What is Divine Mercy?

A Brief History of the Message and Devotion to Divine Mercy

In the 1930s, a young uneducated Polish nun received from the Lord Jesus, a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world. Saint Faustina Kowalska was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy, a model of how to be merciful to others, and an instrument for reemphasizing God's plan of mercy for the world.  The message of mercy given to Saint Faustina is now being spread throughout the world; she was canonized by the Church on April 30, 2000; and her diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to The Divine Mercy.  

The devotional practices revealed through Saint Faustina were given to us as "vessels of mercy" through which God's love can be poured out upon the world.  Some of the most important “vessels” include the:

1)      Image of the Divine Mercy  

2)      Chaplet to the Divine Mercy and

3)      Feast of Divine Mercy.

With the command of our Lord to paint an image according to the pattern that St. Faustina had seen, came also a request to have this image venerated.  The Lord also requested that the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, which He Himself taught, should be recited by everyone to obtain graces and mercy.  And finally, Jesus asked on numerous occasions that a feast day be dedicated to the Divine Mercy and that this feast be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter. (To be continued…)

 

The Devotion

The Divine Mercy Image

In 1931, Our Lord appeared to St. Faustina Kowalska in a vision. She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the heart, from which two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale.   The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls.  The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous.  Jesus said to her: “Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You.  I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish”" I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus I trust in You (Diary, 327). "I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world (Diary, 47, 48).

Chaplet of The Divine Mercy  

Our Lord dictated to St. Faustina on September 1935 a powerful prayer that He wanted everyone to say – the Chaplet of Mercy.  The Lord made it clear that the Chaplet was not just for her, but for the whole world.  He also attached extraordinary promises to its recitation.  Our Lord said, “Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you (1541). Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death (687).  I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy (687). Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.” (1731) 

The Feast of Divine Mercy

Among all of the elements of devotion to The Divine Mercy, the Feast of Mercy holds first place.  The Lord Jesus made it known on 14 revelations concerning the desired feast.  Our Lord’s explicit desire is that this feast be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. 

In the main passage of Diary 699 regarding Mercy Sunday, Our Lord said:  “The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.” “On that day the very depths of My tender Mercy are open.  I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon these souls who approach the Fount of My mercy [the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist]. The soul that will go to Confession [beforehand] and receive Holy Communion [on that day] shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.”  Pope John Paul II declared on April 30, 2000 “It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church, will be called ‘Divine Mercy Sunday’”.