The Image of The Divine Mercy at
the canonization of Saint Faustina in Rome,
April 30, 2000
     
To purchase and learn more about the Sacred Image of The Divine Mercy, please visit mercyimages.com.

The Image

On the first Sunday in Lent, February 22, 1931, Our Lord appeared to St. Faustina clothed in a white garment, His right hand raised in blessing, and His left lightly pulling back His garment at the breast. There, emanating from His Heart, came forth two rays, one red, the other colorless, as if clear crystal. He ordered her to paint an image according to the "pattern she saw", so that this Image could be spread throughout the world, and venerated by all people.

Jesus told Faustina “My gaze from this Image is like My gaze from the Cross”. (326) When Jesus was dying on the Cross, He looked with unimaginable love, forgivness, and mercy on all mankind, past, present and future. This is what drove Him to the Cross. His greatest sorrow was that there would be souls who would reject this love and harden their hearts toward God, benefiting nothing from His bitter Passion, and so loosing their immortal soul.

Jesus's gaze from the Image of Divine Mercy is a gaze of unimaginable love once again, a gaze of mercy and forgiveness. It is the Image of the Risen Christ, extending to us once more the fruits of His bitter Passion, that is, the infinate merits of His sufferings. He tells Faustina that this appeal to mankind to "adore His Mercy", that is, to call upon it, to trust in it, is our "last hope of salvation". If we do not appeal to God's Mercy, and become people of mercy, He tells us we will then fall under the weight of His Justice.

Faustina writes: Jesus looked at me and said, "souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of salvation (recourse to My Mercy). If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near. (965)

When we turn to His Image, the image of Mercy, let it remind us to become people of mercy. When we show mercy to our fellow man, mercy will be shown to us in return. Jesus told Faustina - "Before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy." (1588) Jesus is not trying to scare us, this message is a message of preparation. Now is the time to prepare for the Lord's coming, for He also told her at least seven times that this message will prepare the world for "my final coming".

Jesus told Faustina “My gaze from this Image is like My gaze from the Cross”. (326) One afternoon in Stockbridge, Father Seraphim Michalenko shared with us an astounding revelation, which took Our Lord's words another step deeper. In Father Seraphim's words:

Faustina would come to the artist every so often between January and June of 1934 and every time she came he would have to change the face because she didn’t like it. It was at least 10 times and maybe more. So finally she came one day, and as far as she was concerned, the image was ugly, but Jesus said “leave it in the state its in, it not good but it will do, you don’t have to change it anymore... and thats the one that matches the Shroud.

To learn more about the Sacred Image of The Divine Mercy, please visit mercyimages.com.

You must have Quicktime to view these videos!

The Holy Shroud and the
Image of Divine Mercy

return to top

 
     

Our Lord told Faustina, “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." (47)

I went immediately to the chapel and wept a good deal. I said to the Lord, “who will paint You as beautiful as You are?” Then I heard these words: "Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace."(313)

"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." (48)

"The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the water which 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. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him." (299).

"By means of this Image I shall be granting many graces to souls; so let every soul have access to it." (570)

"Let souls who are striving for perfection particularly adore My mercy, because the abundance of graces which I grant them flows from My mercy. I desire that these souls distinguish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. I will provide them with everything they will need to attain sanctity. 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. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. I rejoice that they ask for much, because it is My desire to give much, very much. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts." (1578)