THE DIVINE MERCY

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 [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).

I felt very sad about it, but hid this deep in my heart. When we had left the artist's house, Mother Superior [Irene] stayed in town to attend to some matters while I returned home alone. 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" (Diary, 313).