A novena is typically nine days of prayer in preparation of a celebration of a feast day. At the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy Novena is recited perpetually at the Hour of Great Mercy — the three o’clock hour.

The Chaplet can be said anytime, but the Lord specifically asked that it be recited as a novena. He promised, “By this Novena (of Chaplets), I will grant every possible grace to souls.”

Intentions

For each of the nine days, our Lord gave Saint Faustina a different intention:

All mankind, especially sinners; the souls of priests and religious; all devout and faithful souls; those who do not believe in God and those who do not yet know Jesus; the souls who have separated themselves from the Church; the meek and humble souls and the souls of little children; the souls who especially venerate and glorify His mercy; the souls detained in purgatory; and souls who have become lukewarm.

“I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fountain of My mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever grace they have need of in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death” (Diary, 1209).

How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

1. Make the Sign of the Cross
2. Say the Optional Opening Prayer
3. Say the "Our Father"
4. Say the "Hail Mary"
5. Say the "Apostles' Creed"
6. Say the "Eternal Father"
7. Say 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion..."
8. Report for four more decades saying "Eternal Father" on the "Our Father" beads and 10 " For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" on the following "Hail Mary" beads. 
9. At the conclusion of the five decades, on the medallion say the "Holy God," the concluding doxology, three times. 
10. Say the optional Closing Prayer

Opening Prayer 

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. 

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You! (recite 3 times)

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in attonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Repeat this on the large bead (Our Father bead)

For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. On the smaller 10 beads (Hail Mary beads)

Closing Pryer

Eternal Father, 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 now despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your Holy Will, which is LOVE and MERCY itself. AMEN

My Jesus I trust in you. (recite 3 times)