The Chaplet of Divine Mercy can be prayed with the traditional beads of the Rosary, although it is not necessary to do so. The Chaplet only takes a few minutes, and thousands of Catholics around the world recite it every day to ask for God's mercy.

Why do we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy?

We pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to ask for mercy in our own lives and in the lives of our neighbors. And we also pray to remember that we need to trust in God; we need to recognize our weaknesses and replace our anxieties and worries with an abundant trust in God. We pray that we can honestly live out the words, “Jesus, I trust in You.”

He who sincerely says, “Jesus, I trust in You,” will find comfort in all his anguish and fear… There is nothing more that man needs than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which lifts man above his weakness to the infinite heights of God’s holiness.

Saint John Paul II (Krakow, Poland, June 7, 1997)

When to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy?

You can pray the Chaplet at any time, but here are three particularly meaningful moments to ask for God's mercy:

After mass

Divine Mercy is a prayer of intercession that prolongs the offering of the Eucharist, which is why it is especially appropriate to use it after receiving Holy Communion at Mass.

Before the Feast of Mercy

The Chaplet can be prayed at any time, but the Lord expressly told St. Faustina to recite it as novena during the nine days preceding the Feast of Mercy (the first Sunday after Easter). Then she added: “By this Novena [of Chaplets] I will grant all possible graces to souls.” (Diary of St. Faustina, 796)

At three in the afternoon.

3:00 pm is known as the "hour of great mercy" in remembrance of Christ's death on the cross at 3:00 pm on Good Friday. Similarly, the Via della Salute is often prayed Crucis at the moment.

How to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Time needed: 20 minutes

Using regular rosary beads (or your ten fingers), follow this structure:

1. It begins with the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. Prepare your heart and mind. You expired, Jesus, but the fountain of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fountain of Life, Divine, unfathomable Mercy, envelop the whole world and pour yourself out upon us.
3. Pray the prayer of Saint Faustina. On each of the three small beads, pray:
   Oh Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You! (x3)
4. Pray an Our Father. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
5. Say a Hail Mary. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
6. Pray the Apostles' Creed. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy SpiritBorn of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
7. First decade In the first big account: In the traditional prayer of the Rosary, we pray the Our Father for each large bead. On the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, we pray the following:Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the entire world.

   In the ten small beads: In the traditional prayer of the Rosary, we pray the Hail Mary on each small bead. On the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, we pray the following:

   For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (x10)

8. Repeat this pattern four times. For each decade: start with the prayer «Eternal Father» , and then pray «For the good» ten times.
9. After five decades, he prays for mercy. Repeat the following prayer three times:Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (x3)
10. Close your time in prayer. Let us pray: Eternal God, in whom mercy is without end and the treasury of compassion is inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, so that in difficult moments we may not despair or become discouraged, but with great confidence submit to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. 
11. It concludes with the sign of the cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

On Hallow, you can pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (10-, 12-, and 14-minute options) or the Divine Mercy Novena led by Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus in The Chosen.