Prayer:O Blood and Water
Stored: O Blood and Water
| O Blood and Water | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
O Blood and Water is a short but profound prayer composed by Saint Faustina Kowalska, the Polish mystic and Apostle of Divine Mercy. Drawn directly from her celebrated spiritual diary, this prayer encapsulates the entire spirituality of Divine Mercy in a single, luminous sentence. It is among the most beloved and frequently recited ejaculatory prayers in the devotion to the Divine Mercy.
The prayer is addressed to the Blood and Water that gushed from the pierced side of Jesus Christ at the moment a Roman soldier's lance struck Him on the Cross (cf. John 19:34). Saint Faustina understood this outpouring as the very fountain of God's mercy for humanity, and she expressed this understanding in the prayer's compact yet theologically rich formulation.
Because of its brevity and depth, the prayer has spread widely throughout the Catholic world and is commonly used as a short act of trust, a preparation for the reception of the sacraments, and an integral part of the broader Divine Mercy devotion approved by the Church.
The Prayer
- O Blood and Water,
- which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus
- as a fount of Mercy for us,
- I trust in You.
History and Background
Saint Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938), born Helena Kowalska in Łódź, Poland, entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and received a series of extraordinary mystical visions of Jesus Christ beginning in 1931. Jesus appeared to her as the Divine Mercy, with rays of red and white light streaming from His Heart, symbolising the Blood and Water that flowed from His side at Calvary. He entrusted her with the mission of proclaiming His mercy to the whole world.
In her diary, published under the title Divine Mercy in My Soul, Saint Faustina recorded this prayer at paragraph 187. The entry is set within her meditations on the Passion of Christ and her contemplation of the wound in His side. She received this prayer as an expression of perfect abandonment and trust in the merciful love of God, making it both a personal act of faith and a universal formula of devotion.
The Blood and Water from the side of Christ hold deep sacramental significance in Catholic theology. The Fathers of the Church, including Saint Augustine and Saint John Chrysostom, interpreted the Blood as symbolising the Eucharist and the Water as symbolising Baptism — the two sacraments from which the Church herself is born. Saint Faustina's prayer consciously draws upon this ancient tradition, directing the soul toward the sacramental life as the channel of Divine Mercy.
Following the beatification of Sister Faustina by Pope John Paul II in 1993 and her canonisation on April 30, 2000, the Divine Mercy devotion received definitive pontifical approval. Pope John Paul II established the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday for the universal Church in 2000. The prayer "O Blood and Water" has since been widely promoted by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception and various diocesan centres of Divine Mercy around the world.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
This prayer is most commonly used as an ejaculatory prayer — a short, fervent act directed to God that may be prayed at any moment of the day or night. Its brevity makes it especially suited to moments of temptation, suffering, anxiety, or spiritual dryness, when a longer prayer may be difficult to sustain.
As a preparation for the Sacraments: The prayer is fittingly prayed before the reception of Holy Communion or before the Sacrament of Reconciliation, as it acknowledges the Eucharist and Baptism symbolised by the Blood and Water and disposes the soul toward trust in God's mercy.
Within the Chaplet of Divine Mercy: While not a formal component of the Chaplet, many devotees incorporate "O Blood and Water" as an opening or closing prayer, linking the Chaplet's petitions to the foundational image of the merciful Heart of Jesus.
During the Hour of Mercy: Saint Faustina was instructed by Our Lord to observe the three o'clock hour each afternoon as the Hour of Mercy, commemorating the time of His death on the Cross. This prayer is a fitting act of trust to offer during that holy hour.
As a morning or evening offering: The prayer serves as a brief but complete act of consecration and trust that can be incorporated into any morning or evening prayer routine, anchoring the soul in confidence in God's mercy throughout the day.
For the dying and for souls in distress: Because the prayer invokes the very source of mercy, it is often prayed on behalf of the dying, particularly those who struggle to find hope, that they may surrender themselves to the merciful love of Christ in their final moments.