What Is Divine Mercy? The Message, Devotion, and Meaning Explained
Ascension TeamIf you’ve ever stepped into a Catholic church and noticed a striking image of Jesus with red and white rays shining from his heart and the words “Jesus, I trust in You” below, you’ve seen the Divine Mercy image. But what is Divine Mercy, and why is it so important to the Catholic Faith? From the powerful Divine Mercy devotion to the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday each spring, this guide will answer all your questions about the meaning, history, and significance of Divine Mercy in the Church today!
What Does Divine Mercy Mean?
Divine Mercy centers upon God’s great love for us and the infinite compassion that flows from it. Fr. Chris Alar defines mercy as “loving the unlovable and forgiving the unforgivable.” Only God expresses love, compassion, and forgiveness to their utmost. This is why we say that God is love (see 1 John 4:8) –– his merciful love is his greatest attribute.
God’s mercy is infinite, lasting from age to age without limit. One of the greatest parables in the Gospel is the story of the prodigal son. The father of the prodigal son welcomed his son’s return with great joy and every good thing in the same way that our merciful God receives repentant sinners. The Lord not only forgives us but also wants to reinstitute everything to us.
Jesus himself is the image of God’s Divine Mercy –– “the face of the Father’s mercy,” as Pope Francis wrote –– because Christ came to rescue us from the misery of our sinfulness. We are not perfect, and we never can be, but God does not leave us to struggle for it on our own. Instead, he sent Jesus, his Son, to bring about our reconciliation and redemption. Through Christ, God reveals that his mercy is greater than our individual sins and even than those of the entire world.
What Does The Divine Mercy Image Mean?
“I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world” (Jesus to St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 47).
The Divine Mercy image was painted under St. Faustina’s direction, depicting Christ as he appeared to her. In the picture, Jesus is dressed in white and luminous in appearance, and he is stepping forward ever so slightly as if to come closer to us. His right hand is raised in blessing while his left hand points towards his heart, from which two rays pour forth: one white or translucent and one red. These two rays represent the blood and water that flowed from His pierced side on the cross, as Jesus himself explained:
“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 of St. Faustina, 299).
This meaning parallels what took place in Scripture after Christ’s death on the Cross: “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water” (John 19:33-34).
The two rays that stream from Christ also represent important sacraments: the red ray stands for the Eucharist (“the Blood which is the life of souls”), while the white ray stands for Baptism (“the Water which makes souls righteous”) and also Penance, which are sacraments of mercy. These three central sacraments offer us vital graces of sanctification and healing.
Christ offers bounteous graces to those who venerate his image in the 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 of St. Faustina, 48).
Why Is The Divine Mercy Devotion So Important?
Through the revelation of Divine Mercy, Christ offers his peace to a dark and troubled world. Our human minds often focus on justice more than anything, but Jesus wants to extend his love and gentle compassion to other souls.
The Divine Mercy is a devotion very close to the Lord’s heart (both literally and figuratively!) because it centers around God’s great love for us. Jesus told St. Faustina:
“My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy. Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy” (Diary of St. Faustina, 300-301).
Christ’s compassion is meant to change our hearts, too, as he leads us into his abundant love. He calls us to be missionaries of his mercy in a sinful and divided world. In the Gospel, he tells us, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).
Who Is St. Faustina?
Saint Maria Faustina
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska is the Polish religious sister whom our Lord chose to be his apostle of Divine Mercy to the world. She lived in Poland at the beginning of the 20th century and entered the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy as a young woman.
St. Faustina’s religious life consisted of humble, simple tasks, but she also had the grace of conversing with Jesus. Around the time of her first vows, Our Lord began to reveal to her the mystery of his mercy and gave her the special mission of spreading devotion to it. From the visions and conversations that St. Faustina had with Christ came the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the famous image of Jesus.
He chose her to be the “secretary” of his mercy, to tell the world of his love and compassion. Guided by her spiritual director, St. Faustina recorded Christ’s messages in her diary. Divine Mercy in My Soul: The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska continues to be an impactful Catholic spiritual work today. St. Faustina was canonized by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000.
When Is Divine Mercy Sunday?
Divine Mercy Sunday 2025
In 2025, Divine Mercy Sunday is Sunday, April 27th. The Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday on the Sunday following Easter each year. St. John Paul II made this an official feast day in the Church in 2000 when he canonized St. Faustina.
“I desire that there be a Feast of Mercy. I want this image, which you will paint with a brush, to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy” (Diary of St. Faustina, 49).
“I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners” (Diary of St. Faustina, 699).
Divine Mercy Sunday also marks the eighth and final day of the Easter Octave. The word octave means “eight”: the Church continues feasting in a significant manner for the eight days following the principal solemnities of the liturgical year (Christmas and Easter). So, Divine Mercy Sunday provides a culminating end to the feast of Easter (although the full Easter season lasts 50 days).
Just as the date of Easter changes from year to year, the date of Divine Mercy Sunday varies also, but it always takes place the Sunday immediately following Easter.
Why Is Divine Mercy Sunday Celebrated So Close To Easter?
Christ requested that the great feast of his mercy be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter because the feast of the Divine Mercy goes hand in hand with the Paschal Mystery! The Cross is the greatest proof of God’s eternal love and mercy for mankind.
Fittingly, the Gospel reading on the Sunday after Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) is the passage from John’s Gospel about Christ’s first appearance to the apostles after his resurrection, when he gave them the ability to forgive sins:
He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (John 20:21).
By conferring the power to forgive sins, Christ reaffirmed the role of mercy in his new covenant of love and invited his disciples to be ministers of his mercy to the world.
Can I Get A Plenary Indulgence On Divine Mercy Sunday?
What Is Special About Divine Mercy Sunday?
Yes, you can receive a plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday! A plenary indulgence removes all temporal punishment due to the guilt of sins already forgiven (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1471). The Church offers us many occasions and situations in which to receive indulgences, but Divine Mercy Sunday is one of the best and most powerful days for a plenary indulgence!
How Do I Receive The Divine Mercy Sunday Indulgence?
To receive the Divine Mercy plenary indulgence, carry out the indulgenced work of participating in the Divine Mercy devotions. There are a few other conditions to fulfill, too:
- Receive communion worthily on Divine Mercy Sunday (or on the vigil).
- Go to confession beforehand.
- Pray for the Holy Father’s intentions.
- Be in the state of grace and detached from venial sins.
- Place your trust in God’s Divine Mercy.
You can offer a plenary indulgence for yourself or for a departed soul.
Are There Special Graces I Can Gain on Divine Mercy Sunday?
Yes! Christ promised extraordinary graces to souls on Divine Mercy Sunday!
“On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the floodgates through which graces flow are opened” (Diary of St. Faustina, 699).
The abundance of mercy, forgiveness, and spiritual benefits promised by Christ equals a complete renewal of baptismal grace in the soul!
How Do I Receive These Additional Extraordinary Graces?
To receive this extraordinary grace promised by Christ, all you must do is receive the Eucharist worthily and devoutly on Divine Mercy Sunday (a vigil Mass counts too). For these graces, there is no need to fulfill all the conditions that surround an indulgence––this is a special case!
However, unlike a plenary indulgence, these graces can only be received for oneself.
Someone who is ill or homebound and therefore cannot make it to church or receive Holy Communion can still receive these graces by making an Act of Spiritual Communion. Jesus wishes to bestow much on the soul who shows great trust.
Is The Divine Mercy Devotion in the Bible?
Yes, the Divine Mercy devotion is biblical! In fact, it comes directly from Scripture, from what the Gospel tells us that occurred at Christ’s crucifixion: “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water” (John 19:33-34). The purifying and sanctifying rays of Christ’s mercy streamed forth with the blood and water from his pierced side.
Furthermore, God’s mercy is mentioned all throughout the Bible. Even under the stricter conditions of the Old Testament covenants, God continually revealed himself as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy and faithfulness, keeping merciful love for thousands…” (Exodus 34:6–7). In the New Testament, much of Jesus’s message under the new covenant of love is a call to be merciful as he is merciful.