What does the image of Divine Mercy mean?

In 1931, Our Lord asked St. Faustina to have an image painted of His Divine Mercy along with the words, “Jesus, I trust in You.” He said, “I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world.” (Diary, 47) Jesus further added, “I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over (its) enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory.” (Diary, 48)

What do the rays of light shining from the Heart of Jesus represent?

In her Diary, St. Faustina said, When on one occasion my confessor told me to ask the Lord Jesus the meaning of the two rays in the image, I answered, “Very well, I will ask the Lord.” During prayer I heard these words within me: The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the water that makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls … These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when my agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. (Diary, 299)

Where is the original painting of the Divine Mercy?

The original painting is displayed at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius, Lithuania, at the convent where St. Faustina was residing when Our Lord appeared to her under this form.

What does Divine Mercy mean?

Divine Mercy is the reaching down of God out of Love, through the Incarnation and Pascal Mystery, in order to restore us to Himself. Eph. 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Heb. 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. In his Encyclical letter on the Eternal Father, Rich in Mercy, Pope John Paul II cites the Paschal Mystery as the greatest evidence of this attribute of God. 15 . . . It is this mystery which bears within itself the most complete revelation of mercy, that is, of that love which is more powerful than death, more powerful than sin and every evil, the love which lifts man up when he falls into the abyss and frees him from the greatest threats. Speaking at the Divine Mercy Shrine in his native Krakow he would later say, Those who sincerely say “Jesus, I trust in You” will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears. There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights to the holiness of God. (Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland, on June 7, 1997)

What is the meaning of Mercy?

In its simplest form, mercy is compassion or forgiveness. The person in need may have brought it upon themselves, by sin, or human failures of one kind or another, but to be merciful is not to leave them in that state, as this is how God treats us if we turn to Him in our need.

What are the Promises of Divine Mercy?

Here are a few of the promises regarding Jesus’ Divine Mercy: “I promise that the soul that will venerate this image (of Divine Mercy) will not perish. I also promise victory over (its) enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory.” (Diary, 48) “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death.” (Diary, 687) “The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” (Diary, 754) “When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God’s anger is placated, unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son.” (Diary, 811) “Souls who spread the honor of My mercy… at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior.” (Diary, 1075) “To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak.” (Diary, 1521)

Have other Popes promoted the Divine Mercy?

While Pope St. John Paul II can rightly be called the Pope of Mercy, Pope Benedict XVI, who served as his doctrinal prefect, spoke especially about the Divine Mercy in its ministerial aspect, saying on the Feast of Divine Mercy in 2008, [M]ercy is the central nucleus of the Gospel message; it is the very name of God, the Face with which he revealed himself in the Old Covenant and fully in Jesus Christ, the incarnation of creative and redemptive Love. May this merciful love also shine on the face of the Church and show itself through the sacraments, in particular that of Reconciliation, and in works of charity, both communitarian and individual. May all that the Church says and does manifest the mercy God feels for man, and therefore for us. When the Church has to recall an unrecognized truth or a betrayed good, she always does so impelled by merciful love, so that men and women may have life and have it abundantly (cf. Jn 10:10). From divine mercy, which brings peace to hearts, genuine peace flows into the world, peace between different peoples, cultures and religions. Pope Francis has likewise shown great concern to bring God’s mercy to the sinner, and humanly to the marginalized. Early in his pontificate he called an Extraordinary Jubilee of Divine Mercy, designated priests as “Missionaries of Mercy” with special faculties to reconcile certain classes of penitents and established simpler norms for the handling of difficult marriage cases. He has also frequently advocated for those “on the peripheries” of human society, whether the poor or migrants. On Divine Mercy Sunday in the Jubilee Year he drew attention to the healing aspects of the Divine Mercy, especially as it comes to others through us, saying, In God’s mercy, all of our infirmities find healing. His mercy, in fact, does not keep a distance: it seeks to encounter all forms of poverty and to free this world of so many types of slavery. Mercy desires to reach the wounds of all, to heal them. Being apostles of mercy means touching and soothing the wounds that today afflict the bodies and souls of many of our brothers and sisters. Curing these wounds, we profess Jesus, we make him present and alive; we allow others, who touch his mercy with their own hands, to recognize him as “Lord and God” (Jn 20:28), as did the Apostle Thomas. This is the mission that he entrusts to us.

What are the Requirements for Divine Mercy Sunday?

The Grace of Complete Forgiveness of Sins and Punishment Christ’s first act in appearing to the Apostles on Easter night was to empower them to forgive sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (John 20:19-23). Unsurprising, the Grace of complete reconciliation, even of the temporal punishment due to our forgiven sins, begins with a good confession. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. (Diary, 699) This request of Our Lord recognizes a fact of justice the Church herself recognizes, which is, while the Sacrament of Penance is sufficient to remit the eternal penalty for serious sin (separation from God), the penitent’s degree of sorrow, the thoroughness of his conversion, and the obligations of reparation he must satisfy, are often imperfectly satisfied. This “temporal guilt” must be resolved, whether in this life, or in purgatory. Through St. Faustina, therefore, the Lord calls us to renew our trust in Him so that we are disposed to receive even such a great grace. Only OUR will is missing from the equation. God, however, WILLS IT! Trust in Him. I want to grant complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy. (Diary 1109) The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. (1578).

The Veneration of the Image I want the image solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it. (Diary, 341) The Lord asks that we show signs of gratitude for the Divine Mercy on this Feast. Justice certainly requires it, but that alone is not enough. The Image invites us to contemplate the cost of our salvation and its fruits, placing in Him who loved us first, our Faith, our Hope and our Love. The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the water that makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls . . . These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when my agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. (Diary, 299) The Indulgence If the Grace the Lord offers sounds like the blessings of a plenary indulgence, it is because the remission of ALL punishment due to sin is exactly what a plenary indulgence accomplishes. While a private revelation is not obliged by Faith, so that no one would be dissuaded from approaching the fount of Divine Mercy on Divine Mercy Sunday by that argument, Pope St. John Paul II established it by an act of papal authority, creating a Plenary Indulgence, accessible to Catholics in all circumstances.

Who is the great Apostle of Divine Mercy?

Also known as the Secretary of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina Kowalska was a Polish nun with the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. She began to have visions of Jesus in 1931, writing them down in her spiritual journal, now titled Divine Mercy in My Soul, and often referred to simply as Diary. From this beginning the apostolate and devotion of Divine Mercy began.

How did Jesus appear to St. Faustina?

Jesus first appeared to her on February 22, 1931, when she was living in her community’s convent in Plock, Poland. St. Faustina said, In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand [was] raised in the gesture of blessing; the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale. In silence I kept my gaze fixed on the Lord; my soul was struck with awe, but also with great joy. After a while, Jesus said to me, “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world.” (Diary, 47)

When and where did St. Faustina die?

She died at the age of 33 on October 5, 1938 in the community’s convent in Krakow. It is here where her mortal remains lie, and where the more commonly known image of the Divine Mercy (the original one is in Vilnius) can be found.

Why is St. Faustina important?

St. Faustina had unwavering faith in Jesus and was obedient to Him. Through her Diary, the world has come to better understand the Divine Mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the relationship with Divine Mercy and abortion?

The Lord made St. Faustina know that His wrath was to be unleashed against a certain city, instructing her to pray to avert it (Diary 474). Her spiritual director Fr. Michael Sopocko, now Blessed, provides some details (Summarium, 251). She [Sr. Faustina] wrote in her diary that Jesus Himself said that He was about to destroy one of the most beautiful cities of our country like Sodom was destroyed on account of the crimes perpetrated there. Having read about these things in the Diary I asked her what does the prophecy mean? She answered confirming what she wrote and replying to a further question of mine, on account of what kind of sins God was going to inflict these punishments. She answered: especially for the killing of infants not yet born, the most grievous crime of all. In a later entry Jesus allowed St. Faustina to suffer in reparation for this sin. I wanted very much to make a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament today, but God’s will was otherwise. At eight o’clock I was seized with such violent pains that I had to go to bed at once. I was convulsed with pain for three hours; that is, until eleven o’clock at night. No medicine had any effect on me, and whatever I swallowed I threw up. At times, the pains caused me to lose consciousness. Jesus had me realize that in this way I took part in His Agony in the Garden, and that He himself allowed these sufferings in order to offer reparation to God for the souls murdered in the wombs of wicked mothers. I have gone through these sufferings three times now. They always start at eight o’clock in the evening and last until eleven. No medicine can lessen these sufferings. When eleven o’clock comes, they cease by themselves, and I fall asleep at that moment. (Diary, 1276) With good reason, the Second Vatican Council called abortion “an abominable crime” (Guadium et spes 51), as it is one which attacks life at its beginning, offending God’s creative majesty, and crying out to Heaven for vengeance (Gen. 4:10-11). The Divine Mercy remains the remedy today, both for abortion and for the other sins of our age. Otherwise, the remedy will be the Divine Justice.

What is the relationship with the Divine Mercy and the Second Coming of Jesus?

Why would Christ emphasize in our time a doctrine, the Divine Mercy, which has been part of the patrimony of the Faith from the beginning, as well as request new devotional and liturgical expressions of it? In His revelations to St. Faustina Jesus answers this question, connecting it to another doctrine, also sometimes little emphasized, that of His Second Coming. In the Gospel the Lord shows us that His first coming was in humility, as a Servant, to free the world from sin. Yet, He promises to return in glory to judge the world on love, as He makes clear in his discourses on the Kingdom in Matthew chapters 13 and 25. In between these Comings we have the end times or era of the Church, in which the Church ministers reconciliation to the world until the great and terrible Day of the Lord, the Day of Justice. Every Catholic should be familiar with the teaching of the Church on this matter, contained in paragraphs 668 to 679 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Only in the context of public revelation as taught by the Magisterium can we situate the words of private revelation given to Sr. Faustina. “You will prepare the world for My final coming.” (Diary, 429) “Speak to the world about My mercy ... It is a sign for the end times. After it will come the Day of Justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fountain of My mercy.” (Diary, 848) “Tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near.” (Diary, 965) “I am prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of sinners. But woe to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation.” (Diary, 1160) “Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy.” (Diary, 1588) “He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice.” (Diary, 1146)

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