The prayer at the hour of mercy is part of the devotion to Divine Mercynext to the ninth and the Chaplet to Divine Mercy. Jesus, through Saint Faustina, invites us to give ourselves totally to his mercy, praying to him in a special way at 3:00 pm, the hour of his Passion. “In this hour nothing will be denied to the soul that asks for it for the merits of My Passion…” (Diary, 1320)
Divine Mercy in my soul
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Why honor the hour of Divine Mercy?
Christ’s request to Santa Faustina
in his last apparitions to Santa FaustinaJesus asked pray to his mercy, every day at 3 in the afternoonhour in which he gave his spirit on the Cross: “Every time you hear the clock strike three, immerse yourself totally in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; he pleads for her omnipotence for the whole world, and especially for poor sinners, since at that moment she opens herself for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others just by asking for it, it is the hour of grace for everyone – mercy triumphed over justice” (Diary, 1572).
In the time of his deathand, Jesus showed his last sacrifice, his last surrender to God, which gave salvation to all men. Jesus died in the hands of men to rise with them. Pray at “the hour of Golgotha” It is not only commemorating an event that occurred 2,000 years ago, but it also requires understanding that Jesus is still willing to save us and show us the extent of his love for each one of us. For the above, we are invited to pray to his infinite mercy, through his painful Passion, for us, for humanity and especially for sinners.
Meditation on the Passion of Christ
In addition to this communion of spirit at 3 p.m., there is a more general call to meditate on the Passion of Christ. “The meditation of My Passion will help you rise above everything.” (Diary, 1184) The death of Christ is the greatest sign of God’s love for humanity; He gave us his Son to redeem our faults, our weaknesses, our failings. Jesus died on the cross to save us, to free us from our condition as sinful men. This is the gift of our salvation: we don’t have to deserve it, Jesus has offered it to us.
It is important to recall the different elements of the Passion of Christ and meditate on them in order to understand the greatness of Divine Mercy and the need to give oneself completely into the arms of Christ, which opened wide on the Cross. For example, we can meditate on the painful mysterieswhile we pray the Rosary.
How can we pray at the hour of Divine Mercy?
Different ways to pray at the hour of mercy
Jesus himself indicates to Saint Faustina various ways of praying at the hour of mercy:
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Make the way of the cross (Way of the Cross)
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Go into a chapel and pray
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Or just have a moment of reflection and pray alone
It’s true that in our busy lives, it’s sometimes difficult to regularly do a Stations of the Cross at 3 pm, or escape from work to go into a chapel. However, we can try join Christ on the cross (from within) for a few moments. “immerse yourself in prayer wherever you are, even for a very brief moment” (Diary, 1572).
Trust in Jesus and his Passion
Each one can pray according to the disposition of his heart, however, Saint Faustina taught us some rules. On the one hand, one must pray at 3 in the afternoon and on the other, the prayer must be addressed directly to Christ, through his Passion.
Jesus, by entrusting his Spirit to his Father, invites us to also entrust ourselves to him and to imitate this total abandonment. Therefore, this prayer must be done with total trust in Jesus and with a spirit of charity towards one’s neighbor, just as it is done when praying the other pillars of devotion to Divine Mercy (especially the crown and the ninth).
Some sample prayers for the Hour of Mercy
“O unfathomable source of life, mercy!”
“Oh Blood and Water that flowed from the Most Holy Heart of Jesus as a source of mercy for us, I trust in you.”
“You expired Jesus, but your death made a spring of life flow for souls and the ocean of your Mercy flooded the world.”
Pray at the hour of Divine Mercy with
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