In 1931, Our Lord appeared in a vision to a young nun St. Faustina Kowalska at the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Plock, Poland. St. Kowalska (who died in 1938 and was beatified on Divine Mercy Sunday, 1993) 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 which two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale.
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."
As she gazed at Jesus, Jesus spoke to her: "Paint an image according to the pattern you see with the signature 'Jesus, I trust in You'. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, then throughout the world."
The Divine Mercy icon is offered by ABA Cuprum in three styles:
A75P - Entire Body (Face, Hair, Hands, Feet and Robe) is Painted
A75 - Face, Hair, Hands and Feet are Painted; Rest of Body is Metallic
A75M - Entire Body is Metallic
The meaning, history, and various realizations of the Divine Mercy icon can be found at various sites; for example:
Divine Mercy Devotion (Catholic Youth Networking)
Divine Mercy Sunday - Veneration of the Sacred Image
St. Michael Center - Saint Faustina & The Divine Mercy Image
Divine Mercy History
