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to
You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders.
These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy
will embrace them as they depart from this life.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who
glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your
fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate
Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands
are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing
with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High!
I beg You O God:
Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they
have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the
promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life,
but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will
venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will
defend as His glory. Amen.
*The text leads one to conclude that in the first prayer
directed to Jesus, Who is the Redeemer, it is "victim"
souls and contemplatives that are being prayed for; those
persons, that is, that voluntarily offered themselves to
God for the salvation of their neighbor (see Col 1:24; 2
Cor 4:12). This explains their close union with the Savior
and the extraordinary efficacy that their invisible activity
has for others. In the second prayer, directed to the Father
from whom comes "every worthwhile gift and every genuine
benefit,"we recommend the "active" souls,
who promote devotion to The Divine Mercy and exercise with
it all the other works that lend themselves to the spiritual
and material uplifting of their brethren.
EIGHTH
DAY "Today bring to Me THE SOULS WHO ARE DETAINED IN
PURGATORY, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let
the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames.
All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making
retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring
them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury
of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you
only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually
offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their
debt to My justice."
Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire
mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate
Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to
You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice.
May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from
Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there,
too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering
in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate
Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus
Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most
sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls
who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other
way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved
Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your
goodness and compassion. Amen.
NINTH
DAY "Today bring to Me SOULS WHO HAVE BECOME LUKEWARM,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound
My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful
loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls.
They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup
away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope
of salvation is to run to My mercy."
Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring
lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate
Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls
who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be
once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise
the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very
ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy
love, for nothing is beyond Your power.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls
who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart
of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion
of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let
them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen