The Chaplet of Mercy and the Novena of Divine Mercy are the two prayers that are the most popular and well known for the Devotion of Divine Mercy. However, Saint Faustina had many other prayers that she prayed regularly for the redemption and salvation of souls. She said that in order for a soul to remain beautiful, prayer is absolutely necessary: “By prayer a soul arms itself for all kinds of combat. In whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty. A soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it. A soul which is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again. A sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer”. (Diary entry 146).
Here is a short selection of prayers that can teach us how to be merciful and follow in the footsteps of Saint Faustina.
Saint Faustina’s life was a living prayer. She offered herself up daily as a living sacrifice for others, seeking only to glorify God’s mercy. “I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection [...] May Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbour.” Here is a prayer that she said upon waking every day.
“Help me, O Lord,
… that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but ook for what is beautiful in my neighbors’ souls and come to their rescue.
… that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors’ needs, and not indifferent to their pains and complaints.
… 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.
… 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.
… that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.
… that my heart may be merciful, so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor.I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.”
Jesus told Saint Faustina, “Know this, My daughter, if you strive for perfection you will sanctify many souls; and if you do not strive for sanctity, many souls will remain imperfect. Know that their perfection will depend on your perfection.” (Diary entry 1165).
“O Jesus, I want to live in the present moment, to live as if this were the last day of my life. I want to use every moment scrupulously for the greater glory of God, to use every circumstance for the benefit of my soul. I want to look upon everything from the point of view that nothing happens without the will of God. God of unfathomable mercy, embrace the whole world and pour Yourself out upon us through the merciful Heart of Jesus”.
Jesus lets Saint Faustina know that He rewarded her for her purity of heart in all of her intentions. When she wrote she prayed to the Holy Spirit to bless her pen. Jesus told her, “I demand that you devote all of your free time to writing about My goodness and mercy.” (Diary entry 1567).
“O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy, to Your compassion, O God; and it is with a mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth’s exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and through and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: fill us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our lives and at the hour of death. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our salvation’s enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your final coming - that day known to You alone.
And we expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness.
For Jesus is our Hope:
Through His merciful Heart as through an open gate we pass through to heaven.”
In addition to praying to Our Father, Saint Faustina begged Jesus to help her in following and doing only the will of His Father. In many of her prayers she asked that the mercy of Jesus pass through her soul and heart to others.
“O Jesus, stretched out upon the cross, I implore You, give me the grace of following faithfully the most holy will of Your Father in all things, always and everywhere. And when this will of God seems to me very harsh and difficult to fulfill, it is then I beg You, Jesus, may power and strength flow upon me from Your wounds, and may my lips keep repeating – Your will be done, O Lord […] O most compassionate Jesus, grant me the grace to forget myself that I may live totally for souls, helping You in the work of “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 neighbour.”
Saint Faustina says: “God’s love is the flower - Mercy is the fruit. Let the doubting soul read these considerations on Divine Mercy and become trusting.”
“Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, fountain gushing forth from the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the Incarnate Word, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the Heart of Jesus, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and especially for sinners, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the founding of the Holy Church, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to Saints, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of God, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, crown of all God's handiwork, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, Jesus I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, Jesus I trust in You.
Let us pray:
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.”
Hozana is an online platform of prayer, with hundreds of prayer communities to meet the needs and lifestyles of all Christians. If you feel alone in your prayer life and you need to be motivated to pray daily, join one of our prayer communities and pray with Christians from all over the world. Come and join The Novena of Divine Mercy and learn to be more merciful each day. You can also meditate upon the Gospel and receive a writing of a great spiritual leader each day. Learn more about Jesus through the eyes of Mary by praying the Rosary everyday. Last but not least let the Holy Spirit guide you to understanding what Jesus wants for you.