In 1931, our Lord appeared to St. Faustina in a vision. He asked her to have an image of him painted. She said that the red and white rays represent the blood and water which flowed from the side of Jesus when his side was pierced as he hang on the cross.
In 1935, St. Faustina heard an interior voice revealing the words of the Chaplet prayers. In subsequent visions, our Lord told her that the Chaplet was for the whole world.
The Chaplet is prayed on ordinary rosary beads according to the diagram on the right. The Chaplet is said to be a most powerful prayer when recited with or for someone who is dying.
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy and its Novena can be prayed at any time, but praying the Novena is especially recommended leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday. The novena consists of praying the Chaplet for nine days in a row, and to complete the novena by Divine Mercy Sunday, you would begin the first day of prayer on Good Friday. There is a special intention for each day of the novena, or you can pray for intentions of your own.