On Divine Mercy

Yesterday was Divine Mercy Sunday, the end of the Octave of Easter.

I can not remember when I was first introduced to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy or even the feast day. It was probably related to listening to Relevant Radio in college.

There are a few things I like about the divine mercy chaplet. It is simple, and quick. Whereas a rosary takes about 15 minutes, the divine mercy chaplet can be finished in about 5. I realize this is not the ideal motivation for prayer, but it is a legitimate one. At least that's what I tell myself. Second, the hour of mercy is 3:00, and usually I can find the 5 minutes it takes to pray it, if I remember. Finally, it is a very Eucharistic prayer. "Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world." This begs to be said before the Blessed Sacrament.

Often, since I don't have class, I go to the place of adoration on campus either right at 3:00 or at least some time within the hour. I pray the Chaplet before Jesus in the Monstrance. I also like to pray the St. Michael prayer, and remember my intentions for the day. There are usually (though not always) what I would think are extra people in the chapel at 3:00 and I like to imagine that some of them are there for the same reason. It has become a staple in my daily prayer regimen and is a nice reminder in the middle of my day of the mercy of God.