The Divine Mercy
The Rosary Devotion given by Jesus
Learn about F.I.N.C.H.
“The whole reason for the Passion of Jesus Christ was for us to receive God’s mercy. It is the ‘nucleus of the Gospel.’” Father Chris Alar explains, “In a span of nearly eight years beginning in 1931, Jesus gave Saint Faustina Kowalska five new channels of grace to distribute to us.” The acronym for this devotion is FINCH. referred to as the devotion to “The Divine Mercy”.
Feast of Divine Mercy
On the first Sunday after Easter:
- Go to Confession with a priest
- Go to mass
- Receive the Eucharist
“A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of its own misery. It puts on a mask and avoids everything that might bring it recovery.”
(No. 113)
Image of Divine Mercy
1931: Jesus began appearing to Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska as recorded in The Diary of Saint Faustina. When St. Faustina first saw the original image that was being painted under her direction, she wept in disappointment and complained to Jesus: “Who will paint You as beautiful as You are?” (313). In answer, she heard these words:
"Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace" (313).
No matter which version of the image we prefer, we can be assured that it is a vehicle of God’s grace if it is revered with trust in His mercy.
Jesus instructed her:
“Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory (Diary, 47, 48). I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You (327). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world (47).
The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (299). By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works (742).
Novena to Divine Mercy
The Chaplet can be said anytime, but Our Lord specifically asked that it be recited as a novena – a prayer paid over nine days at a time. At the National Shrine of Divine Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Novena is recited perpetually at the Hour of Great Mercy – the 3:00 Hour. Jesus said, “By this Novena of Chaplets, I will grant every possible grace to souls.”
Pray the Novena of Chaplets
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a unique prayer because it was given by Christ Himself
Then, too, according to His revelations to Sister Faustina, Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. . . . 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.” (Diary, 687) The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” (Diary, 754) “When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one.” (Diary, 1541)“. . . [W]hen 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.” (Diary, 1541)
Hour of Divine Mercy
From His detailed instructions, it’s clear that Our Lord wants us to turn our attention to His Passion at the three o’clock hour to whatever degree our duties allow, and He wants us to ask for His mercy:
At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion (Diary, 1320).
As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world — mercy triumphed over justice… My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant. (1572)
The Shroud of Turin is the burial shroud that laid on Jesus. The 2000-year-old cloth from Jesus’ burial in the tomb has radioactive material suggesting a light bright like the sun with radiation like the sun permeated the object. The image has the exact same features and measurements as Saint Faustina’s image that Jesus asked her to paint for us!
7 PROMISES FROM JESUS TO THOSE WHO PRAY TO, PROMOTE, AND TRUST HIS DIVINE MERCY
“I Myself will defend as My own glory, during their lifetime, and especially at the hour of their death, those souls who will venerate My fathomless mercy.” Diary, 1225 “I desire to unite myself with human souls; my great delight is to unite Myself with human souls. Know, my daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, my hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give the soul…When a soul approaches me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces which I want to give the soul…I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.”
-Diary of Saint Faustina 1385 and 1074