Divine Mercy: consecration to Jesus of Santa Faustina

What does the cult of the image of Divine Mercy consist of?

The image occupies a key position in all devotion to Divine Mercy, since it constitutes a visible synthesis of the essential elements of this devotion: it recalls the essence of worship, the infinite trust in the good God and the duty of merciful charity towards the next. The act found in the lower part of the picture clearly speaks of trust: "Jesus, I trust in you". By the will of Jesus, the image that represents God's mercy must be a sign that reminds us of the essential Christian duty, that is, active charity towards one's neighbor. "It must remember the demands of My mercy, since even the strongest faith serves no purpose without works" (Q. II, p. 278). The veneration of the picture therefore consists in the union of a confident prayer with the practice of acts of mercy.

The promises related to the veneration of the image.

Jesus made three promises very clear:

- "The soul who will worship this image will not perish" (Q. I, p. 18): that is, he promised eternal salvation.

- "I also promise victory on our enemies on this earth (...)" (Q. I, p. 18): these are the enemies of salvation and of achieving great progress on the path of Christian perfection.

- "I myself will defend it as My own glory" at the hour of death (Q. I, p. 26): that is, it promised the grace of a happy death.

The generosity of Jesus is not limited to these three particular graces. Since he said: "I offer men the vessel with which they must come to draw graces from the source of mercy" (Q. I, p. 141), he has not placed any limits neither on the field nor on the size of these graces and earthly benefits, which can be expected, venerating with unshakable trust the image of Divine Mercy.

Consecration to Jesus
Eternal God, goodness itself, whose mercy cannot be understood by any human or angelic mind, help me to carry out your holy will, as you yourself make it known to me. I desire nothing else but to fulfill the will of God. Behold, Lord, you have my soul and my body, the mind and my will, the heart and all my love. Arrange me according to your eternal designs. O Jesus, eternal light, illumines my intellect, and inflames my heart. Stay with me as you promised me, because without you I am nothing. You know, O my Jesus, how weak I am, I certainly don't need to tell you, because you yourself know very well how miserable I am. All my strength is in you. Amen. S. Faustina