The collaboration between Father Alessio Fucile, an art expert, and the Shalom blog continues. Father Alessio will guide us in exploring the most important moments of the liturgical year through beautiful works of art which, in addition to inspiring wonder at their splendor, can help us better understand the Holy Scriptures and the message of Jesus.
Today Father Alessio presents “Merciful Jesus” by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, which can be admired at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius, on the occasion of Divine Mercy Sunday, which is celebrated tomorrow.
Welcome. The work “Merciful Jesus” by Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, painted in 1934 and kept at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius, Lithuania, is an icon of great spiritual significance.
Origin and vision of Saint Faustina
On the occasion of the canonization of Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska, on April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II dedicated the first Sunday after Easter to Divine Mercy. The image associated with this feast is unique: it was created following the vision of the merciful Jesus that Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska said she had on February 22, 1931, in her cell at the convent in Plock.
Sister Faustina described the features of her vision directly to the painter, and the work was created under her close supervision. In her Diary, the nun recorded that it was Jesus himself who had suggested the iconography that appears today in the artwork. Indeed, the nun often went to the artist's studio to give him instructions about the appearance of the image, which was then painted on a canvas adapted to the dimensions of an old frame donated by a woman of faith. The image depicts the risen Savior bringing peace to humanity through the remission of sins, at the price of his Passion and death on the cross.
Depiction of the image
The work depicts the risen Savior, surrounded by light and wearing a white tunic. Christ’s right hand is raised in blessing, while his left touches his chest. Lifting the edge of his tunic, two luminous rays, one white and one red, extend toward the viewer. These rays symbolize the divine love and mercy emanating from Christ’s pierced heart during the crucifixion. This refers to Jesus’ heart pierced by the Roman soldier’s lance, as the evangelist John recounts: “When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance, and immediately blood and water came out” (19:32-34). Faustina herself writes in her Diary: “The pale ray represents the water that justifies souls; the red ray represents the blood that is the life of souls. Both rays came forth from the depths of my mercy when my agonizing heart was opened with a lance on the cross.” The face of Christ is turned toward the viewer, with long hair and a halo around his head. According to some scholars, the face in the painting is superimposable on the face of the Shroud, although with a slight reduction.
History and popularity
With the end of the Second World War, the image found itself in the territory of the U.S.S.R. and was hidden for some time to prevent it from being destroyed. A new work was created in 1943 by the painter Adolf Hyla: displayed in Krakow, it immediately became very popular, and copies soon spread throughout the world.
I will conclude with the words of Pope Francis: “Let us ask Jesus for the gift of mercy. Let his love embrace and penetrate you. Have the courage to return to Christ, to encounter his love and mercy in the sacraments. Divine mercy is a great light of love and tenderness; it is God’s caress on the wounds of your sins and weaknesses.” Thank you for your kind attention.
