The Divine Mercy image is a depiction of Jesus based on the devotion initiated by Saint Faustina Kowalska.
Jesus is shown in most versions as raising his right hand in blessing, and pointing with his left hand on his chest from which flow forth two rays: one red and one white (translucent). The depictions often contains the message "Jesus, I trust in You!" (Polish: Jezu ufam Tobie). The rays streaming out have symbolic meaning: red for the blood of Jesus (which is the Life of Souls), and pale for the water (which justify souls) (from Diary - 299). The whole image is symbolic of charity, forgiveness and love of God, referred to as the "Fountain of Mercy". According to the diary of St Faustina, the image is based on her 1931 vision of Jesus.
A number of artistic renditions of the image have appeared since Faustina directed the painting of the first image in Poland. These are widely venerated by Catholics worldwide, and are used in the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday.
Famous quotes containing the words divine, mercy and/or image:
“He is blessed who is assured that the animal is dying out in him day by day, and the divine being established.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Let us eat and drink neither forgetting death unduly nor remembering it. The Lord hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, etc., and the less we think about it the better.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)
“The image cannot be dispossessed of a primordial freshness, which idea can never claim. An idea is derivative and tamed. The image is in the natural or wild state, and it has to be discovered there, not put there, obeying its own law and none of ours. We think we can lay hold of image and take it captive, but the docile captive is not the real image but only the idea, which is the image with its character beaten out of it.”
—John Crowe Ransom (1888–1974)