October 25, 2026 Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time National Shrine of The Divine Mercy A Ministry of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary National Shrine of The Divine Mercy PO Box 951 2 Prospect Hill Road Stockbridge, MA 01262 (GPS: 11 Pine Street, Stockbridge, MA) Fr. David Gunter, MIC: Rector Fr. Robert Vennetti, MIC: Vice Rector Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC: Vice Rector Shrine Reception: 413-298-3931 Bus Pilgrimages: 413-298-1119 Gift Shop: 888-484-1112 National Shrine: www.shrineofdivinemercy.org Divine Mercy: www.thedivinemercy.org Marians: www.marian.org Livestream from the National Shrine Daily Devotions Daily Mass 9:00 am Chaplet of Divine Mercy 3:00 pm Rosary for Life 5:00 pm Divine Mercy (Official) Divine Mercy Videos posted on our website daily: shrineofdivinemercy.org Dear Pilgrims, We welcome you to the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. Please join us for any upcoming events at the Shrine along with doing a personal pilgrimage during this year. Feel free to visit our Gift Shop and stroll our beautiful grounds during your visit here. May God bless you. Sincerely in Jesus and Mary Immaculate, Fr. David Gunter, MIC Shrine Rector Monday- Saturday 8:00am, 9:00am & 2:00pm Sunday 9:00am, 10:30am & 2:00pm Please note: 2pm Mass on Saturday does NOT fulfill Sunday obligation Confessions Available Monday thru Friday 1:00pm - 2:00pm Saturdays and Sundays 1:00pm – 2:00pm 3:30pm – 4:15pm Daily Schedule
Upcoming Events p For more information please visit the Shrine Calendar found on our website: https: www.shrineofdivinemercy.org October 10/28 Feast Day of Sts Simon and Jude • To learn more about St. Jude: https://thedivinemercy.org/articles/saints-simonand-jude-value-piety-humility-and-obedience 10/29 Healing Mass at 8pm • Celebrant: Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC • See flyer on page 11 or more information 10/30 Outdoor Stations of The Cross at 11am • Last for the Season • See flyer on page 10 for more information 10/31 Marian Teaching at 11am with Fr. Daniel Klimek • Topic TBD November 11/1 Solemnity of All Saints 11/2 Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls) 11/6 First Friday Devotions at 8pm • See flyer on page 12 for more information 11/7 First Saturday Devotions at 11am • In-Person Talk with Fr. Chris Alar, MIC • Topic: TBD
A MESSAGE FROM ARCHBISHOP HENNING, BISHOP MCMANUS, BISHOP DA CUNHA, AND BISHOP BYRNE FOR THE CLERGY, RELIGIOUS, AND LAY FAITHFUL OF MASSACHUSETTS In June during his Apostolic Visit to Spain, our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV delivered an appeal to defend human dignity and protect life from conception to its natural end. “Every legislative task,” he said, “ultimately confronts a decisive question: what conception of the human person inspires laws, and what kind of society do those laws build?” Just two months after the Holy Father’s address, Massachusetts passed one of the most expansive and permissive abortion laws in the nation, telling us what kind of society they desire for Massachusetts: one which leaves its most vulnerable citizens—children in the womb and their pregnant mothers—at perilous risk. This law is a tragedy, and the Catholic legislators who helped to enact it have caused grave scandal. The Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act permits abortion throughout pregnancy for any reason, and it allows these grisly procedures—dangerous to mothers and cruel to their unborn children—to be performed in non-hospital settings. Laws function as teachers. This new law falsely teaches that human beings who are ill or inconvenient are not worthy of life; that motherhood can be incompatible with women’s freedom, well-being, and flourishing; and that no viable alternatives to abortion exist in the face of difficult diagnoses. Alternatives do exist. A 2023 peer-reviewed article published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science found that 60% of women considering an abortion would choose life if they had more material and emotional support. We want to help women and families to choose life! We invite every expectant mother in distress to ask us for help. We ask that elected officials and healthcare providers—especially those whose consciences are rightly troubled by the new law—work to ensure that life-sustaining care for vulnerable children in utero and that mothers and fathers who feel alone and overwhelmed have all they need to welcome and raise their children with confidence. The Lord Jesus Christ saw the forgotten and reached out to the neglected. As Bishops, we call upon all to see the dignity of the poor, the unborn, the sick and the elderly. No one is expendable, no one is a burden. All have a sacred God-given dignity. The foundation of social justice is this inviolable dignity of the human person. The Prioritizing Patient Access to Care Act unjustly condemns to death our most vulnerable children and pits a mother against her own child.
In his Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo teaches: “Human dignity does not depend on a person’s abilities, wealth or position in life, nor on the right or wrong choices made; instead, it is a gift that precedes and transcends each person, endowed by God as an expression of his unfailing love,” There is no stage of development or characteristic which would render a child unworthy of life—even if that life will be short or require palliative care. May Our Lord Jesus Christ protect us all from harm, may He inspire us with self-giving love, and may He guide our civil leaders to enact laws which protect and promote the dignity of every person from conception to natural death. WHAT CAN WE DO? Each year, Respect Life Month offers the opportunity to renew our reverence for life and take concrete actions to witness to the beauty and sanctity of this foundational gift of the Lord. Here are some of the concrete actions you might consider this year: We Pray. First and foremost, we pray. With the passage of this bill our leaders and our Commonwealth have failed in the duty to uphold the sacred dignity of every human life. In prayer, we seek the mercy of a loving God for our failures and for this sin against His Law of Love. We pray for our civil leaders that the Lord will give them wisdom and strength to do their duty to protect life and uphold the common good. We Witness. As disciples, we are also called to give witness. We urge you to contact your representatives and make known your desire for just laws which protect every person in this state. We speak up There is also an effort underway to pause and even possibly overturn this immoral law. We encourage you to take part in this effort and raise your own voice in opposition to the law and in favor of life. We walk with families Scripture commands us “Choose life that you may live” (Deut. 30:19) A culture of life requires families, parishes, and schools to live that reverence for life. We need families who form their sons and daughters in the summons to promote and defend life. We need ministries that accompany and support women and families in crisis. In our state with such a radical law, it is more important than ever for us to make clear our desire to welcome and nurture the gift of life. FOR A LISTING OF LOCAL RESPECT LIFE MATERIALS AND CONTACTS VISIT WWW.DIOSPRINGFIELD.ORG/RESPECT-LIFE-OFFICE
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome! The first think I would like to say is thank you!. Thank you for the support of your prayers. Thanks be to God for His generosity. Let us all renew our trust in God’s goodness and mercy. The pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes (GS) of the Second Vatican Council, having illustrated in the first part the dignity of the person and his or her vocation in the world, goes on to consider, in the second part, “in the light of the Gospel and of human experience”, some of the most pressing contemporary issues (cf. GS, 46). It focuses primarily on marriage and the family, in the conviction that “the well-being of the individual and of human and Christian society is intimately linked with the healthy condition of that community produced by marriage and family” (GS, 47). To this end, it does not merely reaffirm their values and aims, but proposes a renewed conception of marriage as an “intimate partnership of married life and love” (GS, 48). By incorporating the legal dimension of marriage as a contract, the foundation of this union is recognized in the “conjugal covenant”, understood as the “human act whereby spouses mutually bestow and accept each another” (ibid.). The mutual self-giving of man and woman, such that ‘they are no longer two but one flesh’ (Mt 19:6), underlies the requirement for “total fidelity” and the “unbreakable oneness” of the spouses, finding vivid expression in the procreation and upbringing of children (cf. GS, 48). As a reflection of the Divine Trinity, conjugal and parental love, through the Sacrament of Marriage, is “governed and enriched by Christ’s redeeming power”, so that spouses may love one another “just as He loved the Church and handed Himself over on her behalf” (ibid.). Having shed light on the reality of marriage in the light of Christ’s love, which is the truth of both human and divine love, Gaudium et Spes turns its attention to conjugal love and marital fruitfulness. Not limited to erotic attraction, which it nonetheless encompasses, conjugal love involves the entire will of the spouses, enlivening the affections of their hearts and expressing itself through sentiments and gestures of tenderness (cf. GS, 49). Embracing the good of the whole person of both man and woman, who are equal in dignity, this love pervades the entire life of the spouses, finding expression in acts proper exclusively to marriage (cf. ibid.). Whilst signifying integral love from person to person, the unique intimacy between the spouses fosters their mutual self-giving and enriches their shared joy (cf. ibid.). October 21, 2026 GENERAL AUDIENCE Pope Leo XIV PAPAL CORNER ● WISDOM OF POPE LEO XIV Catechesis. The Documents of the Second Vatican Council. IV. Constitution Gaudium et Spes. 6. Commitment to the family in today’s society (GS, 47–52)
Picture of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV from Welcome, Pope Leo XIV: https://marian.org/articles/welcome-pope-leo-xiv Excerpt from General Audience given by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on October 21, 2026 https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/audiences/2026/documents/20261021-udienza-generale.html Furthermore, the fruitfulness of conjugal love is expressed in the procreation of children, “the supreme gift of marriage” (GS, 50). By transmitting and educating human life, which must never be rejected, spouses become “cooperators with the love of God the Creator, and are, so to speak, the interpreters of that love” (ibid.). Called to this human and Christian responsibility, they are bound to allow themselves to be guided by a sound judgement regarding their own good and that of their children, whether already born or yet to be born. Such a judgement, which, in the final analysis, the spouses themselves must form before God, requires that their conscience conform to divine law, as interpreted by the Magisterium of the Church in the light of the Gospel (cf. ibid.). The emphasis on loving communion and procreative fruitfulness within marriage leads the Council to rule out the possibility of there being “a true contradiction … between the divine laws pertaining to the transmission of life, and those pertaining to authentic conjugal love” (GS, 51) and to affirm, instead, that “when there is question of harmonizing conjugal love with the responsible transmission of life”, one must “preserve the full sense of mutual self-giving and human procreation in the context of true love” (ibid.). From this it follows both that “from the moment of its conception life must be guarded with the greatest care”, renouncing “abortion and infanticide”; and that “the acts themselves which are proper to conjugal love and which are exercised in accord with genuine human dignity must be honoured with great reverence” (ibid.). The teaching of Gaudium et Spes on the conjugal and family community thus goes on to highlight the social function of the family, defined as “a school of deeper humanity” and “the foundation of society” (GS, 52), calling upon all those with social responsibilities, especially in the political and cultural spheres, to fulfil their duty to “work efficiently for the welfare of marriage and the family” (ibid.). Dear friends, this task is more urgent than ever before. The Church is well aware of this, as shown by the pastoral concern of the Popes who have succeeded one another since the last Council, right up to the two Synodal Assemblies convened by Pope Francis, which were addressed again in recent days by the Heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences. May the Holy Family of Nazareth enlighten us on our journey and protect families throughout the world. _____________________________ Summary of the Holy Father's words: Dear brothers and sisters, in our ongoing catechesis on Gaudium et Spes, today we consider the dignity of marriage and the family in the context of contemporary challenges. The Council Fathers recognized that the well-being of all in society is closely linked to the health of marriage and the family, and sought to present a renewed vision of conjugal love as an intimate partnership which reflects the life of the Trinity and is rooted in and enriched by the redemptive power of Christ. Let us, therefore, pray for God’s blessing and
Get to know the Diary of… Saint Faustina Kowalska “The soul’s true greatness is in loving God.” When I was left alone with the Blessed Virgin, She instructed me concerning the interior life. She said, The soul’s true greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in His presence, completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing, — because the Lord is great, but He is well-pleased only with the humble, He always opposes the proud. O Christ, I am most delighted when I see that You are loved, and that Your praise and glory resound, especially the praise of Your mercy. O Christ, to the last moment of my life, I will not stop glorifying Your goodness and mercy. With every drop of my blood, with every beat of my heart, I glorify Your mercy. I long to be entirely transformed into a hymn of Your glory. When I find myself on my deathbed, may the last beat of my heart be a loving hymn in praise of Your unfathomable mercy. + Jesus came to the main entrance today, under the guise of a poor young man. This young man, emaciated, barefoot and bareheaded, and with his clothes in tatters, was frozen because the day was cold and rainy. He asked for something hot to eat. So I went to the kitchen, but found nothing there for the poor. But, after searching around for some time, I succeeded in finding some soup, which I reheated and into which I crumbled some bread, and I gave it to the poor young man, who ate it. As I was taking the bowl from him, he gave me to know that He was the Lord of heaven and earth. When I saw Him as He was, He vanished from my sight. When I went back in and reflected on what had happened at the gate, I heard these words in my soul: My daughter, the blessings of the poor who bless Me as they leave this gate have reached My ears. And your compassion, within the bounds of obedience, has pleased Me, and this is why I came down from My throne — to taste the fruits of your mercy. I know well, O Lord, that You have no need of our works; You demand love. Love, love and once again, love of God — there is nothing greater in heaven or on earth. The greatest greatness is to love God; true greatness is in loving God; real wisdom is to love God. All that is great and beautiful is in God; there is no beauty or greatness outside of Him. O you sages of the world and you great minds, recognize that true greatness is in loving God! Oh, how astonished I am that some people deceive themselves, saying: There is no eternity! In the evening, I just about got into bed, and I fell asleep immediately. Though I fell asleep quickly, I was awakened even more quickly. A little child came and woke me up. The child seemed about a year old, and I was surprised it could speak so well, as children of that age either do not speak or speak very indistinctly. The child was beautiful beyond words and resembled the Child Jesus, and he said to me, Look at the sky. And when I looked at the sky I saw the stars and the moon shining.
Then the child asked me, Do you see this moon and these stars? When I said yes, he spoke these words to me, These stars are the souls of faithful Christians, and the moon is the souls of religious. Do you see how great the difference is between the light of the moon and the light of the stars? Such is the difference in heaven between the soul of a religious and the soul of a faithful Christian. And he went on to say that, True greatness is in loving God and in humility. Then I saw a soul which was being separated from its body amid great torment. O Jesus, as I am about to write this, I tremble at the sight of the horrible things that bear witness against him.... I saw the souls of little children and those of older ones, about nine years of age, emerging from some kind of a muddy abyss. The souls were foul and disgusting, resembling the most terrible monsters and decaying corpses. But the corpses were living and gave loud testimony against the dying soul. And the soul I saw dying was a soul full of the world’s applause and honors, the end of which are emptiness and sin. Finally a woman came out who was holding something like tears in her apron, and she witnessed very strongly against him. O terrible hour, at which one is obliged to see all one’s deeds in their nakedness and misery; not one of them is lost, they will all accompany us to God’s judgment. I can find no words or comparisons to express such terrible things. And although it seems to me that this soul is not damned, nevertheless its torments are in no way different from the torments of hell; there is only this difference: that they will someday come to an end. A moment later, I again saw the child who had awakened me. It was of wondrous beauty and repeated these words to me, True greatness of the soul is in loving God and in humility. I asked the child, “How do you know that true greatness of the soul is in loving God and in humility? Only theologians know about such things and you haven’t even learned the catechism. So how do you know?” To this he answered, I know; I know all things. And with that, He disappeared. On the eve of the retreat, I started to pray that the Lord Jesus might give me just a little health so that I could take part in the retreat, because I was feeling so ill that I thought perhaps it might be my last. However, as soon as I had started praying I felt a strange dissatisfaction. I interrupted the prayer of supplication and began to thank the Lord for everything He sends me, submitting myself completely to His holy will. Then I felt profound peace of soul. + Faithful submission to the will of God, always and everywhere, in all events and circumstances of life, gives great glory to God. Such submission to the will of God carries more weight with Him than long fasts, mortifications and the most severe penances. Oh, how great is the reward for one act of loving submission to the will of God! As I write, my soul is enraptured at the thought of how much God loves it and of the peace that my soul already enjoys, here on earth. +In the midst of trials I will try to see the loving hand of God. Nothing is as constant as suffering — it always faithfully keeps the soul company. O Jesus, I will let no one surpass me in loving You! Once, I suddenly saw Jesus in great majesty, and He spoke these words to me: My daughter, if you wish, I will this instant create a new world, more beautiful than this one, and you will live there for the rest of your life. I answered, “I don’t want any worlds. I want You, Jesus. I want to love You, with the same love that You have for me. I beg You for only one thing: to make my heart capable of loving you. I am very much surprised at Your offer, my Jesus; what are those worlds to me? Even if You gave me a thousand of them, what are they to me? You know very well, Jesus, that my heart is dying of longing for You. Everything that is not You is nothing to me.” — At that moment, I could no longer see anything, but a strange force took over my soul, a strange fire sprang up in my heart, and I entered into a kind of agony for Him. Then I heard these words: With no other soul do I unite myself as closely and in such a way as I do with you, and this because of the deep humility and ardent love which you have for Me. Diary 1711, 1708, 1312, 990, excerpt 424; 425-427, 724, 227 587
LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Mother of Life The Response is: Mary, pray for us. Mary, Mother of Life, Help us to respect human life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death R. Mary , Mother of Compassion, You showed us how valuable a single life can be; Help us to guard and protect the lives of all people entrusted to our care. R. Mary, Mother of the Child Jesus, with St. Joseph you formed the Holy Family. Guard and protect all families in this earthly life. R. Mary, Mother Most Holy, you sanctified the vocation of motherhood; pour out your heavenly aid on all mothers and help them to be holy. R. Mary, Mother of Sorrows, Simeon’s prophecy foretold that a sword o f suffering would pierce your heart; bring comfort and hope to all mothers who suffer over their children. R. Mary, Full of Grace, you had a choice in responding to God’s call; help us always to say “Yes” to the Will of God in our lives, and strive always to do whatever he tells us. R. Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted, gather within your motherly mantle all who are in need of God’s healing, especially those who have been involved in abortion; help them to experience the love and mercy of Christ, your Son. R. Mary, Intercessor and Advocate, we lift up the poor, the displaced, the marginalized and vulnerable members of society; help them to never abandon hope, but to place their trust in the God who gave them life. R. Mary, Mother of The Word Incarnate, you bore in your womb Him whom the heavens cannot contain; help us to bear witness to Christ by the example of our lives, and show the world the extravagant Love of God. R. All: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercessions was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, our Mother. To you we come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of The Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer them. Amen.
The Gift Shop is open daily 9:30am – 4:30pm Find us at: www.divinemercy Shrine Bulletin Board Oil blessed in honor of St. Faustina is available at the Shrine Reception desk. A suggested donation of $5.00 which would go to support Shrine Ministries. www.shrineofdivinemercy. org/get-involved/ Volunteering is a wonderful way to share your gifts and God’s Mercy with our pilgrims. Please follow the link below to learn more about volunteering at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy.
Do you feel called to a religious vocation? VOCATION DIRECTOR ‘”I’m so glad you’re here.” Father Donald Calloway, MIC, welcomes you to the Marian Vocation Office in the Marian House of Studies, Steubenville, Ohio. Just by coming to this page, you’ve shown that you are open to wherever our Lord is calling you. Whether or not your vocation is as a religious—and whether or not you’re called to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception—I’m here to help you. Please look through the information we have prepared for you in the Vocation section. If you would like to glad to send you printed information on the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. From my own experience, I can tell you that my Congregation is totally consecrated to Mary Immaculate, faithful to authentic Church teaching, obedient to the Pope and Magisterium, and intensely Eucharistic. Please feel free to call or email me. You also might want to come to a Vocation Retreat. You may ask or tell me anything in confidence. You will not receive any phone calls or materials without your request. Discerning a vocation takes prayer, time, and guidance. Please use this prayer to help you consider where God is calling you. Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC Vocation Director Write :Vocation Director ● Marians of the Immaculate Conception ● 350 Belleview Blvd. ● Steubenville, OH 43952 Email: [email protected] May our Merciful Savior bless you and guide you. In the love of Mary Immaculate. Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC Vocation Director https://marian.org/vocations VOCATION PRAYER Hail Mary, full of grace; all generations call you blessed. Hail Mother of God, when asked by the angel to bear the Son of the Most High, filled with faith, you responded: “Let it be done unto me.” Holy Mother of Jesus, at the wedding feast at Cana, you prompted your Son to perform His first sign. Be with us as we discern our life’s work and guide us in the way we are called to follow in the footsteps of your Son. Holy Mother of the Savior, at the foot of the Cross you mourned the death of your only Son. Bless and embrace the loving parents of all priests, deacons, brothers and sisters. Holy Mother of the Good Shepherd, turn your motherly care to this nation. Interceded for us to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers to the harvest in this land dedicated to your honor. Queen of Peace, Mirror of Justice, Health of the Sick inspire vocations in our time. Let the word of your Son be made flesh anew in the lives of persons anxious to proclaim the good news of everlasting life. Amen. Prayer from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
MARIANS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Yes, I want to Help! How to help Please visit www.marian.org/ukraine/ to make a donation for Ukraine relief. One-hundred percent of funds received are sent directly to Ukraine and used to purchase humanitarian aid and medical supplies. Please do not mail medical supplies to Ukraine! Instead, please contact the Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy: 1-877-380-0727 or e-mail [email protected] to answer any of your questions. Because shipping via container is more cost effective, we prefer whatever monetary donations you can give rather than you sending medical supplies. Please know that boxes previously sent to the Marians or the EADM office were sent to Project C.U.R.E. and will be on fu-ture containers.
IT’S TIME TO SPEAK OUT AGAIN IN OPPOSITION TO PHYSICIAN ASSISTED SUICIDE The Massachusetts Catholic Conference has been following two bills that would legalize Physician Assisted Suicide in Massachusetts. House Bill 2505 and Senate Bill 1486, “An Act relative to End-of-Life Options.” At present HB 2505 is in the Joint Committee on Healthcare Finance and SB 1486 is in Senate Ways and Means. However, the bills may come to the floor for a vote at any time. Working together, we can join health care professionals, disability groups, senior citizens, the infirmed and countless individuals in saying NO to assisted suicide and to stop the legislation from moving forward this session. Here are some troubling facts to consider before you contact your elected officials: 1.) A DEADLY PRESCRIPTION - The bill would allow a physician to provide a lethal drug mixture to an individual diagnosed with less than 6 months to live that, when consumed, would cause death. NOTE - The diagnosis could be wrong. Countless individuals have outlived that 6-month diagnosis and enjoyed many more precious months and years with family and friends. 2.) NO REAL SAFEGUARDS - A vulnerable individual who is physically disabled, depressed, or fears being a “burden” may be subject to undue influence by others to make the choice of PAS. 3.) MISPLACED PRIORITIES -The primary focus of elected officials should be dedicated to legislation providing quality health care, mental health care and palliative care to the sick and dying – particularly in the underserved, poor and minority communities that suffer the most at the time of need. Your Voice Matters – Please call today! Please call or email your elected State Senator and State Representative to voice your opposition. They represent you and should know your views on this topic. You can do this by logging onto HTTPS://MACATHOLIC.ORG or scan QR code below. Follow the links to find contact information for your individual State Senator and State Representative via address and zip code link. Stay informed by signing up to receive alerts. For individuals without internet access, plea e call the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at 617746-5630. We will provide you the legislative contact information.
The Image of Divine Mercy 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) In 1931, our Lord appeared to St. Faustina in a vision. She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the Heart, from where two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale. She gazed intently at the Lord in silence, her soul filled with awe, but also with great joy. Jesus said to her: 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. 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, 47, 48). 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 (327). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world (47). At the request of her spiritual director, St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays in the image. She heard these words in reply: 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 (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 (742). These words indicate that the Image represents the graces of Divine Mercy poured out upon the world, especially through Baptism and the Eucharist. Many different versions of this image have been painted, but our Lord made it clear that the painting itself is not what is important. When St. 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?" (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" (313). From The Image of The Divine Mercy www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/image
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