The Divine Mercy is a form of God's compassion, an act of grace based on trust or forgiveness. In Catholicism, it refers specifically to a

devotion Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Faith, confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Cat ...

which had its origin in the apparitions of Jesus Christ reported by

Faustina Kowalska Maria Faustyna Kowalska, OLM (born Helena Kowalska; 25 August 1905 – 5 October 1938), also known as ''Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament'', Faustyna popularly spelled "Faustina", was a Polish Catholic religious sister ...

Etymology

The term and concept of divine mercy is from the Hebrew word ''

chesed ( he, חֶסֶד, also Romanized: ) is a Hebrew word that means 'kindness or love between people', specifically of the devotional piety of people towards God as well as of love or mercy of God towards humanity. It is frequently used in Psalms i ...

'' ( he, חֶסֶד), which in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

can be translated as "great mercy", "goodness", "loving-kindness", "steadfast love", "

covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...

faithfulness Faithfulness is the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It may be exhibited by a husband or wife who does not engage in sexua ...

", "favor", "

grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...

" or "love and mercy", and which refers to God's love for the Children of Israel and for all of humankind.

Belief

Old Testament

The Hebrew word ''rah'amim'' ( he, רחמים) denotes an act of grace based on trust, in a mutual relationship between two people who have obligations to fulfill resulting from their commitments.

New Testament

In the Sermon on the Mount,

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

said of the merciful that they will receive mercy from God and gave examples in the

parable of the Good Samaritan The parable of the Good Samaritan is told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. It is about a traveler (implicitly understood to be Jewish) who is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left half dead alongside the road. First, a Jewish priest and then ...

and the

parable of the Unforgiving Servant The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (also known as ''Ungrateful Servant'', ''Unmerciful Servant'', or ''Wicked Servant'' but not to be confused with the parable of the Two Debtors) is a parable of Jesus which appears in the Gospel of Matthew. ...

Catholicism

Devotion

In Catholicism, Divine Mercy is a

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

associated with the reported apparitions of Jesus to

. The venerated image under this Christological title refers to what Kowalska's diary describes as "God's loving mercy" towards all people, especially for

sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

ners. Kowalska was granted the title "Secretary of Mercy" by the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

in the Jubilee Year of 2000. In February 1931, in

Płock Płock (pronounced ) is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by GUS on 31 December 2021, there were 116,962 inhabitants in the city. Its full ceremonial name, according to th ...

, Kowalska had a vision of Jesus who tasked her with spreading the devotion to His Divine Mercy. Kowalska reported a number of apparitions during

religious ecstasy Religious ecstasy is a type of altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness, frequently accompanied by visions and emotional (and sometimes physical) euph ...

which she described in her 1934–1938 diary, later published as the book '' Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul''. The two main themes of the devotion are to trust in Christ's endless goodness, and to show mercy to others acting as a conduit for God's love towards them.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, a native of Poland, had great affinity towards this devotion and authorized it in the

Liturgical Calendar The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and whi ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The liturgical Feast of the Divine Mercy is celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Worshippers of the Divine Mercy commemorate the Hour of Mercy (3 p.m.), which according to Kowalska's diary is the time of the

death of Jesus The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consider ...

. (See Mark 15:34–37 RSV "At three o’clock �ῇ ἐνάτῃ ὥρᾳ, lit. "the ninth hour"Jesus cried out with a loud voice ... 37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.") Another very popular form of the devotion is the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. The primary focus of the Divine Mercy devotion is the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one's own heart towards those in need of it.Ann Ball, 2003 ''Encyclopedia of Catholic Devotions and Practices'' page 175 As he dedicated the Shrine of the Divine Mercy, Pope John Paul II referred to this when he said: "Apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for humankind". There are seven main forms of this devotion: #The Divine Mercy image with the specific inscription ''Jesus, I trust in You''; #The commemoration of the Feast of the Divine Mercy Sunday #The recitation of the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy #The recitation of the Divine Mercy novena #The designation of the Hour of Mercy at 3:00 a.m. or p.m. #Spreading mercy by word, deed, or prayer #The spreading of

works of mercy Works of mercy (sometimes known as acts of mercy) are practices considered meritorious in Christian ethics. The practice is popular in the Catholic Church as an act of both penance and charity. In addition, the Methodist church teaches that the ...

to the whole humanity, in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ to Earth As in the prayers that form the

Chaplet of Divine Mercy The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, also called the Divine Mercy Chaplet, is a Christian devotion to the Divine Mercy, based on the Christological apparitions of Jesus reported by Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938), known as "the Apostle of Mercy." ...

, there are three main themes to the Divine Mercy devotion: to ask for and obtain the mercy of God, to trust in Christ's abundant mercy, and finally to show mercy to others and act as a conduit for God's mercy towards them.EWTN on the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
/ref> The first and second elements relate to the signature "Jesus I trust in You" on the

Divine Mercy image The Image of the Divine Mercy is a depiction of Jesus Christ that is based on the devotion initiated by Faustina Kowalska. According to Kowalska's diary, Jesus told her "I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not peris ...

and Kowalska stated that on 28 April 1935, the day the first

Divine Mercy Sunday Divine Mercy Sunday (also known as the Feast of the Divine Mercy) is celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, which concludes the Octave of Easter. The feast day is observed in the Roman Rite calendar, as well as some Anglo-Catholics of ...

was celebrated, Jesus told her: "Every soul believing and trusting in My Mercy will obtain it." The third component is reflected in the statement "Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners" attributed to Jesus in Kowalska's diary (Notebook I, items 186–187). This statement is followed in the diary by a specific short prayer: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You." which Kowalska also recommended for the Hour of Divine Mercy.''A Divine Mercy Resource'' by Richard Torretto 2010 pages 137–140 In her diary (Notebook II, item 742) Kowalska wrote that Jesus told her: "I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me." and that he explained that there are three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. The Divine Mercy devotion views mercy as the key element in the plan of God for salvation and emphasizes the belief that it was through mercy that God gave his only son for the redemption of humankind, after the fall of Adam.''A Divine Mercy Resource'' by Richard Torretto 2010 pages 58–59 The opening prayer for Divine Mercy Sunday Mass refers to this and begins: "Heavenly Father and God of Mercy, We no longer look for Jesus among the dead, for He is alive and has become the Lord of Life". In 1959, the Vatican banned the image and devotion to it because of a number of factors. Some Polish bishops questioned Kowalska's claims and were uncomfortable with the image's similarity to the red-and-white Polish flag. Polish priests were reported to be interpreting the rays as a symbol of the flag. The ban on devotion was lifted on 15 April 1978, due to pressure from future Polish pope

Karol Wojtyła Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, who had great interest in Kowalska. In 1987, American filmmaker Hermann D. Tauchert co-wrote, produced, and directed the film '' Divine Mercy: No Escape'', which depicted the life of Kowalska.

Image

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.

The chaplet is associated with the paintings of the image as in Kowalska's diary. The most widely used is an image painted by Adolf Hyla. Hyla painted the image in thanksgiving for having survived

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In the image, Jesus stands with one hand outstretched in blessing, the other clutching the side wounded by the spear, from which proceed beams of falling light, coloured red and white. An explanation of these colors was given by Kowalska, which she attributed to Jesus in her diary: "The two rays represent blood and water". These colors of the rays refer to the "blood and water'" of the

Gospel of John The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...

() which are also mentioned in the optional prayer of the Chaplet. The words "Jesus I Trust in Thee" usually accompany the image (''Jezu Ufam Tobie'' in Polish). The original Divine Mercy image was painted by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

in 1934 under Kowalska's direction. However, according to her diary, she cried upon seeing that the finished picture was not as beautiful as the vision she had received, but Jesus comforted her saying, "Not in the beauty of the colour, nor of the brush is the greatness of this image, but in My grace". The picture was widely used during the early years of the devotion, and is still in circulation within the movement, but the Hyla image remains one of the most reproduced renderings.''Butler's lives of the saints: the third millennium'' by Paul Burns, Alban Butler 2001 page 252 After the Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday was granted to the Universal Church by Pope John Paul II on 30 April 2000 new versions of the image have emerged from a new generation of Catholic artists.

Daily devotions

In her diary Kowalska wrote that Jesus specified 3:00 p.m. each day as the hour at which mercy was best received, and asked her to pray the Chaplet of Mercy and venerate the Divine Mercy image at that hour.Catherine M. Odell, 1998, ''Faustina: Apostle of Divine Mercy'' OSV Press page 137''15 Days of Prayer with Saint Faustina Kowalska'' by John J. Cleary 2010 page 75 On 10 October 1937, in her diary (Notebook V, item 1320) Kowalska attributed the following statement to Jesus: The time of 3:00 p.m. corresponds to the hour at which Jesus died on the cross. This hour is called the "hour of Divine Mercy" or the "hour of great mercy".

Feast day

The feast of Divine Mercy Sunday was instituted by

and is celebrated the Sunday after Easter on the

General Roman Calendar The General Roman Calendar is the liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgical rite is in use. These cele ...

, and is associated with specific

indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of ...

s.''Saints of the Jubilee'' by Tim Drake 2002 pages 85–95''A Divine Mercy Resource'' by Richard Torretto 2010 pages 187–190''Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary on Divine Mercy Indulgences'', 29 June 2002, at the Vatican web site
In an entry in her diary, Kowalska stated that anyone who participates in the

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

and receives the sacraments of

Confession A confession is a statement – made by a person or by a group of persons – acknowledging some personal fact that the person (or the group) would ostensibly prefer to keep hidden. The term presumes that the speaker is providing information th ...

and the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

on this day is assured by Jesus of full remission of their sins and punishments.EWTN on the Divine Mercy Novena
/ref>

Churches and shrines

A number of Marian churches and shrines have been dedicated to Divine Mercy. One of the most important is the

Gate of Dawn The Gate of Dawn ( lt, Aušros vartai), or Sharp Gate ( pl, Ostra Brama, la, Porta Acialis, be, Вострая Брама, lt, Ašmens vartai, russian: Острая брама) is a city gate in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and one of ...

in Vilnius, when also the Divine Mercy image was exhibited for the first time. The original picture of Divine Mercy is in Vilnius. The worldwide center of the devotion is Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Kraków), commonly known as Łagiewniki. This is where Kowalska is interred, and it houses the most popular version of the Divine Mercy image (by Adolf Hyła). The Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Vilnius) houses Eugeniusz Kazimirowski's initial rendition. The Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Płock) is where Kowalska is said to have had the first vision of the Divine Mercy image. The Divine Mercy Sanctuary (Białystok) has the remains of

Michał Sopoćko Michael Sopoćko ( pl, Michał Sopoćko ; 1 November 1888 – 15 February 1975) was a Polish Roman Catholic priest and professor at Vilnius University. He is best known as the spiritual director of Faustina Kowalska. He was beatified by Pope Bene ...

, the spiritual director of Kowalska and the ''Apostle of Divine Mercy''. Głogowiec, Łęczyca County as well as nearby Świnice Warckie (central Poland) are the places of birth and childhood as well as

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

and first communion of Kowalska. The church of Santo Spirito in Sassia is the main center of the Divine Mercy in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is managed by the

Marian Fathers The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary ( la, Congregatio Clericorum Marianorum ab Immaculata Conceptionis Beatissimae Virginis Mariae) is a Catholic male clerical religious congregation fou ...

.National Shrine of The Divine Mercy.
Retrieved on 30 March 2016. The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in

Marilao, Bulacan Marilao, officially the Municipality of Marilao ( tgl, Bayan ng Marilao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 254,453 people. With the continuous expansion ...

, is the major church dedicated to Divine Mercy in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The Divine Mercy Shrine in El Salvador City, Philippines, has a 50-foot (15-meter) statue of Merciful Jesus. The Archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy was located in

Mandaluyong Mandaluyong, officially the City of Mandaluyong ( fil, Lungsod ng Mandaluyong), is a first class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 425,758 people. Loca ...

, Philippines, while the Divine Mercy Chapel was located in

Las Piñas Las Piñas, officially the City of Las Piñas ( fil, Lungsod ng Las Piñas), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 606,293 people. Las Piñas ...

, Philippines. File:Sanktuarium Bożego Miłosierdzia (3).jpg, The main sanctuary of Divine Mercy is Kraków-Łagiewniki. File:Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Vilnius4.JP
The Shrine of Divine Mercy, Vilnius
with original picture of Divine Mercy

Orders and institutions

A number of Christian orders and institutions are devoted to the Divine Mercy. The John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy is managed by the Congregation of Marian Fathers, which takes an active role in promoting the Divine Mercy message. The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, to which Kowalska belonged, and the Congregation of Sisters of Merciful Jesus, established by

on the request of Christ reported by Kowalska, also have a very important role in spreading the devotion. Two new religious communities – the Sisters of Jesus’ Merciful Passion and the Littlest Sons of the Sweetest Heart of Mary – are being raised up in

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

through the Servants of Jesus of The Divine Mercy, a lay association of the faithful led by Archbishop Allen Vigneron. The World Apostolic Congress on Mercy takes place every third year in various cities of the world. Continental congresses on Mercy also take place.

References

External links

*Polish Divine Mercy Shrines
The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy
(multilingual)
The Chapel of Saint Faustina on-line transmissions
(multilingual)
Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy
(multilingual) *Devotional organizations
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska – TheDivineMercy.org

Faustinum Association of Apostles of the Divine Mercy

Website about Saint Faustina and The Divine Mercy

Multilingual website of the Sisters of Merciful Jesus

Excerpts from the Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska
{{Roman catholic approved apparitions Catholic adoration of Jesus Catholic devotions Christian terminology