For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion

Reflection on the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

As I have been praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet for some time now, my understanding of this very powerful prayer has deepened.

How remarkable it is that our Lord Himself dictated the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina. Jesus appeared to her and instructed her in how, when, and why God asks us to offer His sorrowful Passion to His Father in atonement for the sins of the whole world.

The prayers of the Divine Mercy Chaplet are addressed to God the Father Almighty. As I pray, I am literally begging God, my Creator, to spare me and to have mercy on not just my soul but on all souls.

It struck me that like Moses at the time of the golden calf incident, I am asking God to have mercy on His people by reminding Him of His Love and Mercy in the past. In this case, I am reminding Him of His great mercy and love in the giving of His precious Son to suffer and die for us.

“Oh that Your Precious Son may not have suffered in vain, withhold Your most deserved Justice and pour Your Mercy upon us once again.”

Mindful to Whom I am addressing my pleadings as I pray, “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”, I can no longer hurriedly and distractedly murmur this prayer. I am humbly aware of the fact that I am speaking directly to the Almighty God. Yes, He is my loving Father, and He is also the God of justice and righteousness and our sins are so very offensive, horrific actually.

As I pray each decade of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, I meditate on a detail of my Lord’s sorrowful Passion.

For example, Jesus told St. Faustina that as He was enduring the scourging at the pillar He suffered spiritual pain greater than the physical pain specifically from knowledge of and in reparation for sins against purity. As I beg God to have mercy on all of us, especially those committing sins against purity such as pornography use, infidelity, sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and sexual abuse of children, I can see our Lord, silent and resigned. His body is struck again and again, the whips and chains tearing His flesh and His Holy blood stained Face bathed in His tears. My own heart aches and sorrow crushes my chest. I cannot help but weep with Him.

And yet, for all the sorrow, suffering and acute awareness of my own sins and the sins of the world, as I pray the closing prayer I am filled with hope and a deep peace that I know only comes from the Lord.

“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 times, we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself.”

God first proved His love and mercy by sending His dearly beloved Son to suffer and die for us. It is only through the power of Christ living within us that we can hope to grow in love and mercy for one another, especially those who hurt us.

Yes, Lord, please pour Your mercy into my heart. Fill me to overflowing so that Your perfect Mercy spills forth from me into the world. This is how the world will come to know that You are Love and Mercy Itself… when we are merciful to one another as You have been and will be merciful to us.

Closing prayer: Dear Jesus, You have revealed that no soul is beyond Your Mercy. The oceans are contained by the shores, but the ocean of Your Mercy cannot be contained. I am but a droplet in Your great boundless ocean, riding the wave of Your mighty Love. You hold me so firmly, so closely, I can go nowhere but where Your will carries me, yet I do not fear because Your will is Love and Mercy Itself and You desire only good for me. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen.

Laura Ercolino is the foundress of Hopesgarden.com. Hope’s Garden is the sanctuary where the love of Christ, the Bridegroom, heals hearts, marriages, and families.

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