Divine Mercy Novena
Mercy, conversion of sinners
Tradition: Marians of the Immaculate Conception (custodians per St. John Paul II)
Associated feast: Divine Mercy Sunday (Sunday after Easter)
When to pray: Traditionally prayed from Good Friday through Divine Mercy Sunday (Saturday after Easter). May be prayed any nine consecutive days.
Begin Day 1 →About this devotion
The Divine Mercy Novena is unique among Catholic devotions: each day's intention was dictated by Jesus himself to St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish religious sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, between 1937 and 1938. Her account of these revelations is recorded in her Diary, paragraphs 1209-1229.
St. John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina on April 30, 2000 and on that same day instituted Divine Mercy Sunday for the universal Church, to be observed on the Sunday following Easter. The novena is traditionally prayed in the nine days leading up to that feast, beginning on Good Friday, so that it concludes on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday.
Each day of the novena Jesus asked St. Faustina to bring a different group of souls to his Heart — sinners, priests and religious, all devout and faithful souls, those who do not know Christ, separated brethren, the meek and humble, those who especially venerate his mercy, the souls in purgatory, and the lukewarm.
The Nine Days
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Day 1: All mankind, especially sinners
Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:15
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Day 2: The souls of priests and religious
Scripture: John 17:9-11
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Day 3: All devout and faithful souls
Scripture: John 10:27-28
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Day 4: Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know him
Scripture: John 10:16
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Day 5: The souls of separated brethren
Scripture: John 17:20-21
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Day 6: The meek and humble souls and the souls of little children
Scripture: Matthew 11:29; Matthew 18:3
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Day 7: The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy
Scripture: Psalm 89:1
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Day 8: The souls in the prison of purgatory
Scripture: 2 Maccabees 12:46
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Day 9: The lukewarm souls
Scripture: Revelation 3:15-16
Daily Novena Prayer
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
St. Faustina taught that the Chaplet of Divine Mercy should accompany the novena each day. The full chaplet uses ordinary Rosary beads.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a novena?
A novena is a nine-day cycle of prayer, modeled on the nine days the Apostles spent in prayer with Mary between the Ascension and Pentecost (Acts 1:14). Each day a specific prayer or set of prayers is offered, often for a particular intention or to a particular saint.
When is the best time to pray the Divine Mercy Novena?
Traditionally prayed from Good Friday through Divine Mercy Sunday (Saturday after Easter). May be prayed any nine consecutive days.
What if I miss a day of the novena?
Catholic devotional practice does not treat missing a day as invalidating the novena. The traditional pastoral counsel is to continue from where you left off, or to repeat the missed day. The intention behind the prayer matters more than rigid sequential observance.
Read about the life of The Divine Mercy of Jesus →
Source
Primary sources