Płock [Poland] “February 22, 1931: 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 His garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating two bright rays, one red, and 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 inscription: Jesus, I trust in You. (...) I promise that the soul that venerates this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies here on Earth, especially at the hour of death... (Diary, 47-53).
The task set by the Lord Jesus for Sr. Faustina was beyond her human capabilities since she lacked even basic artistic skills. She tried to obey God’s will by seeking help from one of her co-sisters to paint the image. But that did not work.
On the one hand, she was being urged by the Lord Jesus to complete the work and, on the other hand, she faced disbelief of confessors and supervisors. This resulted in great personal suffering for Sr. Faustina. During her stay in Płock (over 2 years), and then in Warsaw, Sr. Faustina kept thinking about the outstanding request from the Lord Jesus, the more so because He was showing her the importance of this task in God’s plans.
“Suddenly, I saw the Lord who said to me: Know, that if you neglect the matter of painting the image and the whole work of Divine Mercy, you will have to answer for a multitude of souls on the day of judgment” (Diary, 154).
After taking her perpetual vows, Sr. Faustina was moved to the convent in Vilnius (May 25, 1933). Here, she met the help she was promised – her confessor and spiritual director, Fr. Michael Sopoćko, who undertook the attempt to complete the request of the Lord Jesus.
Father Sopoćko partly introduced the mission of Sr. Faustina to the painter and swore him to secrecy. When painting the image of Merciful Jesus this esteemed and well-educated painter (Eugeniusz Kazimirowski) gave up his own artistic vision in order to paint diligently what he was told to by Sr. Faustina. She came to the painter’s studio (accompanied by Sr. Borgia) at least once a week for six months to point out the additions and necessary corrections. Fr. Sopoćko was actively involved in painting of the image, trying to ensure that the figure of the Lord Jesus was accurately reproduced according to the instructions of Sr. Faustina.
Their time spent together on the painting became an opportunity for a more insightful understanding of the essence of the image. Any disputes were resolved by the Lord Jesus Himself (Diary 299; 326; 327; 344). The conversation between Sr. Faustina and the Lord Jesus about the painted image was very meaningful.
“When I visited the artist who was painting the image and saw that it was not as beautiful as Jesus is, I felt very sad, but I hid this deep in my heart. (…) Mother Superior 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: neither in the beauty of the colour, nor in the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace” (Diary, 313).
From this conversation emanates the honesty of the person gifted with a supernatural grace, who saw – in her mystical experiences – the real beauty of the resurrected Saviour.
The Lord Jesus appeared often to Sr. Faustina in such a form as pre-sented in the image (Diary 473; 500; 560; 1047; 1565), and He also made numerous requests for this painting, which He sanctified with His living presence, to be made available for public veneration.
Thanks to the efforts of Fr. Sopoćko, on April 26-28, 1935, at the “Gate of Dawn” in Vilnius, the image of the Merciful Saviour was venerated publicly for the first time during the festive ceremony ending the Jubilee of the 1900 th anniversary of the Redemption of the World. On the final day of the celebrations – it was the first Sunday after Easter – the service was attended by Sr. Faustina. The homily on the Divine Mercy was delivered by Fr. Sopoćko, just as requested by the Lord Jesus.
“For three days it was exposed and received public veneration. Since it was placed at the very top of a window at the “Gate of Dawn”, it could be seen from a great distance. During these three days, the closing of the Jubilee of the Redemption of the World was being celebrated at the “Gate of Dawn”, marking the nineteen hundred years that have passed since the Passion of our Saviour. I see now that the work of Redemption is boundup with the work of mercy requested by Our Lord” (Diary, 89).
“When the image was displayed, I saw a sudden movement of the hand of Jesus, as He made a large sign of the cross. In the evening of the same day, (...) I saw the image going over the town, and the town was covered with what appeared to be a mesh and nets. As Jesus passed, He cut through all the nets...” (Diary, 416).
“When I visited the artist who was painting the image and saw that it was not as beautiful as Jesus is, I felt very sad, but I hid this deep in my heart. (…) Mother Superior 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: neither in the beauty of the colour, nor in the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace” (Diary, 313).
From this conversation emanates the honesty of the person gifted with a supernatural grace, who saw – in her mystical experiences – the real beauty of the resurrected Saviour.
The Lord Jesus appeared often to Sr. Faustina in such a form as pre-sented in the image (Diary 473; 500; 560; 1047; 1565), and He also made numerous requests for this painting, which He sanctified with His living presence, to be made available for public veneration.
Thanks to the efforts of Fr. Sopoćko, on April 26-28, 1935, at the “Gate of Dawn” in Vilnius, the image of the Merciful Saviour was venerated publicly for the first time during the festive ceremony ending the Jubilee of the 1900 th anniversary of the Redemption of the World. On the final day of the celebrations – it was the first Sunday after Easter – the service was attended by Sr. Faustina. The homily on the Divine Mercy was delivered by Fr. Sopoćko, just as requested by the Lord Jesus.
“For three days it was exposed and received public veneration. Since it was placed at the very top of a window at the “Gate of Dawn”, it could be seen from a great distance. During these three days, the closing of the Jubilee of the Redemption of the World was being celebrated at the “Gate of Dawn”, marking the nineteen hundred years that have passed since the Passion of our Saviour. I see now that the work of Redemption is boundup with the work of mercy requested by Our Lord” (Diary, 89).
“When the image was displayed, I saw a sudden movement of the hand of Jesus, as He made a large sign of the cross. In the evening of the same day, (...) I saw the image going over the town, and the town was covered with what appeared to be a mesh and nets. As Jesus passed, He cut through all the nets...” (Diary, 416).
“Toward the end of the service, when the priest took the Blessed Sacrament to bless the people, I saw Our Lord Jesus as He is represented in the image. Our Lord gave His blessing, and the rays extended over the whole world. Suddenly, I saw an impenetrable brightness in the form of a crystal dwelling place, woven together from waves of brilliance unapproachable to both creatures and spirits. Three doors led to this resplendence. At that moment, Jesus, as He is represented in the image, entered this resplendence through the second door to the Unity within” (Diary, 420).
On April 4, 1937, after being positively reviewed by experts, with the permission of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Vilnius, Romuald Jałbrzykowski, the image of the Merciful Saviour was blessed and placed in Saint Michael’s Church in Vilnius. In that church, beautifully exposed in an impressive gilded frame next to the high altar, it was venerated and given numerous votive offerings. It emanated holiness, and the devotion to Divine Mercy quickly spread beyond the borders of Vilnius. Miraculously, irrespective of physical limitations, it reached millions of people all over the world.
In her later correspondence, Sr. Faustina wrote to Fr. Sopoćko:
“God let me know that He is pleased with what has already been done. Immersed in prayer and God’s intimacy, I have experienced great peace in my soul about this work as a whole. (…) And now, with regard to these pictures (small copies), (...) people are buying them a little so far and many souls have experienced God’s grace through this source. As with everything, this will take time. These pictures are not as beautiful as the big painting. They are bought by those who are attracted by the grace of God...” (Cracow, February 21, 1938).
As a result of World War II and the annexation of Lithuania by the USSR, the image of Merciful Jesus became inaccessible to pilgrims for several decades. Despite numerous dangers it was hidden in the attic, many times rolled-up, stored in unfavourable conditions (dampness and freezing), terribly restored. Thanks to Divine Providence, the painting miraculously survived the era of Communism.
During his pilgrimage to Lithuania, on September 5, 1993, Pope John Paul II prayed before the image of Merciful Jesus at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius. In his homily to the faithful he called this image “A HOLY IMAGE”.
In In the history of the apparitions, only one event is known when the Lord Jesus expressed his will to paint his picture. He himself presented and accepted his artistic image – as evidenced by his vivid presence, repeatedly shown to Sr. Faustina in a painted picture. Moreover, by promising the worshipers of this image special favors, he gave it an extraordinary religious value.