Family Prayer Before the Image of Divine Mercy - Forming a Cenacle of Prayer in the Home

On February 22, 1931, Our Lord appeared to Saint Faustina in a vision. She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the Heart, from where two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale. She gazed intently at the Lord in silence, her soul filled with awe, but also with great joy.

Jesus said to her: "Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You.  I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory" (Diary, 47, 48). "I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus I trust in You (Diary, 327).  I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world" (Diary, 47). 

We invite the Family to spend time together in prayer before the Image of Divine Mercy - to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Holy Rosary. We encourage the family to make an act of total consecration, to entrust their heart and life totally to the Merciful Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

We then encourage the family to follow Jesus, by caring for themselves and others through deed, word, and prayer of mercy - to be the loving presence of Jesus to those in need.  Jesus tells us:  “I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first - by deed, the second - by word, the third - by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me". (Diary, 742).

What Is a Cenacle? The word “Cenacle” (Latin cenaculum: dining room) refers to the Upper Room where the Apostles prepared for the Lord’s celebration of His Last Supper, during which He instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood. The cenacle was also the site of Christ’s resurrection appearance to the Apostles and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles gathered in prayer with Mary in the Upper Room.

The Image of Divine Mercy; we invite the family to place the Image of Divine Mercy in their home - to invite Jesus to be the center of the family, and of the home.

Prayer Room: We invite the family to set up a prayer table. The prayer table should consist of the following: the Image of Divine Mercy, a statue of Mary and a candle. You may also wish to have photos of your loved ones. All these prayerful items should be blessed by a priest.  

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION - TO JESUS THROUGH MARY

Dear Lord Jesus, you know our hearts. You know how much we love you and want to follow you. In your love for us at the foot of the cross, you gave Mary, your holy mother to us to be our mother and for us to be her spiritual children. Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful gift of love - the gift of Mother Mary.

Dear Mother, we your loving and trusting children, come to you now to consecrate our heart, and entrust our life to you. Dear Mother, please continue to lead us to Jesus, and to the riches of His Divine Mercy. Help us continue to have a loving and trusting friendship with Jesus. Obtain for us the graces we need to follow Jesus and to remain constantly faithful to His infinite love. Draw our heart ever nearer to your son, Jesus. Continue to intercede for us - for the grace to truly love God with a pure heart. Help us, dear Mother, to love our self and others the way God loves us.

Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, help us with the conversion of our heart, and with the sanctification of our soul. For wherever you enter Merciful Mother, you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the Merciful Heart of your Son, Our Lord, Jesus.                                                     

 O Immaculate ever-virgin, Mother of Mercy, we place our self into your loving hands under your special protection of your Immaculate Heart. We  consecrate our heart and entrust our life to you and all that we have under your title, Our Lady of Mercy.