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 depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross... Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (Diary,299)... By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works (Diary, 742).

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

When Saint Faustina first saw the original image that was being painted under her direction, she wept in disappointment and complained to Jesus:

"Who will paint You as beautiful as You are?"(Diary, 313)

In answer she heard these words:

Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace (Diary, 313).

So, no matter which version of the image we prefer, we can be assured that it is a vehicle of God's grace if it revered with trust in His mercy.

Source: The Divine Mercy Message and Devotion. Marian of the Immaculate Conception.

The Image of the Divine Mercy originated from a vision that St. Faustina had on February 22, 1931. She saw Our Lord clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised his blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of His Heart. From the heart came forth two large rays, one red and the other pale. He expressed His desire to have an image painted according to the same pattern and said that it should be signed: "Jesus, I trust in You!"

Jesus explained the rays streaming from his heart:

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 (Diary, 299). In other words, these two rays signify the Sacraments of Mercy: Baptism and Penance, and the Eucharist. The blood (red rays) depicts the Eucharist as the "life Source" of the soul (Jn 6:53). The water (pale rays) symbolizes the sacraments of Baptism and Penance (reconciliation), because the soul is cleansed of sin (1Cor6:11).

These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father, said Jesus. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (Diary,299).

Jesus attached many promises to those who venerate the image. As Catholics, we "venerate"images, such as the image of Jesus, THe Divine Mercy, which simply means we regard with great respect and reverence the person portrayed in the image, an action which is not contrary to the First Commandment.

Jesus told St. Faustina, 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 (Diary, 327). By means of this image I shall be granting many graces to souls: so let every soul have access to it (Diary, 570). Jesus also said, 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 (Diary, 48). Let us look at the image of the Merciful Savior and reflect on His great mercy, and contrast it with our great misery. We encourage each of you to have a blessed Image of Divine Mercy in your home in a place of honor and distinction. These are available through EADM Canada Inc.