Jesus, Mercy Incarnate

ed to meet this need, and they also enable us to make a brief remembrance of our Lord’s passion at that time, as Jesus Himself requested of St. Faustina. 53 The customary prayers for this time of day in the Divine Mercy tradition were written by St. Faustina her- self, although they were not intended for use exclusively during that hour: You expired Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fountain of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty yourself out upon us. 54 O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You. 55 The Morning Offering, the Angelus, and the “Hour of Mercy” prayers—these are just three ways of keeping ourselves recollect- ed in the presence of God and of His saints throughout the day. In these ways we draw nearer to the Heart of Jesus each day for spir- itual refreshment. None of these prayers takes more than a minute to say. Thus, far from being a “chore,” they actually open us up to receive many spiritual benefits. 56 The evening is the traditional (and usually most practical) time for praying the Rosary together as a family. Devotees of the Divine Mercy need to remember that the Rosary is not in com- petition with the Chaplet, even though they are recited on the same beads. First of all, the Rosary is primarily a prayer of med- itation . It calls us to meditate with Mary on all the mysteries of our redemption, helping us to do what St. Luke tells us the Mother of God herself did: she “kept all these things, and pon- dered them in her heart” (2:19, 51). The Chaplet, on the other hand, is primarily a prayer of intercession : a plea to the Lord for “mercy upon us, and upon the whole world.” Moreover, it is important to note that our Lord never asked for the Chaplet to be recited daily . One may recite the Chaplet daily, of course, and that is certainly a commendable practice, but it is not a pattern that either Jesus or St. Faustina specifically requested. In fact, our 124 Jesus, Mercy Incarnate