Recent Revelations on the

Mercy of God Devotion

including

The Novena to

Mercy of

(for private recitation only)





AZCWOJ



Nihil Obstat

L. Zebrowski

libr. censor

Vilnae, d.6.11.1940

Imprimatur

Vilnae, d.7.11.1940 /t/ C. Michalkiewicz

Eps. Auxil. Viln. Vic. Gen.

Nihil Obstat

Rt. Rev. Msgr. M. J. Grupa. D.D., L.L.D.

censor librorum
Detroit, Mich.

April 4, 1944

Imprimatur

/f/ Edward Mooney

Archbishop of Detroit
Detroit, Mich.

April 6, 1944

Nihil Obstat

Stockbridge, Mass.

die. 3 augusti 1945 Josephus J. Sielski, M.I.C.

Imprimi potest

Stockbridge, Mass. Josephus Luniewski, M.I.C.

die. 3 augusti 1945 f. m. Sup. Provincialis

Imprimatur

/f/ Thomas M. O’Leary, D.D.

Springfield, Mass. Bishop of Springfield

August 5, 1945

Copyright 1945 by the

Congregation of Marian Fathers

Eden Hill, Stockbridge, Mass.

(Ninth Printing, Oct., 1955)—100,000 copies
Total printed to date—700,000



Nihil Obstat

Stockbridge, Mass. Francis Medynski, M.I.C.

June 1,' 1953

Imprimi potest

Stockbridge, Mass. Joseph J. Sielski, M.I.C.

June 1, 1953 Sup. Provincialis

Imprimatur

/f/ Christopher J. Weldon, D.D.

Springfield, Mass. Bishop of Springfield

June 3, 1953



Sister Faustina, to whom Our Lord appeared

and revealed the Devotion to the Mercy of God

during the period 1930-1938.



DECLARATION

In accordance with the decrees of Pope

Urban VIII we wish to state that only
private and human faith is attributed the

revelations
, extraordinary graces and inci-

dents related in this pamphlet
,

to which

the Church has not yet added its decree

of approval. Furthermore
,
in relating these

incidents and graces we have no intention

of anticipating the decree of the Holy

See
,

to which we willingly and entirely

submit ourselves.

“JESUS, I TRUST IN THEE”

God is Merciful ! Many passages in the
Holy Scriptures tell us so. All the works

of God give testimony to this truth. Being

goodness itself and perfectly happy, God

desires the good and the happiness of His

creatures. It was for this reason that He
created the heavenly spirits and the visible

world and in it Man upon whom He show-
ers countless graces in His Mercy. Our

Blessed Lord takes individual and special

care of every human being; He anticipates
all our actions with graces which flow

from His Merciful Heart, and “follows us

all the days of our life” (Ps. 22,6).

— 5—



Every perfection and attribute of God is

in some manner a manifestation of His

Mercy. Divine Goodness is but creative

Mercy. Divine Liberality is but Mercy

which lavishly bestows blessings and gifts

without any merit on our part. Divine

Providence is Mercy ever watchful. Even

Divine Wrath is but a Mercy which threat-

ens and tries us only when we have gone

astray. Divine Love is the Mercy which

takes a compassion upon our human frailty

and draws us nigh to the Sacred Heart.

Our Blessed Mother in her canticle, the

“Magnificat,” sings the praises of this at-

tribute of God, stressing especially its uni-

versality and continuity: “And for genera-

tion upon generation is His mercy, to those

who fear Him” (Luke 1,50). Besides, people

have the universal conviction that, above

all else, God is merciful. In all their trials

and tribulations, their difficulties and sor-

rows they turn to God with the invocation

“Merciful Lord!”

And yet in the early days of his creation

Man was incapable of conceiving the ex-

tent of this Divine Mercy. Thus Cain

doubted in the Mercy of God after he had

murdered his brother, crying out in his

anguish : “My iniquity is greater than that I

may deserve pardon” (Genesis 4,13). Other

— 6—



malefactors began to seek a convenient

irreligion for themselves. They could not

conceive of a Merciful God, and so “The

fool hath said in his heart: There is no

God.” (Ps. 13,1).

It was Jesus Christ, Who rent asunder

the veil of distrust which sinners placed

between themselves and God, for He gave

God the title of “Merciful Father.” “Your

Father is Merciful” (Lk. 6,36). With these

words He dispersed the servile trembling

of humans before a just God and opened

His Sacred Heart to mankind, that in the

fathomless ocean of His Merciful Love it

might have a panacea for its sins and trans-

gressions. In many of the parables (e. g.

The Good Shepherd, the Prodigal Son,

the woman who found her money which

she had lost), Our Blessed Saviour em-

phasizes the boundless Mercy of God. And

in His own actions Jesus reveals His

Merciful Heart to us, e. g. in not condemn-

ing the sinful woman, in forgiving the re-

pentant thief upon the cross and promis-

ing him paradise, in forgiving Peter his

apostasy.

Is it any wonder, then, that Holy Mother

Church frequently reminds her faithful

children in her liturgical prayers of the

immeasurable Mercy of God. She sees

— 7—



therein the greatest manifestation of the

omnipotence of God. “O Lord, who dost

manifest Thy omnipotence primarily in

showing Mercy and in forgiv.ing, increase

in us Thy Mercy” (Collect of the Mass

for the first Sunday after Pentecost). The

Fathers and Doctors of the Church in

speaking of God’s Mercy look upon it as

the highest attribute of God in His rela-

tions with us. (cf. S. Augustine, S.de temp.

3p. ; S.T., pars I, 21, art. 4).

And yet, in spite of all this, the teaching

of the Universal Church on Divine Mercy

is not known to all peoples. Many even

among the faithful have an insufficient un-

derstanding of the depth and the extent

of this doctrine. Some have doubted that

God is merciful, while others have not be-

come aware of this divine attribute. As

a result irreligion is rampant in the world

to a degree hitherto unrecorded in history.

Perhaps these ills called forth the numer-

ous private revelations of God’s Mercy in

our day.

Sister Benigna Consolata Ferrero, of the

Congregation of Visitandine Nuns, who

died in the odor of sanctity in 1916, re-

ceived such a revelation from Our Blessed

Lord. Jesus was accustomed to call her

His secretary and directed her to spread

— 8—



this devotion to His Mercy. “Write, Be-

nigna, secretary of My Mercy,” said Our
Lord to her, “that I am mercy itself and

that he who would doubt my goodness

would cause my Heart the greatest sorrow

... It is impossible to express in words how

great is the joy which I experience in a

soul that trusts

”

(Life of Benigna Conso-

lata, Cracow, 1926, pages 118 and 119).

The revelations given Sister Faustina, of

the Congregation of Sisters of the Mercy

of the Mother of God, may be looked

upon almost as a continuation of those

given Sister Benigna. The history of these

revelations of Sister Faustina is related by

the eminent Polish theologian, Reverend

Dr. Michael Sopocko, who, after a long

and conscientious study, included them in

a Memorial addressed to the Polish Epis-

copate. He writes

:

Sister Faustina was born in the vicinity of

Lodz on the 25th of August 1905, her par-

ents being Stanislaus and Marianna Kowal-

ski. At the age of 20 she entered the

Congregation of Sisters of the Mercy of

the Mother of God. The purpose of this

Community is to care for young girls who

are impoverished both morally and mate-

rially (called “Magdalens”). Having com-

pleted her term of postulancy and the

— 9—



novitiate in turn in Warsaw, Sister Faustina

made her first temporal profession April

30, 1928 and on April 30, 1933 she pro-

nounced her perpetual vows. She labored

as a nun in Plock, Warsaw, Walendow,

Vilno, and Cracow, performing the duties

of a cook or of a gardener. She was char-

acterized by her prudence, deep piety, a

subtlety and fullness of spiritual beauty,

which was the result of extraordinary di-

vine graces and a faithful cooperation with

them. She died in the year 1938, at the

age of 33.

God chose this simple, humble nun, en-

tirely and solely consecrated to Him and
her duties, to be the apostle of His Mercy.

He demanded of her—as He did of the
prophets of old—that she induce sinners to
penance and to hope, so that in the ap-

proaching calamities people would seek as-

sistance solely in Christ Himself, “who does

not wish to punish men, but desires to heal

them and clasp them close to His Merciful

Heart,” as she herself writes in her diary.

Our Lord likewise gave her concrete tasks

to fulfill: the painting of a picture of the

“Mercy of God”
;
the institution of the feast

of the same title on the first Sunday after

Easter.

About the year 1931 Our Lord de-

-10—



manded of Sister Faustina the painting of

a picture and . indicated to her what it

should be like. Sister Faustina tried to paint

the picture herself, but was unable to do

so. She was overcome very much by this

and at prayer time she complained to Our

Lord that she receives from Him injunc-

tions which she herself could not fulfill.

It seems then that Our Lord permitted her

to see in spirit a certain priest who was to

aid her in fulfilling the Divine plans. Upon

her arrival in Vilno Sister Faustina recog-

nized this priest in her own confessor and

accordingly confided all her visions and ex-

traordinary revelations to him.

The confessor, having first made the

necessary and due inquiries into the spirit

of Sister Faustina, her physical health, her

visions and other extraordinary graces, with

great circumspection and caution, and at

the advice and permission of the Supe-

riors, requested the artist (the late Eugene

Kazimierowski) to paint a picture of the
‘ k

Mercy of God” according to the instruc-

tions given by Sister Faustina. In June

of 1934 the painting was completed. Our

Blessed Lord, in reply to the complaints

of Sister Faustina that it is not as beautiful

as the one she witnessed in vision, said that

it is satisfactory, and added: “I am giving

to people a vessel, with which they should

— 11 —



come to fetch graces from the font of

Mercy. That vessel is this picture with

the subscription: JESUS, I TRUST IN
THEE !”

Our Lord is depicted walking: His right

hand is raised in blessing, His left hand

draws aside the folds of His robe near His

Heart. From beneath thi*s drawn garment

(as if from His Heart) a red and a white

ray shine forth. In the beginning Sister

Faustina was unable to explain the mean-

ing of these two rays. After some time,

however, she declared that Our Lord had

revealed to her that: “The rays on the

picture represent the blood and water

which gushed forth from the depth of My
Mercy when my agonizing Heart was
opened on the Cross. The pale rays sym-

bolize the water, which justifies the soul;

and the red rays represent the blood, which

is the life of the soul. These rays shield

the soul before the wrath of My Father.
Fortunate is he who lives in their brilli-

ance, for the just hand of God shall never

reach him.”

“I desire that the first Sunday after Easter

be celebrated as the Feast of Mercy.

Ask your confessor to speak to all the

world on this day of my great Mercy

;

that anyone who approaches on this day

— 12 —



the source of Life, will obtain complete re-

mission of punishment and sin. Mankind will

not find peace, unless it turns with confidence

to My Mercy.”

“I promise that the soul which shall ven-

erate this picture will not perish. I further

promise that soul victory over its enemies

already here on earth and especially in the

hour of death. I myself shall defend that

soul as my own glory.”

Then Our Lord commended the follow-

ing ejaculation to be recited at each en-

trance into the chapel : “O Blood and Water,

which hath gushed forth from the Heart of

Jesus as a font of Mercy for us, I trust

in Thee
!”

The above mentioned painting was some-

thing new and heretofore unknown in this

form in the Church and, hence, could not

be exposed publicly in any church with-

out the necessary permission of the Church

Authorities. Consequently it was not until

1937 that the confessor petitioned the

proper Authorities for permission to have

the picture publicly exposed in church. A
commission was appointed and assigned to

investigate whether the picture is suitable

for exposition in a Catholic Church. The

answer of the commission was favorable.

— 13—



On the 3rd of April, 1937, with the per-

mission of the Archbishop of Vilno, the

painting was publicly exposed in the Church

of St. Michael, where it remains to this

day. ^

The same year the confessor visited

Sister Faustina in Cracow and discovered

in her diary certain prayers, among which

worthy of note are the Novena, Litany

and Corona (or Chaplet) of Divine Mercy.

In answer to his questions she told him

that Our Lord Himself dictated these

prayers to her during one of His visits to

her. The confessor had these prayers pub-

lished in Cracow in 1937 and again a sec-

ond printing in Vilno in 1940. He then had

the picture printed separately and on its

reverse side the Corona of Mercy. These

he sent to the publishers in Cracow. Thus

was realized the promise given Sister Fau-

stina by Our Lord: “When punishments

for sins shall come upon the earth, and

your native land shall be in extreme abase-

ment, the only salvation will be hope in

Divine Mercy. I shall preserve the cities

and homes in which this picture shall be

found
;
I shall protect likewise those persons

who shall venerate and have confidence

in My Mercy. ,, Cracow and Vilno were

spared from destruction during the present

war.

— 14—



The Reverend Dr. Sopocko concludes,

his Memorial with the following- declara-

tion. “In everything I submit wholeheart-

edly and humbly to the judgments of the

Church and prior to Her decision I attri-

bute to the above facts solely human faith.

I have become convinced of the need of es-

tablishing a special cult of Divine Mercy,,

both private and public, through the in-

stitution of a feast under that title, not

so much by the revelations given Sister

Faustina, which were but a means to that

end, but through profound consideration and

study.”

We may add that this devotion to the
Mercy of the Sacred Heart constitutes one

of the sources of great spiritual strength

in Poland today, and we believe, in most

of the other countries suffering the hard-

ships and calamities of war. During the war

this devotion spread rapidly from Vilno to

the entire country despite the Nazi-Soviet

frontier. It was the ever present companion

of the Poles exiled to the wastes of Siberia,

fortifying them with hope and the assurance

of delivery.

It even reached the ruins of Warsaw,,

which have reechoed the cry : “We live,
because God so wills it; we shall die, when

He so orders; we have confidence that He

— 15—



shall save us, for HIS MERCY IS ETER-
NAL/' (from a letter dated 10.VII. 1941).

How consoling is this devotion to Divine
Mercy ! Is there anyone here in America

who can now doubt the goodness of God?

It is true that our hearts and minds are

troubled because our loved ones are far

from home on distant battle fronts and in

constant danger of death. But that is all the

more reason for our need of this tender

devotion to the Merciful Heart of Christ.

How fortunate we Catholics are ! Oh, so

many of our fellow-Americans have not

this source of peace and consolation, be-

cause they have no knowledge of it. Did

not Jesus Himself say that we “shall not

find peace except in Him?" “I give you a

vessel with which to draw all graces from

the font of My Mercy"—He said to Sister
Faustina. But not only to Sister Faustina.

From the Heart of a Merciful Christ comes

that same voice to all of us. This is the

vessel, this devotion, this Novena! Take!

—and draw your strength from Divine
Mercy

!

— 16—



Novena of Mercy
(For private recitation only.)

FIRST DAY

Let us pray that God may deign to show

His Mercy to all mankind.

O Most Merciful Jesus, for Whom it is

most proper to be merciful unto us and to

forgive us, look not upon our sins, but

upon the hope which we have in Thy in-

finite goodness. Receive us all into the

abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart and

do not permit anyone to depart therefrom

for all eternity for the love which unites

Thee with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Show us Thy mercy, O Lord,

Just as we trust in Thy Holy Name,

For Thou art all powerful, most kind,

Patient, faithful, good and merciful.

Eternal Father, view all mankind with

a merciful eye, and especially the poor sin-

ners, whose only hope is the Most Merci-

ful Heart of Thy Son and Our Lord and

Saviour Jesus Christ. Through His sorrow-

ful Passion stretch Thy mercy over us, that

together we may glorify Thy omnipotence

for all eternity. Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be
to the Father . . .

— 17—



SECOND DAY

Let us pray for the clergy of all ranks,

through whom the Mercy of God is

poured out on all mankind.

Most Merciful Jesus, from Whom all

good proceeds, increase Thy graces in the

souls of Thy priests and religious, that they

may worthily and fruitfully accomplish their

tasks in Thy Vineyard, and that they may

lead all by words and example to a rightful

cult of Divine Mercy for all eternity.

The Font of Mercy and Love Divine

Resides in the hearts of the humble and

' the innocent,

Till, bathed in the wavelets of God’s

Mercy,

They sparkle like the stars and the morning

dew.

Eternal Father, cast Thy Merciful glance

upon the laborers in Thy Vineyard—on
the souls of priests, nuns and brothers, who

are the special beloved of Thy Son and

Our Lord Jesus Christ. Adorn them with

the power of Thy blessing and grant them

special light, that they may consistently

lead others along the path of salvation and

— 18—



may obtain for them all the graces of Thy

Mercy. Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be

to the Father . . .

THIRD DAY

Let us pray for all the faithful Christians.

O most Merciful Jesus, who dost bestow
Thy graces upon all in abundance from the

treasure of Thy Mercy, receive all faithful

Christians into the abode of Thy Most Mer-

ciful Heart and do not abandon them for

all eternity. We beg this of Thee through
the love that unites Thee to the Father and

the Holy Ghost.

The marvels of Mercy are unexplored,

Nor sinner nor just can plumb it’s deep.

God views us all with Mercy’s eye.

And of His Love would have us reap.

Eternal Father, cast Thy Merciful Eye

upon the souls of the faithful, who are the

loving heritage of Thy Son, and through

His sorrowful Passion grant them Thy

blessings and encompass them with Thy

unceasing care, that they may never lose

their love and treasure of divine faith, but

that they may glorify Thy boundless

— 19—



Mercy with the multitude of angels and

saints for all eternity. Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be

to the Father . . .

FOURTH DAY

Let us pray for pagans and infidels who

are still in ignorance of the

Mercy of God.

Most Merciful Jesus, light of the world,

receive into the abode of Thy Merciful Heart

the souls of pagans and infidels who have

not yet acknowledged Thee. Let the rays

of Thy grace enlighten them, that they too

may praise the wonders of Thy Mercy with

us for all eternity.

May the light of Thy boundless Love

Enlighten the darkling infidels.

May they acknowledge and may they

praise

Thy goodness for all eternity

!

Eternal Father, cast Thy Merciful glance

upon the souls of pagans and infidels, who

still remain in ignorance of the Most Mer-

ciful Heart of Thy Son and Our Lord,

Jesus Christ. Draw them near to the light

of Thy Gospel that they may recog-

nize how great a happiness it is to love

— 20—



Thee and to glorify Thy Mercy^for all eter-

nity. Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be
to the Father . . .

FIFTH DAY

Let us pray for heretics and schismatics

>

who rend the Mystical body of Christ,
that they may return to the unity of

the Church.

O Most Merciful Jesus, who are good-
ness itself and who dost not refuse divine

light to those who humbly seek, receive

into the abode of Thy Most Merciful

Heart the souls of heretics and schismatics.

Attract them by Thy light into unity with

Thy Church, that they may praise the

liberality of Thy Mercy with us for all

eternity.

May those who have rent the cloak of

Thy unity

Draw from Thy Heart a surging torrent

of Mercy.,

For Thy Mercy alone, O Lord,
Can lead these souls out of error.

Eternal Father, look down with Mercy,

we implore Thee, upon the souls of here-

tics and schismatics, who have abused and

squandered Thy graces and who stub-

— 21 —



bornly persist in their errors : look not

upon their evil, but upon the love and the

bitter Passion of Thy Son, who, about to

suffer His Passion, so ardently begs of

Thee: “That they all may be one” (John

17,21)—and grant, that they may return
to that unity as quickly as possible and that

they may praise Thy Mercy with us for all

eternity. Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be

to the Father . . .

SIXTH DAY

Let us pray for little children and those

souls
,
that have become like to them in

their purity and simplicity.

Most Merciful Jesus, Who hast said:

“Learn of me, for I am meek and humble

of heart” (Matth. 11,29), receive into the

abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart the

souls of little children, and those who, like

little children, have become meek and

humble and have thereby graced heaven

with the most pleasant delight and are a

fragrant crown before the throne of Thy

Heavenly Father. Grant that they may con-

stantly dwell within Thy Sacred Heart

and may continually praise the Mercy of

God.

— 22—



A truly humble soul and meek
Foretastes on earth the bliss of Paradise:

The odor of a chaste and simple heart

Delights all heavenly spirits and their

Maker.

Eternal Father, look down with Mercy

upon the souls of little children and upon

the souls of all those who are meek and

humble and who have thereby become es-

pecially like unto Thy Son, and the fra-

grance of whose virtues rises up to Thy

throne. O Father of Mercy, we beg of Thee,
through the love and the delight which Thou

hast in these souls, bless the entire world

that all may unite in rendering eternal praise

to Thy Mercy. Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be
to the Father . . .

SEVENTH DAY

Let us pray for all adorers of Divine Mercy,

that they may become the living image

of the most Merciful Heart of Jesus.

O Most Merciful Jesus, Whose Heart is
love itself, receive into the abode of Thy

Heart those souls which especially vene-

rate and give praise to the greatness of

Divine Mercy and which, though cruelly

tormented for the sins of mankind, strive

to make known Thy infinite goodness and

-23—



abundant mercy to the entire world. En-

fold them with Thy ever increasing Mercy

and strengthen them always with the grace

of perseverance, fortitude and patience.

Praising the goodness of its Master,

The soul is especially loved by Him;

It is privileged to stand close to the
living

font

To draw continual graces from Divine

Mercy.

Eternal Father, cast Thy Merciful Eye

upon those souls which are especially de-

voted to the veneration and praise of Thy

infinite Mercy and which glorify Thee by

word and deed and are merciful towards

their fellowmen in imitation of Thee. We

humbly beseech Thee, show them even

greater mercy according to the hope which

they placed in Thee and in accordance with

Thy promises. Protect them always and es-

pecially in the hour of death. Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be

to the Father . . .

EIGHTH DAY

Let us pray for the souls
in purgatory,

that the stream of Christ’s Blood
may

diminish and shorten their suffering.

— 24—



Most Merciful Jesus, Who has said: “Be

merciful, as your Heavenly Father is merci-

ful” (Luke 6,36) : receive into the abode of

Thy Most Merciful Heart the souls suffer-

ing in purgatory to pay their old debt to

Divine Justice. May the stream of blood

and water which gushed forth from Thy

Heart quench the flames of purgatorial fire,

that there too the power of Thy mercy may

be glorified.

From the horrible heat of purgatory’s fire

A suppliant sigh seeks Thy Mercy’s throne.

Grant these souls a cooling, solace and

relief

In the soothing stream of blood and water

from Thy Side.

Eternal Father, look down with mercy

upon the suffering souls in purgatory and

through the sorrowful passion of Our Lord

Jesus Christ and the bitterness with which

His Most Sacred Heart was filled, show

pity to those who are now paying their

debt to Thy justice. We beg of Thee, be-
hold them through the wounds of Thy Most

Beloved Son and Our Lord and Saviour

Jesus Christ, whose mercy surpasses His

justice. Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be

to the Father . . .

— 25 —



NINTH DAY

Let us pray for lukewarm and indifferent

souls.

O Most Merciful Jesus, lead into the abode

of Thy Most Merciful Heart all lukewarm

souls, which like decaying corpses filled

Thee with aversion and loathing in the Gar-

den of Olives. Plunge them into the fire

of Thy most pure love, that they may be-

come inflamed with an ever increasing fire

of love and may ever praise Thy boundless

Mercy.

Fire and ice will never unite

:

Either the fire must die or the ice must

vanish.

Only the fathomless Mercy of God

Can change the ice of tepid hearts into a

flame.

Eternal Father, cast Thy merciful glance

upon lukewarm souls. We beseech Thee
through the bitter passion of Thy Most Be-

loved Son and our Lord and Saviour Jesus

Christ and through His agony upon the

Cross, inflame these souls with a new zeal

for Thy glory and pour a true love into

their hearts. Thus quickened may they per-

form deeds of mercy and may they glor-

ify" the Mercy of God for all eternity.

Amen.

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Glory be
to the Father . . .

— 26



LITANY OF THE MERCY OF GOD

(for private recitation)

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have

mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear

God the Father of heaven, have mercy

on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on

us.

Mercy of God, supreme attribute of the

Creator,

Mercy of God, greatest perfection of the

Redeemer,

Mercy of God, unfathomable love of the

Sanctifier,

3
<T>

r-t-

*1

£
in

3
’

1In the present edition of the Novena booklet
we have printed a new translation of the Litany
of Divine Mercy which faithfully follows the
Polish original. The new translation is taken
from GOD IS MERCY, a book written by Rev.
Michael Sopocko, translated by the Marian
Fathers, and published by the Grail with im-
primatur of the Right Rev. Christopher J.
Weldon, B’p. of Springfield (June 7, 1954). Rev.
Sopocko’s book contains 45 brief chapters ex-
plaining the meaning of the Litany in the light
of the Church teaching. It will prove most useful
to all desirous of deeper understanding of the
infinite treasures of God’s Mercy. It may be ob-
tained from the Marian Fathers.

— 27—



Mercy of God, inconceivable mystery of

the Holy Trinity,

Mercy of God, expression of the greatest

power of the Most High,

Mercy of God, revealed in the creation

of the Heavenly Spirits,

Mercy of God, summoning us to exist-

ence out of nothingness,

Mercy of God, embracing the whole

universe,

Mercy of God, bestowing upon us im-

mortal life,

Mercy of God, shielding us from merited

punishments,

Mercy of God, raising us from the misery

of sin,

Mercy of God, justifying us in the Word

Incarnate,

Mercy of God, flowing from the wounds

of Christ,

Mercy of God, gushing from the Most

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

Mercy of God, giving to us the Most

Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of

Mercy,

Mercy of God, shown in the revelation of

the divine mysteries,

Mercy of God, manifested in the institu-

tion of the universal Church,

Mercy of God, contained in the institu-

tion of the Holy Sacraments,

3

— 28—

trust

in

Thee

!



Mercy of God, bestowed upon mankind

in the Sacrament of Baptism and

Pennance,

Mercy of God, granted in the Sacraments

of the Altar and the Priesthood,

Mercy of God, shown in calling us to

the Holy Faith,

Mercy of God, revealed in the conversion

of sinners,

Mercy of God, manifested in the sanctifi-

cation of the just,

Mercy of God, fulfilled in the perfecting

of the saintly,

Mercy of God, fount of health for the

sick and suffering,

Mercy of God, solace of anguished

hearts,

Mercy of God, hope of souls afflicted with

despair,

Mercy of God, always and everywhere

accompanying all people,

Mercy of God, anticipating us with

graces,

Mercy of God, peace of the dying,

Mercy of God, refreshment and relief of

the souls in Purgatory,

Mercy of God, heavenly delight of the

blessed,

Mercy of God, crown of all the Saints,

Mercy of God, inexhaustible source of

miracles,

3

— 29—

trust

in

Thee

!



Lamb of God, Who didst show us Thy

greatest mercy in redeeming the world on

the cross, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who dost mercifully offer

Thyself for us in every Holy Mass, gra-

ciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of

the world through Thy inexhaustible

mercy, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy

on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

V. The tender mercies of the Lord are over

all His works (Ps. 144,9).

R. The mercies of the Lord I will sing for

ever (Ps. 88,2).

Let us pray

O God, Whose Mercy is infinite and

Whose treasures of pity are inexhaustible,

graciously look down upon us and increase

in us Thy Mercy so that we may never, even

in the greatest trials, give way to despair,

but may always trustfully conform ourselves

to Thy Holy Will, which is Mercy Itself.

Through Our Lord Jesus Christ—the King

of Mercy, Who, with Thee and the Holy

Ghost, shows us Mercy for ever and ever.

Amen.

— 30—



(Chaplet)

Corona of Mercy
(For private recitation upon the

Rosary beads.)

Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . . Creed . . .

On the large beads:

“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body

and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Thy Most

Beloved Son and our Lord Jesus Christ in

atonement for our sins and the sins of the

whole world.”

On the small beads:

“Through the sorrowful passion of Jesus,

show mercy unto us and to all the world.”

(10 times)

(The same is repeated for every decade

of the Rosary). In conclusion add: “Holy

God, Holy Omnipotent, Holy Immortal, have

mercy on us.” (3 times),

— 31-



THE CONGREGATION OF MARIAN FATHERS

is a Religious Society of priests and lay-brothers,

who take the simple vows of poverty, chastity

and obedience. It was founded in 1673 by a

Polish priest, the Servant of God, Stanislaus of

Jesus and Mary Papczynski. It is dedicated to

the spread of devotion to the Immaculate

Mother of God. Its principal goals are: a) to

promote the education of the masses, establish

and conduct schools, publish and disseminate

Catholic literature; b) to preach the Gospel, to

catechize, especially the neglected populace, to

conduct and preach missions among catholics

and non-catholics, and to aid the diocesan clergy

in their pastoral work; c) to carry on social

work, organize circles and societies, both for

youth and adults. The Congregation of Marian

Fathers spreads in a special way devotion to

the Immaculate Conception, the Holy Eucharist,

the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It also has among its

activities, to aid the poor souls in purgatory,

especially the souls of soldiers who gave their

lives in battle. Applicants are accepted for the

novitiate after completing High School. For

further information write to:

VERY REV. FATHER SUPERIOR

MARIAN FATHERS

STOCKBRIDGE, MASS.

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