Pillars of Fire In My Soul

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 desire that this image be venerated first in your chapel and [then] throughout the world (Diary, 47). Along with this instruction of Our Lord, Sister Faustina noted two promises given by the Savior: 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). Sister Faustina received, then, an unusual vision of the Savior, because it was a representation of Him which hitherto she had never seen. Then again, she received a command to paint an image of a new content. This was truly a burdensome order for a simple religious sister who was knowledgeable in domestic matters, but to whom matters of art and painting were totally foreign. The Meaning of the Image The vision of the Merciful Jesus in this particular represen- tation. occurred repeatedly during Sister Faustina’s lifetime. Our Savior evidently wanted the image to be deeply impressed upon her soul. Before the first image of this kind was painted, however, many hardships and unpleasant experiences lay in store for the Sister. Today there exist many images after this type. Let us explain their symbolic meaning. First of all, what is the meaning of the two great rays, red and the pale, shining forth from the bosom of Jesus — those rays by Divine Mercy … We Trust in You! 39