Another great way to console Jesus is by praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. This devotion, which our Lord gave Himself to St. Faustina (see Diary 687), is often my favorite devotion to pray every day.
The Chaplet is a prayer in which we first offer Christ’s Passion and Death on the Cross to His heavenly Father: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son…”.
Having presented this most precious sacrifice to the Father, we ask in return the most precious gift of all: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”
On the first day of the Divine Mercy Novena intentions that Jesus gave St. Faustina, Jesus tells her:
“Today, bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me” (1210).
This prayer for the conversion of sinners brings great consolation to Jesus. Jesus revealed this to St. Faustina when He said to her:
“The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness. You always console Me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered” (1397).
The Divine Mercy chaplet is a great way to pray for the conversion of sinners. Jesus Himself told St. Faustina to “say unceasingly the chaplet” (687) and promises great graces to the souls who pray this Chaplet with great trust (see 687, 754, 848, 1541, 1731).
In the context of our book on the Eucharist, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a great way to unite yourself to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In both the offering of Jesus and the reception of mercy, the Chaplet is like a “Mini-Mass: an extension of the Eucharist to each moment” (Fr. Kosicki, quoted in 7 Secrets of Divine Mercy by Vinny Flynn, 172).
Vinny Flynn goes on to explain: “By this offering, we are simultaneously uniting ourselves with Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross two thousand years ago, with His Eucharistic presence now in all the tabernacles of the world, and with His eternal presence in Heaven, where He perpetually offers His once-for-all sacrifice to the Father” (172).
What a powerful devotion! And what a great way to console Jesus. Next time you pray the Chaplet, try to imagine yourself at Calvary standing beside Mary in front of Jesus on the Cross and you are both praying the Chaplet to offer Jesus to His Heavenly Father.
Reflection Questions: How often do you pray the Chaplet? Have you ever envisioned the Chaplet to be like a Mini-Mass?
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