Divine Mercy Sunday
April 27th
To learn more about receiving a plenary indulgence for
Divine Mercy Sunday Devotion,
please click the button below.
April 27th
To learn more about receiving a plenary indulgence for
Divine Mercy Sunday Devotion,
please click the button below.
The Image of The Divine Mercy originated from a vision St. Faustina had on Feb. 22, 1931. She recorded the event in her Diary, which she kept at the Lord's request.
She wrote:
"In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand 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 throughout the world" (Diary, 47).
What does the image mean? The Image of The Divine Mercy represents the risen Christ whose hands and feet bear the marks of the Crucifixion. When asked about the meaning of the rays from His pierced Heart, Jesus explained, "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" (Diary, 299).
The two rays signify the sacraments of mercy (Baptism and Penance), and the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the blood of souls, carrying life-sustaining food for our spiritual journey. The water is analogous to the sacraments of Baptism and Penance, in that through these sacraments our souls are washed clean. "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:11). "Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter," said Jesus, "for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him" (Diary, 299).
She wrote:
"In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand 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 throughout the world" (Diary, 47).
What does the image mean? The Image of The Divine Mercy represents the risen Christ whose hands and feet bear the marks of the Crucifixion. When asked about the meaning of the rays from His pierced Heart, Jesus explained, "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" (Diary, 299).
The two rays signify the sacraments of mercy (Baptism and Penance), and the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the blood of souls, carrying life-sustaining food for our spiritual journey. The water is analogous to the sacraments of Baptism and Penance, in that through these sacraments our souls are washed clean. "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:11). "Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter," said Jesus, "for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him" (Diary, 299).