The Five Holy Wounds Devotion: Meaning, Promises, and How to Pray It
The devotion to the Five Holy Wounds, also known as the Five Sacred Wounds or the Five Precious Wounds, is a powerful tradition rooted in the Passion of Christ. These are the wounds Jesus experienced during His crucifixion, sustained in order to save us.
These wounds include:
- The nails driven into His hands (two wounds)
- The nails driven into His feet (two wounds)
- The spear that pierced His side (one wound)
Together, these represent the physical pain and spiritual suffering Christ endured out of love for us.
Devotion to the Five Holy Wounds
Throughout Christian history, countless believers have turned to the Five Holy Wounds in prayer and meditation. This devotion draws us into the heart of Christ’s Passion, helping us remember the pain He endured and the love He poured out on the Cross for us.
By reflecting on His wounds, we deepen our understanding of Jesus’ sacrifice and are reminded of His victory over sin and death. This practice not only strengthens our faith in His Resurrection, but also becomes an act of reparation, for our own sins, for the sins of the world, and especially for the souls in Purgatory.
This devotion invites us to unite our own sufferings with those of Christ, transforming pain into prayer, and sorrow into grace.
Revelation to Sister Mary Martha Chambon
Sister Mary Martha Chambon (1841–1907), born Francoise Chambon in the small village of Davoy, France, came from a humble farming family. From a young age, she experienced visions of Heaven, of the Holy Family, and even of her departed loved ones.
After joining the Monastery of the Visitation in Chambéry, her mystical experiences deepened. Jesus revealed to her a powerful devotion: the Rosary of the Holy Wounds. Jesus invited her to unite her own sufferings with His by praying this chaplet, assuring her that it would bring great spiritual benefit, not only to herself, but also to sinners and to the souls in Purgatory.
Photo: Sister Mary Martha in state. Source.
In her journal, Sister Mary Martha recorded the special invocations that Jesus taught her on March 21, 1907:
- “Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal the wounds of our souls.”
- “My Jesus, pardon and mercy, through the merits of Thy Holy Wounds.”
Jesus entrusted her with a ‘double’ mission: to constantly invoke His Holy Wounds, and to spread the Five Holy Wounds devotion throughout the world. He said:
“The soul who during his life has honoured and studied the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and had offered them to the Eternal Father for the souls in purgatory, will be accompanied at the moment of death by the Holy Virgin and the angels, and Our Lord on the Cross, all brilliant in glory, will receive her and crown her…I will grant all that is asked of Me by the invocation of My Holy Wounds. You must spread the devotion.”
After her death, Sister Mary Martha’s Mother Superior published her journal in 1923. It quickly gained attention and was circulated internationally. Just a year later, the Vatican granted a partial indulgence of 300 days to anyone who recited these prayers. Her cause for beatification was officially opened in 1937.
Promises of Our Lord to all who honour the Five Holy Wounds devotion
Through her journal, Sister Mary Martha Chambon shared the remarkable promises Jesus made to all who faithfully pray the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds. These promises reflect the incredible spiritual power of this devotion and the infinite value of Christ’s suffering for humanity.
Through this devotion, Jesus promises:
- “Every word of the Chaplet of Mercy you pronounce, I allow a drop of My Blood to fall upon the soul of a sinner.”
- “Each time that you offer to My Father the merits of My Divine Wounds, you win an immense fortune.”
- “Souls that will have contemplated and honored My crown of thorns on earth, will be My crown of glory in Heaven.”
- “I will grant all that is asked of Me through the invocation of My Holy Wounds. You. Will obtain everything, because it is through the merit of My Blood, which is of infinite price. With My Wounds and My Divine Heart, everything can be obtained.”
- “From My Wounds proceed fruits of sanctity. As gold purified in the crucible becomes more beautiful, so you must put your soul and those of your companions into My sacred Wounds; there they will become perfected as gold in the furnace. You can always purify yourself in My Wounds.”
- “My Wounds will repair yours. My Wounds will cover all your faults. Those who honor them will have a true knowledge of Jesus Christ. In meditation on them, you will always find a new love. My Wounds will cover all your sins.”
- “Offer Me your actions united to My Wounds and they will be of value. All your actions, even the least, soaked in My Blood, will acquire incomprehensible riches, an infinite merit and will please My Heart.”
- “In offering My Wounds for the conversion of sinners, even though the sinners are not converted, you will have the same merit before God as if they were.”
- “When you have some sorrow, something to suffer, quickly place it in My Wounds, and the pain will be alleviated.”
- “This aspiration must often be repeated near the sick: “My Jesus, Pardon and Mercy through the merits of Your Holy Wounds!” This prayer will solace the soul and body.”
- “The sinner who will say the following prayer: “Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the wounds of our souls”, shall obtain conversion”.
- “There will be no death for the soul that expires in My Holy Wounds; they give true life. The way to My Holy Wounds is easy, so easy to reach Heaven.”
- “This chaplet is a counterpoise to My justice; it restrains My vengeance.”
- “The soul who prays with humility and meditates on My Passion, will one day share in the glory of My Divine Wounds. The souls will be crowned with resplendent beauty and glory.”
- “The more you will have contemplated My painful Wounds on this earth, the higher will be your contemplation of them glorious in Heaven.”
- “The soul who during life has honored the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ and has offered them to the Eternal Father for the souls in Purgatory, will be accompanied at the moment of death by the Holy Virgin and the angels; and Our Lord on the Cross, all brilliant in glory, will receive her and crown her.”
- “The invocations of the Holy Wounds will obtain an incessant victory for the Church.”
How to Pray the Rosary of The Five Holy Wounds
The Chaplet (or Rosary) of the Five Holy Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ is a powerful form of prayer offered in reparation for sin, for the conversion of sinners, for the souls in Purgatory, and to draw closer to Jesus through His Passion.
You can use a standard rosary to pray the Chaplet.
How to Pray the Chaplet of His 5 Holy Wounds
- Begin with the Sign of the Cross.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
- Holding the Crucifix, pray:
O Jesus, Divine Redeemer, be merciful to us and to the whole world. Amen.
- On the first three beads, pray:
- First bead:
O Powerful God! O Holy God! O Immortal God! Have pity on us and upon the whole world! Amen.
- Second bead:
Pardon and mercy, O my Jesus, during these present dangers. Pour on us Thy Most Precious Blood! Amen.
- Third bead:
O Eternal Father, be merciful to us through the Blood of Jesus Christ Thy only Son! Be merciful to us, we beseech Thee! Amen.
- For the first decade, meditate on the Wound in the left foot of Jesus. On the large bead, pray:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the Wounds of our souls.
- On the 10 x small beads, pray:
My Jesus, pardon and mercy, through the merits of Thy Holy Wounds!
- Repeat these prayers for the remaining 4 x decades, while meditating on His other holy wounds:
- Wound in His right foot
- Wound in His left hand
- Wound in His right hand
- Wound in the Sacred side of Jesus
- Once complete, finish by repeating this prayer 3 x times:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the Wounds of our souls.
Other Ways to Honour the Five Holy Wounds
While the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds is a central devotion, there are many other meaningful ways to honour and meditate upon the wounds of Christ. These practices, rooted in centuries of Christian tradition, help us unite our hearts with Jesus in His Passion, deepen our faith in His Resurrection, and offer reparation for the sins of the world.
Feast of the Five Holy Wounds
Different regions have historically observed the Feast of the Five Wounds on various dates:
- February 6 – in Portugal
- Friday after Ash Wednesday – in Lisbon
- Friday after the third Sunday in Lent – in Rome
These feast days are opportunities for personal reflection and public devotion, encouraging the faithful to meditate on the love and sacrifice of Christ.
The Golden Mass
During the 12th and 13th centuries, devotion to the Passion of Christ experienced a great revival. One practice that emerged was the Golden Mass, a special liturgical celebration that honoured Jesus’s sufferings and His Five Holy Wounds.
It was often accompanied by the daily recitation of 15 “Our Father” prayers, one for each moment of the Passion, offered in reparation and love.
Devotional Garments and Symbols
Some religious orders honour the Holy Wounds in their clothing:
- The Bridgettines wear a crown of white cloth with five red marks on their veils — a constant visual reminder of Christ’s Five Wounds.
These symbols become daily invitations to prayer and contemplation.
Rosaries and Chaplets
Beyond the Chaplet of the Holy Wounds, other rosaries and chaplets have developed over time, each focusing on various aspects of Christ’s suffering:
- The Most Holy Rosary, when meditated upon deeply, especially the Sorrowful Mysteries, also brings to mind the Holy Wounds.
- Specific litanies and meditations can be said during Holy Hours, before the Blessed Sacrament, or in personal prayer.
Short Aspirations and Ejaculatory Prayers
Simple, heartfelt prayers can be prayed throughout the day to honour Jesus’s Wounds:
“My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of Thy Holy Wounds.”
“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ to heal the wounds of our souls.”
These brief prayers are powerful and accessible, especially when offered in reparation, for the dying, or for the souls in Purgatory.
PRAYER TO THE SHOULDER WOUND OF JESUS
It is related in the annals of Clairvaux that St. Bernard asked Our Lord which was His greatest unrecorded suffering and Our Lord answered:
“I had on My Shoulder, while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grievous Wound, which was more painful than the others and which is not recorded by men. Honor this Wound with thy devotion and I will grant thee whatsoever thou dost ask through Its virtue and merit. And in regard to all those who shall venerate this Wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins and will no longer remember their mortal sins.”
This revelation and promise of Our Dear Savior is another proof of His unlimited mercy. You are urged to say these prayers daily and to promulgate this prayer on a continuous basis, so that others may share in this blessing.
PRAYER TO THE SHOULDER WOUND OF JESUS
‘O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross, which so tore Thy Flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other Wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee and give Thee thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. Amen.’
PRAYER TO THE HOLY FACE BY SAINT THERESE DE LISIEUX
‘Jesus, Who in Thy bitter Passion, didst become the reproach of men and the Man of Sorrows, I venerate Thy Holy Face on which shone the beauty and gentleness of Divinity. In those disfigured features, I recognize Thine infinite Love, and I long to love Thee, and make Thee loved. May I behold Thy Glorious Face in Heaven. Amen.’
DEVOTION TO THE DROPS OF BLOOD LOST BY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ON HIS WAY TO CALVARY
St. Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary, with St. Matilda and St. Bridget, wishing to know something of the Passion of Jesus Christ, offered fervent and special prayers upon which Our Lord revealed to them:
“To all the faithful who shall recite for 3 years, each day, 2 x Our Fathers, 2 x Hail Marys and 2 Glory Bes in honor of the drops of Blood I lost, I will concede the following 5 graces:
1st: The plenary indulgence and remittance of your sins.
2nd: You will be free from the pains of Purgatory.
3rd: If you should die before completing the said 3 years, for you it will be the same as if you had completed them.
4th: It will be upon your death the same as if you had shed all your blood for the Holy Faith.
5th: I will descend from Heaven to take your soul and that of your relatives, until the fourth generation.”
Blessed by His Holiness Pope Leo XIII in Rome, April 5, 1890.