From 1931 to 1938 Our Lord revealed the secrets of His great mercy to St. Faustina. He designated the first Sunday after Easter as the Feast of the Mercy of God. In preparation of this Feast, He asked that a Novena be started on Good Friday, a Novena which asks for prayers each of the nine days for a different group of souls in order to immerse them in the sea of God's Mercy! Confession is required on the day of or two weeks before or after this Feast and Communion required on the day of the Feast. Our Lord promised to the souls who follow these requests a complete remission of sin and punishment! Our Lord thus instructed Sister Faustina: "My daughter, speak to the whole world of My incomprehensible Mercy. I desire that the Feast be a refuge and a shelter for all souls, especially for poor sinners. The very depths of My Mercy will be opened on that day. I will pour out a sea of graces upon those souls that will approach the font of My Mercy. Those who go to confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete remission of sins and punishment. Let no soul fear to come to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. Tell ailing mankind to draw close to My Merciful Heart and I will fill it with peace ... mankind will not find peace until it turns with confidence to My Mercy."
(Begin on Good Friday)
First Day
Let us pray that God may deign to show His Mercy to all mankind.
O Most Merciful Jesus, for Whom it its 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 infinite 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 sinners, whose only hope is the Most Merciful Heart of Thy Son and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through His sorrowful 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 ....
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 may obtain for them all the graces of Thy Mercy. Amen.
Our Father ... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....
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 Merciful 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 Mercy with the multitude of angels and saints for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ...
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 Merciful Heart of Thy Son and Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Draw them near to the light of Thy Gospel that they may recognize how great a happiness it is to love Thee and to glorify Thy Mercy for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....
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 goodness 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 heretics and schismatics, who have abused and squandered Thy graces and who stubbornly 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 ....
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" (Math. 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 constantly dwell within Thy Sacred Heart and may continually praise the Mercy of God.
A truly humble soul and meek Foretaste 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 especially like unto Thy Son, and the fragrance 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 ....
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 venerate 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 abundant mercy to the entire world, Enfold 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 devoted 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 grater mercy according to the hope which they placed in Thee and in accordance with Thy promises. Protect them always and especially in the hour of death. Amen.
Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....
Let us pray for the souls in purgatory, that the stream of Christ's Blood may diminish and shorten their suffering.
Most Merciful Jesus, Who hast said: "Be merciful, as your Heavenly Father is merciful" (Luke 6,36): receive into the abode of Thy Most Merciful Heart the souls suffering 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, behold them through the wounds of Thy Most Beloved Son and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose mercy surpasses His justices. Amen.
Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....
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 Garden of Olives. Plunge them into the fire of Thy most pure love, that they may become 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 Beloved Son and our Lord and Savior 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 perform deeds of mercy and may they glorify the Mercy of God for all eternity. Amen.
Our Father .... Hail Mary .... Glory be to the Father ....
This novena by the Congregation of Marian Fathers (1945), Eden Hill, Stockbridge, Mass. (seventh printing).