By saying the chaplet you are bringing humankind closer to me – Jesus to St. Faustina
On September 14, 2015, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the gift and graces of the Chaplet of Mercy, given by Jesus, The Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina Kowalska in Poland in 1935. As we examined in Part 1 of this series, History Speaks Loudly, this prayer was given to help appease the wrath of God, to hold off the time of justice rightly due for the sins of the world. Jesus urged Saint Faustina to pray it often, but He also urged her to encourage others to say it as well:
My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given you. It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet. (Diary of Saint Faustina, 1541)
The Chaplet of Mercy is a prayer of intercession prayed on ordinary rosary beads in as little as ten minutes. It may also be sung by means of a variety of melodies in about twenty. In any case, this beautiful and increasingly popular prayer comes attached with a plethora of graces and promises of which many are yet unaware. So in honor of this 80th anniversary, we share here with you as many of the promises and stories related to the Chaplet that we could find in St. Faustina’s Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul.
We begin Part 2 of this series with one of our favorite encounters between Jesus and Saint Faustina recorded in entry 929. Saint Faustina was just like many of us. She was greatly concerned for all mankind and for the way people were acting and treating the Lord and each other. You may find that her lamentations sound remarkably familiar to many of your own:
When I had rested near His sweetest Heart, I told Him, “Jesus, I have so much to tell You.” And the Lord said to me with great love, Speak, My daughter. And I started to enumerate the pains of my heart; that is, how greatly concerned I am for all mankind, that “they all do not know You, and those who do know You do not love You as You deserve to be loved. I also see how terribly sinners offend You; and then again, I see how severely the faithful, especially Your servants, are oppressed and persecuted. And then, too, I see many souls rushing headlong into the terrible abyss of hell. You see, Jesus, this is the pain that gnaws at my heart and bones. And, although You show me special love and inundate my heart with streams of Your joys, nevertheless, this does not appease the sufferings I have just mentioned, but rather they penetrate my poor heart all the more acutely. Oh, how ardently I desire that all mankind turn with trust to Your mercy. Then, seeing the glory of Your name, my heart will be comforted.”
Here is what seals this exchange as one of our favorites. As St. Faustina poured out her heart, notice how Jesus reacted and how He instructed her to respond to her heartaches and worries:
Jesus listened to these outpourings of my heart with gravity and interest, as if He had known nothing about them, and this seemed to make it easier for me to talk. And the Lord said to me, My daughter, those words of your heart are pleasing to Me, and by saying the chaplet you are bringing humankind closer to Me. After these words, I found myself alone, but the presence of God is always in my soul.
Let us take this message to heart and remember it every time we have a problem, or are worried, or upset with the situation around us. Rather than lamenting about what is happening, let us pray the Chaplet of Mercy. Let us pray it as often as possible, several times a day if we can, and rejoice in the knowledge that every time we do we are bringing souls closer to the merciful heart of Jesus. How awesome is that?
PROMISES OF THE CHAPLET FOR ALL THINGS
Page from the notebook of St. Faustina’s handwritten Diary
I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy. (687)
My daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given to you. It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet. (1541)
PROMISES OF THE CHAPLET TO APPEASE GOD’S ANGER
This prayer will serve to appease My wrath. (476)
When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son. (811)
This chaplet mitigates God’s anger, as He Himself told me. (1036)
It [the chaplet] appeases the anger of God. (1565)
PROMISES OF THE CHAPLET FOR SINNERS
Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. (687)
When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one. (1541)
PROMISES OF THE CHAPLET FOR STORMS
Today I was awakened by a great storm. The wind was raging, and it was raining in torrents, thunderbolts striking again and again. I began to pray that the storm would do no harm, when I heard the words: Say the chaplet I have taught you, and the storm will cease. I began immediately to say the chaplet and hadn’t even finished it when the storm suddenly ceased, and I heard the words: Through the chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will. (1731)
When a great storm was approaching, I began to say the chaplet. Suddenly I heard the voice of an angel: “I cannot approach in this storm, because the light which comes from her mouth drives back both me and the storm.” Such was the angel’s complaint to God. I then recognized how much havoc he was to have made through this storm; but I also recognized that this prayer was pleasing to God, and that this chaplet was most powerful. (1791)
PROMISES OF THE CHAPLET FOR THE FAITHFUL
The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death. (754)
While I was saying the chaplet, I heard a voice which said, Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this chaplet; the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the chaplet. O what a great multitude of souls I see! They worshiped the Divine Mercy and will be singing the hymn of praise for all eternity. (848)
PROMISES OF THE CHAPLET FOR THE DYING
Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior. (1541)
I realize more and more how much every soul needs God’s mercy throughout life and particularly at the hour of death. This chaplet mitigates God’s anger, as He Himself told me. (1036)
At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgence is the same. When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son. (811)
ST. FAUSTINA’S STORIES
PRAYING THE CHAPLET OF MERCY FOR THE DYING
The stories from the Diary of St. Faustina that follow below clearly demonstrate the extremely holy relationship that exists between God and man and death. They show how the recitation of the Chaplet of Mercy comes to the aid of souls at their last moments, especially souls in distress. Millions worldwide have followed St. Faustina’s example of praying at the bedside of souls during their last moments. Their testimonies are numerous and quite often strikingly similar to the experiences St. Faustina shared. Let us all follow the path of St. Faustina and do as the Lord commands, Pray as much as you can for the dying, for certain souls depend on us, and what a great gift our humble prayers may obtain for them!
Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties, obtain for them trust in My mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer. (1777)
THE FIRST SOUL TO BENEFIT FROM THE LORD’S PROMISE
During the night, I was suddenly awakened and knew that some soul was asking me for prayer, and that it was in much need of prayer. Briefly, but with all my soul, I asked the Lord for grace for her. (809)
The following afternoon, when I entered the ward, I saw someone dying, and learned that the agony had started during the night. When I verified it – it had been at the time when I had been asked for prayer. And just then, I heard a voice in my soul: Say the chaplet which I taught you. I ran to fetch my rosary and knelt down by the dying person and, with all the ardor of my soul, I began to say the chaplet. Suddenly the dying person opened her eyes and looked at me; I had not managed to finish the entire chaplet when she died, with extraordinary peace. I fervently asked the Lord to fulfill the promise He had given me for the recitation of the chaplet. The Lord gave me to know that the soul had been granted the grace He had promised me. That was the first soul to receive the benefit of the Lord’s promise. I could feel the power of mercy envelop that soul. (810)
A SUFFERING YOUNG MAN DIES PEACEFULLY
This evening, a certain young man was dying; he was suffering terribly. For his intention, I began to say the chaplet which the Lord had taught me. I said it all, but the agony continued. I wanted to start the Litany of the Saints, but suddenly I heard the words, Say the chaplet. I understood that the soul needed the special help of prayers and great mercy. And so I locked myself in my room and fell prostrate before God and begged for mercy upon that soul. Then I felt the great majesty of God and His great justice. I trembled with fear, but did not stop begging the Lord’s mercy for that soul. Then I took the cross off my breast, the crucifix I had received when making my vows, and I put it on the chest of the dying man and said to the Lord, “Jesus, look on this soul with the same love with which You looked on my holocaust on the day of my perpetual vows, and by the power of the promise which You made to me in respect to the dying and those who would invoke Your mercy on them, [grant this man the grace of a happy death].” His suffering then ceased, and he died peacefully. Oh, how much we should pray for the dying! Let us take advantage of mercy while there is still time for mercy. (1035)
THE POWERS OF DARKNESS FLED IN A PANIC
Art by Tommy Canning
When I entered the chapel for a moment, the Lord said to me, My daughter, help Me to save a certain dying sinner. Say the chaplet that I have taught you for him. When I began to say the chaplet, I saw the man dying in the midst of terrible torment and struggle. His Guardian Angel was defending him, but he was, as it were, powerless against the enormity of the soul’s misery. A multitude of devils was waiting for the soul. But while I was saying the chaplet, I saw Jesus just as He is depicted in the image. The rays which issued from Jesus’ Heart enveloped the sick man, and the powers of darkness fled in panic. The sick man peacefully breathed his last. When I came to myself, I understood how very important the chaplet was for the dying. It appeases the anger of God. (1565)
HELP FOR A SOUL ALREADY IN DESPAIR
Today, the Lord came to me and said, My daughter, help Me to save souls. You will go to a dying sinner, and you will continue to recite the chaplet, and in this way you will obtain for him trust in My mercy, for he is already in despair. (1797)
Suddenly, I found myself in a strange cottage where an elderly man was dying amidst great torments. All about the bed was a multitude of demons and the family, who were crying. When I began to pray, the spirits of darkness fled, with hissing and threats directed at me. The soul became calm and, filled with trust, rested in the Lord. At the same moment, I found myself again in my own room. How this happens… I do not know. (1798)
CONCLUDING REMARKS
Our hope and our prayer is that by reading these stories and passages recorded by St. Faustina of the promises of the Chaplet of Mercy you have been brought to a greater realization of the unfathomable mercy of God and the power of this prayer. We hope you will utilize it now to a greater extent and that you will ask St. Faustina to pray it with you. Last but not least, we hope you will share this prayer with others and encourage them to do the same. For the Lord has given us a command, and the only way we can actually achieve it is by the entire Body of Christ praying it as often as we can.
Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you.
Follow this link for Part 1, History Speaks Loudly
Follow this link for Part 3, Ways to Celebrate and Share
All references to Diary: Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul © 1987 Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M, Stockbridge, MA 01263. All rights reserved. www.marian.org Bolding indicates words of Jesus. Numbers in parenthesis after passages indicates Diary entry.
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