©2003 Archdiocese of Vilnius
Many people may or may not be familiar with the Image of the Divine Mercy and the story behind it. The Image of the Divine Mercy was painted by Eugene Kazimirowski in 1934 under the direction of Saint Faustina based on visions she had in her spiritual pilgrimage. A restoration project was completely in June of 2003 to restore the image from the damage it received from improper storage.
In relation to the Shroud of Turin, there is an interesting correlation. While the Divine Mercy image was painted independently from looking at the Shroud, when it is superimposed over an image of the Shroud of Turin, both images line up exactly. This eerie "coincidence" has led many to believe that the correlation and identical characters of both of the images are related more by miraculous means than by simply chance.
To understand clearly how this Divine Mercy Image came about, please read the following excerpts from Saint Faustina's diary:
History of the Image of Divine Mercy, taken from Faustina's spiritual diary.
Provided by www.mercyimages.com
"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." (47)
"Once, when I was visiting the artist [Eugene Kazimirowski] who was painting the image, and saw that it was not as beautiful as Jesus is, I felt very sad about it, but I 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." (313)
"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)
For more information on the Image of the Divine Mercy, as well as copies of the image, please take a look at www.mercyimages.com.
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