Seeking Divine Mercy

Original Vilnius Image

In 1931, Our Lord appeared to Sister Mary Faustina in one of a several visions. She had been asked to become the apostle and secretary of God's mercy. She saw Jesus dressed in a white garment with His right hand raised as in the motion of a blessing. His left hand was touching His chest over His heart, from where two streaming rays of light, one red and the other pale radiated forth. She stared in reverent silence at our Lord as He 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 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"

…"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"

When Sister Faustina first saw the original image that had been painted under her direction, she wept in disillusionment and complained to Jesus: "Who will paint You as beautiful as You are?"

Many different versions of this image have been painted, but Our Lord made it clear that the painting itself is not what is of importance.

In answer our Lord proclaimed:

"Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace. My gaze from this image is as my gaze from the cross."

On September 13, 1935 Sister Mary Faustina, (Later to be canonized Saint Faustina) of The Sisters Of Our Lady Of Charity received one of several revelations that would go hand in hand with the image known as the “Divine Mercy”. The revelation came in the form of a prayer that Our Lord Jesus instructed her in as follows:

(Divine Mercy Chaplet)

(With the rosary)…

“First, you will say one Our Father and Hail Mary and the prayer “I believe in God”. Then on the Our Father beads you will say the following words:

"Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, for our sins and those of the whole world. On the Hail Mary beads you will say the following words: "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world." In conclusion, three times you will recite these words:

"Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

By the direction of our Lord Jesus, Sister Faustina was instructed,

“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). When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior (1541). Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this Chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy (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)

Pray The Divine Mercy Chaplet