Divine Mercy

Jesus, I trust in You.

In 1931, in a small Polish convent, Jesus told Sister Faustina: paint this image, pray this chaplet, remember Me at three in the afternoon, and tell the whole world that My mercy is greater than any sin. This page gathers those things, so that you can pray now and come back whenever you need to.

Hour of Mercy: 3 pm every day

Pray the Chaplet Read the Diary

Jesus, I trust in You.Jesus asks that suffering humanity be told to draw close to His merciful Heart, where He will fill them with peace.
Diary, §1074 (summarised)

A word from the Diary for today

In the Old Testament God sent prophets with warnings; now He sends mercy to the whole world, for before the day of justice He sends the day of mercy.

Diary, §1588 (summarised)

The five elements of the devotion

Jesus did not give Sister Faustina a theory but very concrete things to do. Each comes with a promise.

The image

Jesus, I trust in You

The image of Jesus with two rays, one red and one pale, is what He asked Faustina to paint on 22 February 1931. The rays are the Blood and Water from His pierced side; the words beneath are the answer of the one who looks up at Him.

Jesus promises that the soul who venerates this image will not perish, and that He Himself will defend it, especially at the hour of death.
Diary, §48 (summarised)

The feast

The Sunday after Easter

Jesus wanted the Second Sunday of Easter to be the Feast of Mercy, with the promise of complete forgiveness of sins and punishment for those who confess and receive Communion that day. The Church established the feast for the whole world in 2000.

Jesus says He wants to grant complete pardon to the souls who go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of Mercy.
Diary, §1109 (summarised)

The chaplet

Five decades offering the Body and Blood of Jesus

Prayed on ordinary rosary beads: the Our Father, Hail Mary and Creed, then on each decade one offering and ten times “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”. Jesus made special promises for the dying.

Jesus asks that the chaplet be prayed unceasingly, promises great mercy at the hour of death to those who pray it, and says that even the most hardened sinner who prays it once will receive grace.
Diary, §687 (summarised)

The Hour of Mercy

Three in the afternoon

The hour Jesus died on the cross. A single moment is enough: stop, immerse yourself in His Passion and beg mercy for sinners, wherever you are.

At three o'clock Jesus asks us to implore His mercy, especially for sinners, and to dwell for a moment on His Passion; He calls it the hour of great mercy for the whole world and promises to refuse nothing to the soul that asks by virtue of His Passion.
Diary, §1320 (summarised)

Deeds of mercy

By deed, by word, by prayer

The devotion does not stop at prayers. Jesus asks for at least one act of mercy a day, and warns that whoever shows no mercy in any form cannot obtain His mercy.

Jesus demands deeds of mercy done out of love for Him, always and everywhere, and names three ways: by deed, by word, and by prayer.
Diary, §742 (summarised)

Living the devotion every day

Three verbs sum up everything Jesus told Faustina.

Ask

Ask for mercy

Come to God in prayer, in Confession and the Eucharist, without waiting to feel worthy. Jesus says He is waiting for us there.

Be merciful

At least one thing a day: a word of forgiveness, a moment of listening, a practical help, or a prayer for someone you cannot reach.

Trust

Completely trust

“Jesus, I trust in You” is not a slogan but a choice repeated every day, above all when our weakness is plain to us.

15:00Hour of Mercy: 3 pm every day

The Hour of Mercy · 3 pm

Jesus asks three things, as circumstances allow: make the Stations of the Cross; if not, visit the Blessed Sacrament for a moment; if even that is impossible, immerse yourself in prayer for a short while wherever you are (Diary, §1572).

Stop for a minute when the clock strikes three.
Remember Jesus dying, abandoned, on the cross.
Beg mercy for sinners and for those who are dying at this hour.
Say the Hour of Mercy prayer and, if you can, pray the chaplet.

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.

O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You.

Diary, §1572 (summarised)

Pray the Chaplet

Divine Mercy Sunday

The Second Sunday of Easter. On 30 April 2000, canonising Sister Faustina, John Paul II established this feast for the whole Church.

Go to Confession (in the days around the feast) and receive Communion on the day.
Venerate the image of Divine Mercy and pray for the Pope's intentions.
Prepare with the novena from Good Friday.
Do one concrete act of mercy.

Jesus wants the Feast of Mercy to be a refuge for all souls, especially poor sinners: on that day the depths of His mercy are opened, and the soul that confesses and receives Communion obtains complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.
Diary, §699 (summarised)

Divine Mercy Novena

Jesus dictated nine intentions to Faustina (Diary, §1209–1229). In Anawim App and on the Prayers page the day's intention is prayed just before the chaplet.

1All mankind, especially sinnersGood Friday · Diary, §1210
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, whose very nature is compassion, love, and forgiveness, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into Your most compassionate Heart and never let us escape from it.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind, especially poor sinners. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, show us Your mercy, that we may praise the power of Your mercy forever. Amen.
2Priests and religiousHoly Saturday · Diary, §1212
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me the intention of day 2 of the Divine Mercy Novena.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, receive these souls into Your compassionate Heart and keep them in Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon these souls. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
3Devout and faithful soulsEaster Sunday · Diary, §1214
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me the intention of day 3 of the Divine Mercy Novena.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, receive these souls into Your compassionate Heart and keep them in Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon these souls. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
4Those who do not yet know JesusEaster Monday · Diary, §1216
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me the intention of day 4 of the Divine Mercy Novena.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, receive these souls into Your compassionate Heart and keep them in Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon these souls. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
5Those separated from the unity of the ChurchEaster Tuesday · Diary, §1218
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me the intention of day 5 of the Divine Mercy Novena.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, receive these souls into Your compassionate Heart and keep them in Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon these souls. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
6Meek and humble souls, and little childrenEaster Wednesday · Diary, §1220
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me the intention of day 6 of the Divine Mercy Novena.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, receive these souls into Your compassionate Heart and keep them in Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon these souls. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
7Those who venerate and spread Divine MercyEaster Thursday · Diary, §1224
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me the intention of day 7 of the Divine Mercy Novena.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, receive these souls into Your compassionate Heart and keep them in Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon these souls. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
8The souls in purgatoryEaster Friday · Diary, §1226
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me the intention of day 8 of the Divine Mercy Novena.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, receive these souls into Your compassionate Heart and keep them in Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon these souls. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
9Lukewarm soulsEaster Saturday · Diary, §1228
Words of Jesus
Today bring to Me the intention of day 9 of the Divine Mercy Novena.
Prayer
Most merciful Jesus, receive these souls into Your compassionate Heart and keep them in Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon these souls. For the sake of the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.

Pray the novena

Pages from the Diary

The Diary runs to more than 1,800 numbered paragraphs: a conversation between Jesus and a convent cook. Below is a short selection by theme, summarised in our own words with the paragraph number so you can read the full text in an authorised edition.

The only vessel for drawing grace is trust.

The graces of mercy are drawn with one vessel only, trust; the more a soul trusts, the more it receives.

Diary, §1578 (summarised)

What Faustina has written is a drop compared with the ocean; God is Love and Mercy itself, and the soul that trusts in His mercy is the happiest, because He Himself takes care of it.

Diary, §1273 (summarised)

No soul that has come to Jesus goes away unconsoled; heaven and earth would sooner pass away than His mercy fail to embrace a trusting soul.

Diary, §1777 (summarised)

Jesus asks Faustina to tell the world of His mercy and love: the flames of mercy burn in Him, He wants to pour them out on souls, and a soul that comes to Him with trust receives so much grace that it cannot keep it to itself.

Diary, §1074 (summarised)

Mankind will have no peace until it turns with trust to God's mercy; the doubt of a soul wounds Jesus more than anything.

Diary, §300 (summarised)

Jesus has opened His Heart as a living fountain of mercy; sinners will be justified there and the just confirmed in good.

Diary, §1520 (summarised)

Souls should put up no obstacles to mercy, which works in every heart that opens to it; both sinners and the just need it.

Diary, §1577 (summarised)

The greater a soul's misery, the greater its right to God's mercy; on the cross the fountain of mercy was opened for all souls without exception.

Diary, §1182 (summarised)

The Diary of Saint Faustina is quoted here only by paragraph number, in Anawim's own short summaries, so that you can look each passage up in an authorised edition. The English Diary is published by the Marian Fathers (Marian Press); Anawim does not reproduce it. Chaplet and novena texts follow the wording used in Anawim App.

Divine Mercy prayers

Short prayers to carry through the day.

O Blood and Water

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You.

Diary, §187 (summarised)

Hour of Mercy prayer

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.

O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You.

Diary, §1319 (summarised)

Litany of Divine Mercy

Merciful Father, source of compassion and goodness, I come to ask for Your mercy. Though my sins are many, I still trust in Your mercy, because You are the One who loves and forgives.

Merciful Father, You alone judge rightly and never reject a contrite heart that runs to Your mercy. Jesus has assured us that heaven and earth may pass away, but Your mercy always embraces a trusting soul.

Lord Jesus, friend of lonely hearts, You are our peace, our salvation, and the light on our path. Comfort and heal our wounds. Amen.

Act of consecration

Act of Consecration

Lord Jesus, from this day forward we consecrate ourselves completely to You. Into Your merciful hands we place our past, present, and future. Care for us, protect us, and help us become faithful children of God and of Mary most holy.

May Your Divine Mercy triumph over every evil power. May those who venerate Your mercy find joy in this life, hope at the hour of death, and glory in eternal life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Faustina

Helena Kowalska (1905–1938), a sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, worked as cook, gardener and porter. Jesus called her the secretary of His mercy. Her Diary was written in the last four years of her life at the request of her spiritual director.

Faustina's task is to write down everything Jesus reveals about His mercy, so that readers will be consoled and find courage to approach Him.
Diary, §1693 (summarised)

25 Aug 1905
Helena Kowalska is born in the village of Głogowiec, Poland, the third of ten children of a poor farming family.
1 Aug 1925
After years of family opposition she enters the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw; on 30 April 1926 she receives the habit and the name Sister Maria Faustina.
22 Feb 1931
In Płock, Jesus appears to her in a white garment with two rays and asks for an image signed “Jesus, I trust in You” (Diary, §47–48).
1 May 1933
Perpetual vows in Kraków; she is then sent to Vilnius, where she meets her spiritual director, Fr Michał Sopoćko.
1934
The painter Eugeniusz Kazimirowski paints the first image under her guidance; on 28 July 1934 she begins the Diary at Fr Sopoćko's request.
Sep 1935
In Vilnius, Jesus teaches her the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as a prayer that appeases God's anger (Diary, §474–476).
1937
Jesus teaches her about the Hour of Mercy at three in the afternoon and the promise attached to it (Diary, §1320, 1572).
5 Oct 1938
She dies of tuberculosis in Kraków-Łagiewniki, aged 33. The Diary ends in June of that year.
18 Apr 1993
John Paul II beatifies her in Rome, on the Sunday after Easter.
30 Apr 2000
Canonised in Rome; the same day the Second Sunday of Easter is established as Divine Mercy Sunday for the whole Church.

Two apostles of Divine Mercy

Saint Faustina received the message; Saint John Paul II carried it to the whole world. Each has a gallery of their own.

Portrait of Sister Faustina in her habit

Saint Faustina Kowalska

Secretary of Mercy, 1905 – 1938

Helena Kowalska, a sister who cooked, gardened and kept the convent door, was given by Jesus the mission of proclaiming mercy. She kept the Diary; through her the Church received the image, the chaplet, the Hour of Mercy and the Feast of Divine Mercy.

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Saint John Paul II

The Pope of Divine Mercy, 1920 – 2005

As Archbishop of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła opened the inquiry into Faustina's life; as pope he canonised her in 2000 and set up Divine Mercy Sunday. He died on the evening before that feast.

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