THE DIVINE MERCY NOVENA

Pray one of the most beautiful and powerful devotions of all time, enhanced with magnificent sacred art!

The interior of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City

HOW TO PRAY WITH THE BOOKLET

If possible, I highly recommend that you pray the Divine Mercy Novena with the booklet entitled The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion. It is by Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, and it is published by Marian Press. This booklet is a terrific resource on Divine Mercy. I like to have the sacred art on the computer screen in front of me so that I can follow along and pray using the booklet. From a logistical standpoint, it seems to be the easiest and most effective way for me to pray this devotion, so I recommend this to you as well.

HOW TO PRAY WITHOUT THE BOOKLET

However, in a worst-case scenario, I know that sometimes it’s possible that we forget our booklet, or just don’t have it handy, or maybe we are traveling on that particular day. If that’s the case, then I have provided everything you need on this website, for your convenience, so that you can still access the devotion through your smartphone.

SACRED ART

I cannot even begin to describe just how helpful sacred art has been to my prayer life. What you may notice gradually, perhaps even imperceptibly, over time is that the sacred art will help you develop a stronger relationship with Our Lord, with Our Lady, and even with the saints. Just as we like to have pictures of our loved ones at our office desk when we cannot see them in person, similarly having sacred art in front of us when we pray can be very consoling and comforting.

THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET: A DIVINE DRAMA

Just as I have learned to slow down and prioritize quality of prayer over quantity of prayer when reciting the Holy Rosary, I have learned to do basically the same thing with the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Once again, it is broken down into sections, much like a five-act play. This is what it looks like:

Prologue — Introductory Prayers of the Divine Mercy Chaplet (Sunday) Act I — The First Decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet (Monday) Act II — The Second Decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet (Tuesday) Act III — The Third Decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet (Wednesday) Act IV — The Fourth Decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet (Thursday) Act V — The Fifth Decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet (Friday) Epilogue — The Concluding Prayers of the Divine Mercy Chaplet (Saturday)

However, what I have done is include sacred art that centers on The Passion. So while I open the day by engaging in meditative prayer with the Rosary, during the Hour of Mercy (which is between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.) I engage in contemplative prayer with the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Every time I say the prayer, “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world,” I am gazing upon a different work of classic sacred art that depicts The Passion. I want to focus on the quality of prayer, not just the quantity. St. Louis de Montfort said, “…I wish to say [the Rosary] with modesty, attention, and devotion, just as if it were to be the last of my life,” and I want to do the same with the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Actually, this also reminds me of one of my favorite passages in St. Faustina’s diary. Our Lady speaks to her and says, “Be courageous. Do not fear apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze on the Passion of my Son, and in this way you will be victorious.” This is precisely why I love to pray the Chaplet while contemplating Jesus’ suffering and death.

I created three different versions that represent a chronological account of The Passion. So Version 1 begins with the betrayal of Judas Iscariot and ends with Jesus being taken to the house of the high priest; Version 2 begins with Jesus being scourged at the pillar, and ends with Jesus carrying the cross to Golgotha; and Version 3 goes from carrying the cross to the crucifixion — and then concludes with the resurrection (I want this spiritual journey to begin with the Dark Night of the Cross and then end with the Light of Divine Mercy).

Immediately below you will find the Divine Mercy Novena, which begins every year on Good Friday and ends on Divine Mercy Sunday. Then, farther down, you will find the Divine Mercy Chaplet: A Divine Drama (which can be prayed any time of the year). I hope you will be blessed by them as much as I have.