The World Health Organization’s statement that the health situation related to the COVID-19 was classified as a pandemic is public knowledge. A wave of perplexity and fear has been spread over many after this and the increasingly strict measures taken by various governments. Seeking to look at the facts with a look of Faith, those who in the face of events seek to go beyond the tangible and place all their trust and hope in the Lord of Life, we recognize that where the challenge abounds, grace and divine help abounds even more. Particularly in difficult times, the Church is invited to raise her arms and invoke Divine Mercy for the benefit of all humanity.
With desire to renew our confidence in the Lord and in the certainty that He hears the cry of His people, we want to unite in a spirit of intercession in favor of the humanity who suffers and especially those who are directly involved in this challenge. With this intention, the Shalom Catholic Community launches a campaign of prayer and supplication of Divine Mercy.
With this campaign we invite you to pray in a personal way at 3 pm each day of Lent the Divine Mercy Chaplet 1. We will ask the Lord for a wave of mercy to be spread over the whole world and in a special way on those infected, their families, those who are in areas of particular risk and the government of the countries most affected.
At the end of the Chaplet we will entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Mother of Mercy through the prayer ‘Sub tuum praesidium’ 2.
Holy God, Holy Mighty one, Holy Immortal one, have mercy on us and all the whole world!
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1 Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Optional Opening Prayers:
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
(Repeat 3 times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
Our Father, Hail Mary and the Apostle’s Creed
For each of the five decades (On each “Our Father” bead of the rosary, pray)
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
(On each of the 10 “Hail Mary” beads, pray)
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Concluding prayer (Repeat 3 times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Optional Closing Prayer
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
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2 ‘Sub tuum Praesidium’
We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.