Divine Mercy

The Divine Mercy is a Roman Catholic devotion to the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one’s own heart towards those in need of it.^[3] The devotion is due to the apparitions of Jesus received by Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), who is known as the Apostle of Mercy.^[4][5]

Faustina Kowalska reported a number of apparitions, visions and conversations with Jesus which she wrote in her diary, later published as the book Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul.^[4][5] The three main themes of the devotion are to ask for and obtain the mercy of God, to trust in Christ‘s abundant mercy, and finally to show mercy to others and act as a conduit for God’s mercy towards them.^[4][6]

The devotion places emphasis on the veneration of the Divine Mercy image which Faustina reported as a vision of Jesus while she was in her cell in the convent.^[5] The image is displayed and venerated by Catholics on its own, and is solemnly blessed during Divine Mercy Sunday.^[7] The devotion includes specific prayers such as the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.