History of the Divine Mercy

Between 1930 and 1938 Christ appeared to Sister Faustina (1905-1938), a Sister of Mercy in Poland, to re-teach us the story of His love even unto death, and His disappointment in us because of distrust in His Mercy and goodness. Through Sister Faustina, Jesus went on to give mankind the two beautiful devotions of the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and the Novena to The Divine Mercy.

In His revelations to Sister Faustina, Our Lord asked for special prayer and meditation on His Passion each afternoon at the three o’clock hour, the hour that recalls His death on the cross.

Jesus said to Sister Faustina, “At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy … In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion.

“As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world – mercy triumphed over justice …”

From these detailed instructions, it’s clear that Our Lord wants us to turn our attention to His Passion at the three o’clock hour to whatever degree our duties allow, and He wants us to ask for His mercy.