Chaplet in the loving arms of Mary and Jesus

This chaplet is a prayer of surrender. Its meaning is simple: the one praying steps out of the center and places himself entirely in the care of Jesus Christ, with Mary beside Him. The chaplet expresses a single movement—decrease of the self and trustful abandonment into divine love. It is not a prayer for insight, instruction, or achievement. It is a prayer of consent: consent to be small, consent to be loved, consent to belong.

The chaplet unites three elements: the faith of the Church, the humility of St. John the Baptist, and childlike trust in Jesus and Mary. Together, these form one act of prayer.

How to Pray the Chaplet

Begin with the crucifix.

On the Cross

Pray the Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Move to the first large bead.

On the Large Bead

Announce and contemplate the mystery in the customary manner.

Then pray seven times:

“I must decrease, and you must increase.”

(John 3:30)

Move to the small beads.

On Each Small Bead

Pray:

“Mary and Jesus, hold me in your loving arms.”

After completing the small beads for that mystery, pray the Glory Be:

Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now,

and ever shall be,

world without end. Amen.

Proceed to the next large bead and repeat the same pattern:

1. Announce and contemplate the mystery

2. Pray “I must decrease, and you must increase”

3. Pray the small beads

4. Conclude with the Glory Be

Continue until the chaplet is complete.

Finish with Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,

our life, our sweetness and our hope.

To thee do we cry, 

poor banished children of Eve.

To thee do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate,

thine eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving,

O sweet Virgin Mary.