St. Faustina's mission had already begun in 1931 when our Lord appeared to her in a vision. She saw Jesus clothed in a white garment. His right hand raised in blessing, while the left was touching his garment at the breast, where two large rays came forth, one red, the other pale. Sister gazed intently at the Lord in silence, her soul filled with fear, but also with great joy, Jesus said to her:
Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: JESUS I TRUST IN YOU... I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory... I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the inscription: JESUS I TRUST IN YOU... I desire that this image be venerated first in your chapel and [then] throughout the world
(I, 18, 138)
At the request of her spiritual director, St. Faustina asked the Lord about the meaning of the rays on 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 are issued forth from the depths of My most tender mercy when My agonizing heart was opened by a lance on the cross... Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. (I, 130)
The very first image painted under St. Faustina's personal direction is believed to be kept in a little church behind the Iron Curtain, and so, practically inaccessible.
