Divine Mercy
The image of Divine Mercy represents the Lord, the Lamb sacrificed for us, from whose Heart flows Blood and Water, the streams of God’s mercy upon the whole world. The Lord promises us through St. Faustina “that the soul that will honor this image will not perish” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 48).
Saint Faustina’s confessor, Blessed Michael Sopocko, recalled additional promises our Lord made through St. Faustina regarding the Image:
When chastisements for sins come upon the world and your own country will experience utter degradation, the only refuge will be trust in My mercy. I will protect the cities and homes in which The Divine Mercy Image is found; I will protect the persons who will venerate [honor] this Image. The only refuge will be trust in My Mercy.
Father Sopocko recalled that Jesus also said:
Let everyone procure for their homes this Image because there will yet come trials. And those homes, and entire families, and everyone individually who will hold this image of mercy in deep reverence, I will preserve from every sort of misfortune. The time will come when all those who do so will give witness to the miraculous efficacy and to the special protection of mercy flowing from this Image.
What does this mean for us today?
Recently, as the repercussions of the coronavirus became crystal clear, we prayed at Mass, “Let us seal the doorposts of our inner thoughts with the protective Word of God …” This is a reference to Exodus 12, where God commanded the Israelites to “seal the doorposts” with the blood of the lamb so that the angel of death may pass over those houses that have been marked.
Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God. By offering Himself as atonement for our sins and those of the whole world, by the outpouring of His Blood and Water, He freed us from eternal death and sealed us for eternal life.
So please, I urge you to put the Image of the Divine Mercy with the inscription “Jesus, I trust in You” upon your doors, as many have done in times of calamity. Remember, it is Jesus whom we worship in this Image.
Also, while this act of faith may not guarantee your family won’t be physically affected by the virus, it will guarantee that, by your trust in Jesus, you will obtain His promises of love and mercy, which will surround you and remain in you forever.
For more information on Divine Mercy, visit www.thedivinemercy.org