I guess one could spend quite sometime writing down the
history of this Blessed Devotion, but in simplistic terms a very-short introduction.
In the Holy Land around 33 AD A young women by the name of Veronica wiped the face of our Blessed Lord on His why to Calvary. That same blessed cloth is now held; venerated in the St. Peter's Basilica Rome - better known as St. Veronica's Veil. Of course the first of many great souls to venerate His Holy Face was God our Father, The Angels, our Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, the Apostles, St. Elizabeth, St. John The Baptist, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Veronica, and of course many other Pious, Saintly souls. Throughout the millennia many great Pious, Venerable, Blessed, and Saintly souls of the Catholic Church venerated His Holy Face.. too- many to mentioned in a short introduction, but nonetheless important highly esteemed Apostles of Truth. Here is a quick shortlist in-no-particular order of merit: St. Augustine, St. Bonaventure, St. Bernard, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Mechtilde, St. Francis of Assisi, St. John Bosco, St. Padre Pio, St. Therese, St. Veny, St. Edmund, Saint Jude, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Charles Borromeo, Blessed Maria Pierina De Micheli, Blessed Maria Pia Mastena, St. Gaetano Catanoso, Sr. Mary of St. Peter, Venerable Leo Dupont -So- as you can see this blessed devotion has a long august history and still reaches out to present day saints - be there sweet child, you one. I have included the Holy Face Image at the bottom of this page, that I did some loving restoration on. I did not want to go too far off the original for authentic reasons. I hope my presentation of this beautiful devotion appeals to your heart and soul. I tell you the sweetest truth: from my soul to yours: you will receive many graces if you spread this devotion by good word -or- deed or both and venerate His Face - respectfully -as- practiced throughout the centuries and reiterated by many loving souls - notably here on this page regarding Revelations: Sister Mary of St. Peter and Blessed Maria Pierina De Micheli -as- spoken to by our Lord Jesus Christ: words of our Saviour highlighted in red below.
St. Ambrose
There is no doubt that Peter received the grace of conversion from the Sacred Face because those on whom Jesus gazes are always saved.
St. Anselm of Canterbury
Say now, O my whole heart, say now to God, "I seek Thy face; Thy face, Lord, do I seek. Come now then, O Lord my God, teach Thou my heart when and how I may seek Thee, where and how I may find Thee?"
St. Alphonsus Liguori
My most beloved Jesus, Thy face was beautiful before, but in this journey it as lost all its beauty, and wounds and blood have disfigured it. Alas! My soul also once was beautiful, when it received Thy grace in Baptism, but I have disfigured it since by my sins. Thou alone, my Redeemer, canst restore it to its former beauty. Do this by Thy Passion, O Jesus.
St. Bonaventure
Behold the Face of your Christ, O Christian soul, and lift not your eyes without tears to His torments, lift not your contrite heart without compassion and behold how much affliction He endures, to seek you, to find you. Open wide your eyes to behold the Face Of Jesus. Hear Him attentively! If ever in inexpressible suffering, He utter a word, hide it when you have heard it as the most precious treasure in the coffer of your heart.
St. Edmund of Canterbury
May I expire from ardent desire of beholding the Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
St. Gaetano Catanoso
The Holy Face is my life. He is my strength
Revelation of St. Gertrude the Great
"All those who meditate frequently on the vision of My Divine Face, attracted by the desires of love, shall receive within them, by the virtue of My Humanity, a bright ray of My Divinity, which shall enlighten their inmost souls, so that they shall reflect"
St. Josemaria Escriva
Lord, I long to see your face, to contemplate you in wonder!
St. Mechtilde
St. Mechtilde asked our Lord if those who celebrate the memory of His Holy Face should never be deprived of His amiable company. Our Lord replied:
"Not one of them shall be separated from me"
Let us all, full of holy desire, hasten to venerate the sweetest Countenance of Our Lord, which in heaven will be our all, all that a glorified soul can desire.
St. Jerome
The Face of Jesus will continue to save each time we have recourse to It; invoking His aid. Show us Thy Face and we shall be saved.
Father Mateo Crawley-Bouvey
Are you really zealous? Are you really apostles of the Holy Face of Jesus? You must be the ones to set fire to other hearts. How many Catholics there are who have not grasped the duty of being apostles, the duty of gratitude! It is our positive duty - our obligation to bring others to Jesus, to give Him not only our souls, but the souls of others. Be grateful and generous in giving of the treasure of Holy Face of Jesus, which Our Lord has entrusted to your care, lavishing this treasure on souls, on poor starving souls. It is sad that so few truly love Jesus.
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And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.
Genesis 32:30
If therefore I have found favour in thy sight, shew me thy face, that I may know thee, and may find grace before thy eyes
Exodus 33:13
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.
The Lord shew his face to thee, and have mercy on thee.
The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
And when the ark was lifted up, Moses said: Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee, flee from before thy face.
Numbers 10:35
And the king said to the man of God: Entreat the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me. And the man of God besought the face of the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before.
1 Kings 13:6
Praise ye his holy name: let the heart I of them rejoice, that seek the Lord.
Seek ye the Lord, and his power: seek ye his face evermore.
Remember his wonderful works, which he hath done: his signs, and the judgments of his mouth.
1 Chronicles 16:10-12
And thy heart was softened. and thou hast humbled thyself in the sight of God for the things that are spoken against this place, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and reverencing my face, hast rent thy garments, and wept before me: I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.
2 Chronicles 34:27
And when I had heard these words, I sat down, and wept, and mourned for many days: and I fasted, and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 1:4
To thee, O Lord, I turn my face, to thee I direct my eyes.
Tobit 3:14
For thou, my lord, art very admirable, and thy. face is full of graces.
Esther 15:17
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Saviour.
This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Psalm 23:6
The light of thy countenance O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart.
Psalm 4:7
For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness.
Psalm 10:8
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end.
Psalm 15:11
This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Psalm 23:6
My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.
Psalm 26:8
Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me in thy mercy.
Psalm 30:17
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy face, from the disturbance of men. Thou shalt protect them in thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues.
Psalm 30:21
My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?
Psalm 41:3
May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.
Psalm 66:2
Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face.
Psalm 67:2
Single page, more here
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Seal of Rome
Blessed Pope Pius IX
"This salutary reparation to the Holy Face of Jesus is a divine work, destined to save modern society."
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII Established the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face in 1885.
More on the Archconfraternity here.
Venerable Pope Pius XII
On 17 April 1958, Pope Pius XII granted that the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus to be observed on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.
Pope Pius XII, gave pictures of the Holy Face from the Shroud to youths saying:
"They are the pictures of the Divine Son of Mary; they come, in fact, from that object known as the Shroud of Turin; still mysterious, but certainly not the work of any human hand."
John Paul II
Single page, More here
On 17 April 1958, Pope Pius XII granted that the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus to be observed on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.
Pope Pius XII, gave pictures of the Holy Face from the Shroud to youths saying:
"They are the pictures of the Divine Son of Mary; they come, in fact, from that object known as the Shroud of Turin; still mysterious, but certainly not the work of any human hand."
John Paul II
"And is it not the Church's task to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make his face shine also before the generations of the new millennium? Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated his face."
Single page, More here
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Veronica's Veil Vatican
In 1849, a miracle occurred when Pope Pius IX - then in exile at Castle of Gaeta, Italy, due to revolution and hostility to the Catholic Church, permitted the Holy Veil of St. Veronica to be displayed in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The Holy Veil appeared life-like, surrounded by a halo and glowed for 3 hours in front of all present.
The Holy Face was of a deathly pallor, the eyes sunken, yet animated with an expression of profound sadness.
Single page here
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St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
Her family were enrolled in the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face. Her parents, Louis and Zelie Martin, prayed at the Oratory of the Holy Face, Venerable Leo Dupont formed.
Her parents, Mother: Blessed Marie-Azelie Guerin; Father: Blessed Louis Martin are expected to be canonized by Pope Francis during the world Synod of Bishops on the family in October (2015).
Her parents, Mother: Blessed Marie-Azelie Guerin; Father: Blessed Louis Martin are expected to be canonized by Pope Francis during the world Synod of Bishops on the family in October (2015).
A case for her sister, Leonie Martin - canonization has also been opened.
As St. Therese, herself tells in The Story of a Soul; she had a fervent devotion to the Holy Face, where she found unfathomable "depths of treasures hidden." She wrote:
"Ah, I desired that, like the face of Jesus, my face be truly hidden that no one on earth would know me."
"The just will recognize Him not only by the cross - symbol of salvation, which will precede His coming, but more exactly, by His Face, which will shine on the last day."
On August 5, 1899, just a few weeks before her death, to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration her sisters brought to the infirmary, from the choir the picture of the Holy Face she so much loved and hung it where she could see it. Looking at the picture, she said:
On August 5, 1899, just a few weeks before her death, to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration her sisters brought to the infirmary, from the choir the picture of the Holy Face she so much loved and hung it where she could see it. Looking at the picture, she said:
"Oh, how much good that holy face has done me in my life!"
As she lay dying on her bed; August 1897, a picture of the Holy Face was brought from the choir and attached to her bed curtains. so that she could see and contemplate our Blessed Saviour.
St. Therese's sister Celine, wrote:
"Devotion to the Holy Face was, for Therese, the crown and complement of her love for the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord. The Blessed Face was the mirror wherein she beheld the Heart and Soul of her Well-Beloved. Just as the picture of a loved one serves to bring the whole person before us, so in the Holy Face of Christ Therese beheld the entire Humanity of Jesus. We can say unequivocally that this devotion was the burning inspiration of the Saint's life. ...Her devotion to the Holy Face transcended, or more accurately, embraced, all the other attractions of her spiritual life."
"Devotion to the Holy Face was the Servant of God's Special attraction. As tender as was her devotion to the child Jesus, it cannot be compared to her devotion to the Holy Face"
-Testimony of Mother Agnes at the Beatification.
"These words of Isaiah... "There is no beauty in Him, no comeliness etc., "(are) the whole foundation of my devotion to the Holy Face, or to express it better, the whole foundation of my devotion to the Holy Face or to express it better, the foundation of all my piety. I, too have desired to be without beauty, alone in treading the winepress, unknown to everyone."
-Last Conversations of St. Therese. 135.
"Your Face, oh my sweet Savior, is the divine bouquet of myrrh I want to keep on my heart!"
-St. Therese
St. Therese - as later on she would be known - was a member of the confraternity. St. Therese was introduced to the Holy Face Devotion by her blood sister Pauline, also known as Sister Agnes of Jesus.
St. Therese wrote the words "Make me resemble you, Jesus!" on a small card and attached a stamp with an image of the Holy Face. She pinned the prayer in a small container over her heart.
Every August 6th, the Carmelites exposed the image of the Holy Face in their choir and prayed before it.
Single page, more here
Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face
Celine Martin who took the name, Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face, was the blood sister of St. Therese. She wrote:
"Lord, my ambition is to be, with my darling Thérèse, a little child in our Father's heavenly house. I wish to work solely to give You pleasure...I consent always to lose here below, because I want all I receive from You to be gratuitous, because You love me, and not riches acquired by my virtues...Do not judge me according to my works, do not impute to me my faults, but look upon the Face of my Jesus. It is He who will answer for me."
"My spiritual life," she was to say later on, "can be written between two loves: my Thérèse and the Holy Face."
"how can I not present myself with assurance before the Face of God? Yes, because the Face of my Jesus is God Himself made visible to my eyes under a veil of flesh, 'the bow of the mighty is broken, and the weak are girt with strength.' (I Samuel, II, 4)'
"My devotion to the Holy Face is the summary of my love of the Sacred Humanity of Jesus. I am the little satellite of His Humanity."
"O my Jesus...You know it; my desire has always been to love You and make You loved. Not able to conceive of love greater than what You poured out through my Thérèse, my dream is to spend it in my turn. Together, and on the same day, O Jesus, You accepted us as Victims of Your Merciful Love. I was the first to follow her in her Little Way. She opened the door and I entered after her...Is the day very far off when I shall hear the sound of Your voice, when You will press me to Your Heart, when I shall be able to see You and kiss Your sweet Face, when forever I shall sit with Thérèse on Your knees ? O Jesus, may I live and die of Love for You !''
It was Celine Martin, Sister Genevieve who took the picture of St. Therese holding up the image of Child Jesus of Ittenbach and the Holy Face, above here on the main page.
On studying, venerating the image of the Holy Face from the Shroud of Turin, she wrote:
"It is indeed my Jesus, such as I have pictured Him...And studying the traces of His sufferings by means of the wounds I followed the impression of the cruel crown of thorns. I saw the blood, coagulating in the hair, and running down in large drops. On top of the head, to the left, one senses that the crown must have been torn off with difficulty. The hair was raised under this strain and plastered together by blood. The left eye appears to be slightly open and the right eye is puffed up. I saw the upper part of the nose was broken, the right cheek and nostrils swollen by the servant's blow, the beard all covered with blood...Then, no longer able to contain myself, I covered this adorable Face with my kisses and bathed It with my tears. I made the resolution to paint a Holy Face after this ideal I had seen."
Here is her painting depicting the Holy Face from the Shroud of Turin:
When shown the image above, by Sister Genevieve, St. Pope Pius X remarked:
"How beautiful it is!"
"I want to give a souvenir to the religious who made that."
And so he did.
St. Pope Pius X, sent Sister Genevieve, a large bronze medal with his portrait engraved in relief.
Single page, here
St. Therese wrote the words "Make me resemble you, Jesus!" on a small card and attached a stamp with an image of the Holy Face. She pinned the prayer in a small container over her heart.
The Carmelite sisters of Lisieux venerated the Holy Face Image every August 6th, forty days before the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14th.
Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face
"Lord, my ambition is to be, with my darling Thérèse, a little child in our Father's heavenly house. I wish to work solely to give You pleasure...I consent always to lose here below, because I want all I receive from You to be gratuitous, because You love me, and not riches acquired by my virtues...Do not judge me according to my works, do not impute to me my faults, but look upon the Face of my Jesus. It is He who will answer for me."
"My spiritual life," she was to say later on, "can be written between two loves: my Thérèse and the Holy Face."
"how can I not present myself with assurance before the Face of God? Yes, because the Face of my Jesus is God Himself made visible to my eyes under a veil of flesh, 'the bow of the mighty is broken, and the weak are girt with strength.' (I Samuel, II, 4)'
"My devotion to the Holy Face is the summary of my love of the Sacred Humanity of Jesus. I am the little satellite of His Humanity."
"O my Jesus...You know it; my desire has always been to love You and make You loved. Not able to conceive of love greater than what You poured out through my Thérèse, my dream is to spend it in my turn. Together, and on the same day, O Jesus, You accepted us as Victims of Your Merciful Love. I was the first to follow her in her Little Way. She opened the door and I entered after her...Is the day very far off when I shall hear the sound of Your voice, when You will press me to Your Heart, when I shall be able to see You and kiss Your sweet Face, when forever I shall sit with Thérèse on Your knees ? O Jesus, may I live and die of Love for You !''
It was Celine Martin, Sister Genevieve who took the picture of St. Therese holding up the image of Child Jesus of Ittenbach and the Holy Face, above here on the main page.
On studying, venerating the image of the Holy Face from the Shroud of Turin, she wrote:
"It is indeed my Jesus, such as I have pictured Him...And studying the traces of His sufferings by means of the wounds I followed the impression of the cruel crown of thorns. I saw the blood, coagulating in the hair, and running down in large drops. On top of the head, to the left, one senses that the crown must have been torn off with difficulty. The hair was raised under this strain and plastered together by blood. The left eye appears to be slightly open and the right eye is puffed up. I saw the upper part of the nose was broken, the right cheek and nostrils swollen by the servant's blow, the beard all covered with blood...Then, no longer able to contain myself, I covered this adorable Face with my kisses and bathed It with my tears. I made the resolution to paint a Holy Face after this ideal I had seen."
Here is her painting depicting the Holy Face from the Shroud of Turin:
When shown the image above, by Sister Genevieve, St. Pope Pius X remarked:
"How beautiful it is!"
"I want to give a souvenir to the religious who made that."
And so he did.
St. Pope Pius X, sent Sister Genevieve, a large bronze medal with his portrait engraved in relief.
Single page, here
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Venerable Leo Dupont
Venerable Leo Dupont also known as the Holy Man of Tours or Apostle of the Holy Face was called by Pope Pius lX possibly the greatest miracle worker in Church history. He displayed a framed copy of St. Veronica’s veil with the image of the Holy Face in his residence with a lamp burning continuously in front of it. Our Lord worked wonders through Venerable Leo Dupont, as the oil from the lamp cured people of all sorts of afflictions. Souls came from far and wide to pray and to venerate the image of The Holy Face.
The Dublin Review; Catholic periodical founded 1836, reported in 1885 that Mgr. Paul Guerin testified to having seen himself over 6000 certificates of cures in relation to the miraculous oil from the lamp - beneath the Holy Face image in his house, oratory.
One then can only wonder how many other cures, favores have been attained
by this miraculous Image to this day.
Single page here
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Archconfraternity of the Holy Face
Pope Leo XIII Established the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face in Tours, France, 1885
BRIEF OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIII
Establishing THE ARCHCONFRATERNITY OF THE HOLY FACE
Leo XIII Pope.
Single page, more here
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Holy Face Cross
REVELATION OF FEBRUARY 2, 1844
FEAST OF THE PURIFICATION
Our Lord offers a promise of pardon in view of the efforts made to spread the Reparation. He further designates
St. Michael, St. Martin and St. Louis,
St. Michael, St. Martin and St. Louis,
as the special patrons of the work, and asks that the members wear a cross, and band themselves together as
"Defenders of God's Holy Name.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 133.
"Our Lord told me that He desired each member of the Association to wear a special cross, and that on one side of this cross should be engraved the words, "Blessed be the Name of God," and on the reverse side should be the words, "Begone, Satan!" To all those wearing this holy cross our Lord promised a special resourcefulness to conquer the demon of blasphemy, adding that every time one hears a curse, he should repeat the two short inscriptions written on each side of the cross, and he will thus overcome the evil one and render glory to God."
-Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Pages: 134-135.
Feast days of the patrons of Reparation in chronological order:
St. Louis: 25 August
St. Michael: 29 September
St. Martin: 11 November
To avail of the Holy Face Cross you can try this source:
Or all other good outlets.
Single page here
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Sister Mary of St. Peter and the Holy Family
Short Biography
Sister Mary of St. Peter (English) -or- Marie de Saint Pierre (French) Full Carmelite Name: Sister Mary of St Peter and the Holy Family is well known to the Holy Face devotees as one of the most authoritative figures in propagating the Holy Face Devotion to the world: through her own free will and the Revelations and blessed works of Jesus Christ.
She was Born on October 4th 1816, in the City of Rennes; east of Brittany, in northwestern France. She was Baptized in the Catholic Church at St. Germain in Rennes. She was given the name Perrine Frances. Her birth parents, although a lot is not known to me, were pious, Father: Peter Elvere, Mother: Frances Portier Eluere, they had 12 children.
Sister Mary of St. Peter's, Mother died when she was only 12 years old. Her Father: Peter Elvere, was hit with the loss of not only his dear wife of wedlock, but also the loss of ten of his dear children. Little, Perrine Frances or Sister Mary of St. Peter, as she is now better known to many, nearly succumbed to deathly fever, but I trust it was for the grace of Divine Providence that she pulled through. She accounts in the Golden Arrow publication:
"When I was four years old I had an attack of scarlet fever which brought me close to death. My parents told me that I was in grave danger for nineteen days, during which time I could take no food except a small glass of cider." -Page: 2.
Later on as she would account in the Golden Arrow publication she had great desire to leave the world and become a religious:
"One day as grace strongly urged me to follow my vocation, and not knowing how to go about it, I felt extremely pained, and in my dilemma I went to church. Kneeling before Mary's altar, I opened my heart to her, telling her of my great desire to become a nun, and of my troubles in regard to attaining this end. Mary immediately dispelled my worries." -Page 13.
And so it was to be that this blessed soul would say goodbye to the world and her dear father.
She had arrived at the Carmelite of Tours on November 13th, 1839.
She died at only 33, on July 8th, 1848.
If you would like to find out more about her life, you can read more, in her autobiography, entitled: The Golden Arrow.
For your discernment most of the information in this short Bio, was sourced from the "Golden Arrow" and in addition the "Life of Sister Mary of St. Peter" - You can find the free online book here.
- The Golden Arrow -
The autobiography and revelations of Sister Mary of St. Peter (1816-1848) On devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
REVELATION OF MARCH 16, 1844
Our Lord describes to Sister Mary the enormity of the sins of blasphemy, and again demands that the Work of Reparation be established, saying that this work surpasses various other devotions. The Saviour also asks Sister Mary of St. Peter the pointed question: "Do you want to walk in my ways?" When she replies, "Yes," He rewards her by saying: "Consider this one of the most beautiful days of your life.
-Golden Arrow
Pages: 141-143.
"You cannot comprehend the malice and abomination of this sin. If My Justice were not restrained by My Mercy, indeed, it would instantly crush the guilty. In fact, all creatures, even those that are inanimate, would avenge this outrage against their Creator's majesty, but I have an eternity in which to punish the guilty."
-Our Lord To
Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 141.
Sister Mary of St. Peter says: "After saying this, our Lord made me understand the excellence of the work of Reparation and He made me see how the Devotion of Reparation surpassed other devotions, how pleasing it is to God, as also to the Angels and Saints, and how beneficial it is to the Church."
-Golden Arrow
Page: 141.
"I seek Veronicas to wipe and venerate My Divine Face which has but few adorers!"
-Our Lord To
Sister Mary of St. Peter.
Golden Arrow
Golden Arrow
Page: 157.
REVELATION OF MARCH 7, 1847
Our Lord joyously announces to Sister Mary that the hour is near when the Work of Reparation to the holy face will be established, calling it the "most beautiful work under the sun." When the Sister still worries somewhat about certain obstacles, He assures her those obstacles were only "the falling mist of the early dawn ushering in a beautiful day.
"Rejoice, My Daughter, because the hour approaches
when the most beautiful work under the sun will be born.
when the most beautiful work under the sun will be born.
Offer My Sacred Heart to the Eternal Father to obtain it."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 196.
Golden Arrow
Page: 196.
Sister Mary of St. Peter says: "But as I reflected on the obstacles that still stood in the way and wondered about them, our Lord said to me:
"That is only the falling mist of the early dawn
ushering in a beautiful day!"
"That is only the falling mist of the early dawn
ushering in a beautiful day!"
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 197.
"Oh if you only knew what great merit
Golden Arrow
Page: 197.
"Oh if you only knew what great merit
you acquire by saying even once,
Admirable is the Name of God,
in a spirit of reparation for blasphemy."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Golden Arrow
Page: 142.
"By My Holy Face you will work wonders."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter.
Golden Arrow
Golden Arrow
Page: 158.
PROMISES OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IN FAVOR OF
THOSE WHO HONOR HIS HOLY FACE
--------------------------
------------
1. All those who honor My Face in a spirit of reparation will by so doing perform the office of the pious Veronica. According to the care they take in making reparation to My Face, disfigured by blasphemers, so will I take care of their souls which have been disfigured by sin. My Face is the seal of the Divinity, which has the virtue of reproducing in souls the image of God.
2. Those who by words, prayers or writing defend My cause in this Work of Reparation I will defend before My Father, and will give them My Kingdom.
3. By offering My Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused, and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained.
4. By My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the anger of God and draw down mercy on sinners.
5. As in a kingdom they can procure all that is desired with a coin stamped with the King's effigy, so in the Kingdom of Heaven they will obtain all they desire with the precious coin of My Holy Face.
6. Those who on earth contemplate the wounds of My Face shall in Heaven behold it radiant with glory.
7. They will receive in their souls a bright and constant irradiation of My Divinity, that by their likeness to My Face they shall shine with particular splendor in Heaven.
8. I will defend them, I will preserve them and I assure them of Final Perseverance.
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 233.Golden Arrow
Depending on the source, you may see more than Eight promises listed in full; from other pious souls and their revelations.
"Do not be astonished at these promises which I make in favor of those who devote themselves to repairing for blasphemies against God's Holy Name through the Devotion to My Sacred Face because this work of reparation is the very essence of Charity, and those who possess Charity possess life."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Golden Arrow
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Short Introduction In Veneration
I recommend in union with the Holy Spirit as my Guide the following:
(1). Silence. Let your soul speak. It is true to find ourselves with God, we should detach ourselves from the many distractions of the world.
(2). Sincerely perform an Examination of Conscience and Repentance daily, or at least once a week.
(3). Meditate on His suffering before the Holy Face.
Thus for enlightenment:
Meditating on the Holy Face
The Agony In The Garden: Luke 22:39-46
Judas Betrays Jesus: Luke 22:47-48
Peter Denies Jesus: Luke 22:56-62
Jesus's Captives Mock Him: Luke 22:64-65
Jesus Is Scourged: Luke 18:32
Jesus Is Crowned With Thorns: Matthew 27:27-31
Jesus Carries His Cross: Matthew 27:32
The Crucifixion of Jesus: Matthew 27:33-56
If you would like deeper meditative enlightenment on His sorrows you can
listen to this collection of videos 1-10:
The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Also as a companion in mediation:
Stations of the Cross
Of course, the Holy Face Devotion is very much associated with the wiping of our Lord's Face on the way to Calvary - bravely and mercifully done by, St. Veronica. The Dolorous Passion of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, Revelations, and the 6th. Station of the Cross should help you understand this beautiful act more intimately.
You can picture your own meditations when gazing on His Holy Face. For example:
See on His face the merciless blows and cuts inflected by cruel men.
See on His Face the life permitting Precious Blood drain from His already weakened Body.
See on His Face the Precious Tears He has, is shedding for your salvation.
It is true that when we look upon our Blessed Saviour we see Love Itself. That powerful call to act: To give one's life that another may have life; is a powerful image that can leave a lasting impression on many souls. Indeed such a impression of Love was left on Veronica's Veil for all
to wonder and meditate.
(4). That you sincerely try to Pray from the Heart in the spirit of "Reparation" for those outlandish crimes against His Divinity.
The grave sins of militant Communism, Atheism and all other dangerous open and
conspiratory ideologies - which stifle and kill the true spirit of God's grace and eternal enlightenment; and thus causes many brothers and sister to fall wayward; in some cases defyingly and rebelliously in opposition to Catholic Church's teachings: the eternal security of the soul.
Consider these crimes against Heaven: are they not relevant to our times more than ever: Communism, Materialism, Atheism, Blasphemy, Profanation of Sundays.
Disarm the devil: Pray from the heart.
(5). Trust In God who is Love. As Sister Mary of St. Peter says: "This first call of our Lord in which He asked me to offer myself in self-surrender, I still consider as the very basis and foundation of the Devotion of Reparation to the Holy Face which he was later to reveal to me."
-(Page: 49).
Also practice Humility and Simplicity. As Jesus has said:
"Be humble and simple and make known your littleness for that will only serve to advance my interests."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 121.Golden Arrow
REVELATION OF OCTOBER 30, 1845
"In this revelation our Lord imparts a most sublime instruction, showing the position of the Holy Face in relation to the adorable Trinity itself"
-Golden Arrow
Page: 162.
"Remember that this Divine Head represents the Eternal Father Who is unbegotten, that the mouth of this Holy Face represents the Divine Word, begotten of the Father, and that the two eyes of this adorable Face are the symbol of the reciprocal love of the Father and the Son, for these two eyes possess only one light, and one identical knowledge between them both, and they produce the one same love, which represents the Holy Ghost."
"Contemplate in His locks of hair the infinite number of the adorable perfections of the Blessed Trinity. Behold in this majestic Head that precious portion of the Humanity of the Savior which is the very Image of the Oneness of God."
"Now it is this adorable Savior's Face brimming with ineffable mysteries which blasphemers cover with disgrace, renewing the bitter sufferings of His Passion, each time they assail the Divinity, for the Holy Face is the very Image of God!"
-Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 162.
Page: 162.
By practicing the Holy Face Devotion Jesus has said many sinners will be converted.
"through this Holy Face you will obtain the conversion of many sinners."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 182.Single page, More here
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Revelations of Blessed Maria Pierina De Micheli
"Do you see how I suffer? Yet, very few understand me. Those who say they love me are very ungrateful! I have given my heart as the sensible object of my great love to men and I give My Face as the sensible object of my sorrow for all the sins of men. I wish that it be venerated by a special feast on Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. I wish that the feast be preceded by a novena in which the faithful make reparation with me, joining together and sharing in my sorrow."
"Only a few souls let me act with full freedom, so I cannot grant many graces."
"I wish that my Face, which reflects the intimate sorrow of my soul, and the suffering and love of my Heart, be better honoured. He who contemplates me consoles me."
"Every time that anyone gazes at My Face, I will pour My Love into hearts and by means of My Holy Face, the salvation of many souls will be obtained." Then in 1937, Our Lord instructed her; "It may be that some souls fear that the devotion and cult of My Holy Face diminishes that towards My Heart. Tell them that on the contrary, it will be completed and augmented. In contemplating My Face, souls will share in all My gifts and will feel the need for love and reparation. Is that not perhaps the true devotion to My Heart?"
"By My Holy Face you will obtain the conversion of numberless sinners. Nothing that you ask in making this offering will be refused you. According to the care you take in making reparation To My Face, disfigured by blasphemers, I will take care of yours, which has been disfigured by sin. I will reprint on it My Image, and render it as beautiful as it was on leaving the Baptismal Font. I promise personal and spiritual protection to all who venerate this medal."
-Our Lord
To Maria Pierina De Micheli
Single page, More here
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Holy Face Scapular or Medal
"Listen well and refer this to your Father Confessor. This scapular is an arm of defense, a shield of might, a token of mercy that Jesus wants to give the world in these times of sensuality and of hatred toward God and the Church. True apostles are few. A divine remedy is necessary, and this remedy is the Holy Face of Jesus. All those who will wear a scapular like this one, and who will visit, if possible, the Blessed Sacrament on Tuesdays to make reparation for the outrages that the Holy Face of my Son Jesus received during His Passion, and receives every day in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, will be strengthened in the faith, made ready to defend it, and to overcome all difficulties inward and outward. They will, moreover, have a serene death, beneath the loving gaze of my Divine Son."
-Mother of God
To Blessed Maria Pierina De Micheli
"My daughter, rest assured, the Scapular is replaced by the medal with the same promises and favours - it only has to be spread widely Now my heart is on the feast of the Face of my Divine Son. Tell the Pope that I desire this."
-Mother of God
To Blessed Maria Pierina Micheli
Many soldiers and sailors were given the Holy Face Medal as a means of protection during World War II.
If you wish you can try receiving a free Holy Face Medal here
Single page here
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Prayers of the Holy Face Devotion
REVELATION OF AUGUST 26, 1843
-Golden Arrow
Page: 112.The Golden Arrow Prayer
MAY THE MOST HOLY, MOST SACRED, MOST ADORABLE, MOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND UNUTTERABLE NAME OF GOD BE ALWAYS PRAISED, BLESSED, LOVED, ADORED AND GLORIFIED, IN HEAVEN, ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH, BY ALL THE CREATURES OF GOD, AND BY THE SACRED HEART OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, IN THE MOST HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR. AMEN.
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 113.
After receiving this prayer, Sister Mary of St. Peter was given a vision in which she saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus delightfully wounded by this "Golden Arrow" as torrents of graces streamed from It for the conversion of sinners.
-Golden Arrow
page: 226.
page: 226.
Since I felt somewhat astonished at the words which our Lord used when He said to me, "in the hells," He made me understand that His Justice was also glorified there. I furthermore beg that notice be taken of this that our Lord did not say to me "in hell" (dans l'enfer), but He said, "in the hells" (dans les enfers), which can be understood to include also purgatory where He is loved and glorified by His suffering souls.
-Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Pages: 113-114.
Offering of the Holy Face of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father in order to appease His justice and draw down mercy upon us.
Eternal Father, turn away Your angry gaze from our guilty people whose face has become unsightly in Your eyes. Look instead upon the Face of Your Beloved Son, for this is the Face of Him in Whom You are well pleased. We now offer You this Holy Face, covered with shame and disfigured by bloody bruises in reparation for the crimes of our age in order to appease Your anger, justly provoked against us. Because Your divine Son, our Redeemer, has taken upon His Head all the sins of His members, that they might be spared, we now beg of You, Eternal Father, to grant us mercy. AMEN.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 227.
Eternal Father, turn away Your angry gaze from our guilty people whose face has become unsightly in Your eyes. Look instead upon the Face of Your Beloved Son, for this is the Face of Him in Whom You are well pleased. We now offer You this Holy Face, covered with shame and disfigured by bloody bruises in reparation for the crimes of our age in order to appease Your anger, justly provoked against us. Because Your divine Son, our Redeemer, has taken upon His Head all the sins of His members, that they might be spared, we now beg of You, Eternal Father, to grant us mercy. AMEN.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 227.
An Aspiration to the Eternal Father to be Frequently recited during the day
ETERNAL FATHER, we offer You the Holy Face of Jesus, covered with blood, sweat, dust and spittle, in reparation for the crimes of communists, blasphemers, and for the profaners of the Holy Name and of the Holy Day. AMEN.
Prayer to reproduce the Image of God in our souls
Our Lord told Sister Mary of St. Peter that the Image of His Holy Face is like a Divine Stamp which, if applied to souls, through prayer, has the power of imprinting anew within them the Image of God.
I SALUTE YOU, I ADORE YOU, AND I LOVE YOU, OH, ADORABLE FACE OF MY BELOVED JESUS, AS THE NOBLE STAMP OF THE DIVINITY! COMPLETELY SURRENDERING MY SOUL TO YOU, I MOST HUMBLY BEG YOU TO STAMP THIS SEAL UPON US ALL, SO THAT THE IMAGE OF GOD MAY ONCE MORE BE REPRODUCED BY ITS IMPRINT IN OUR SOULS. AMEN.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 228.
Page: 228.
Prayer to obtain the settlement of all our needs
Oh, Eternal Father, since it has pleased Our Divine Savior to reveal to mankind in our present century the power residing in His Holy Face, we now avail ourselves of this Treasure in our great needs. Since Our Savior Himself promised that by offering to You, Oh, Eternal Father, the Holy Face disfigured in the Passion, we can procure the settlement of all the affairs of our household, and that nothing whatsoever will be refused us, we now come before Your Throne.
"Offering to You, Oh, God, this adorable Countenance, disfigured with painful bruises and covered with shame and confusion, we beg through the merits of this Holy Face to obtain these, our most pressing needs.
"Grant us pardon, Eternal Father, for the worst crimes of our age, which are atheism, blasphemy, and the desecration of Your holy days.
"Avert from us destruction by war and its consequences which loom through the malice of revolutionary men who have risen up to stamp out religion from the face of the earth through false indoctrination, and who now stand ready to impose their wicked designs with militaristic force. May this offering of the Holy Face of Our Savior before Your Throne of Majesty obtain for us deliverance from these evils.
"Send us, Oh, God, zealous and enlightened laborers, by conferring many vocations to the priesthood and to religion, so that by their prayers, their works, and their sacrifices they may spread the blessings of Your Church and confound Your enemies. AMEN.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 229.
Page: 229.
All prayers above taken from: The Golden Arrow -
The autobiography and revelations of Sister Mary of St. Peter (1816-1848) On devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
Single page, More here
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Other Noteworthy Prayers
NOVENA OF THE HOLY FACE
The Novena of the Holy Face is quite long.
You can find it here: Novena of the Holy Face
Prayer by St. Bernard
- O Sacred Head -
O Sacred Head surrounded
By crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding Head, so wounded,
Reviled and put to scorn!
Death's pallid hue comes o'er Thee,
The glow of life decays,
Yet angel hosts adore Thee
And tremble as they gaze.
I see Thy strength and vigor
All fading in the strife,
And death, with cruel vigor,
Bereaving Thee of life;
O agony and dying!
O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
O turn Thy face on me!
In this Thy bitter Passion,
Good Shepherd, think. of me,
With Thy most sweet compassion,
Unworthy though I be;
Beneath Thy Cross abiding,
'Forever would I rest,
In Thy dear love confiding,
And wilth Thy presence blest.
Litany of the Holy Face
In full here
Prayer by Pope Pius IX
O Jesus! Cast upon us a look of mercy: turn your Face towards each of us as you did to Veronica; not that we may see it with our bodily eyes, for this we do not deserve, but turn it towards our hearts, so that, remembering you, we may ever draw from this fountain of strength the vigour neces- sary to sustain the combats of life. Amen. Mary, our Mother, and Saint Joseph, pray for us. Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition.................. Pardon and mercy.
Prayer by St. Therese to the Holy Face
"O adorable face of Jesus,
sole beauty which ravishes my heart,
vouchsafe to impress on my soul
Your divine likeness
so that it may not be possible
for You to look at Your spouse
without beholding Yourself!
O my Beloved,
for love of You I am content
not to see here on earth
the sweetness of Your glance,
nor to feel the ineffable kiss
of Your sacred lips,
but I beg of You
to inflame me with Your love
so that it may consume me quickly
and that soon I (name) may behold
Your glorious countenance in heaven."
O Jesus, who in Thy bitter Passion didst become "the most abject of men, a man of sorrows", I venerate Thy Sacred Face whereon there once did shine the beauty and sweetness of the Godhead; but now it has become for me as if it were the face of a leper! Nevertheless, under those disfigured features, I recognize Thy infinite Love and I am consumed with the desire to love Thee and make Thee loved by all men.
The tears which well up abundantly in Thy sacred eyes appear to me as so many precious pearls that I love to gather up, in order to purchase the souls of poor sinners by means of their infinite value. O Jesus, whose adorable face ravishes my heart, I implore Thee to fix deep within me Thy divine image and to set me on fire with Thy Love, that I may be found worthy to come to the contemplation of Thy glorious Face in Heaven. Amen.
AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FACE
-Written for the Novices -
O Adorable Face of Jesus, since Thou hast deigned to make special choice of our souls, in order to give Thyself to them, we come to consecrate these souls to Thee. We seem, O Jesus, to hear Thee say: "Open to Me, My Sisters, My Spouses, for My Face is wet with the dew, and My Locks with the drops of the night." Our souls understand Thy language of love; we desire to wipe Thy sweet Face, and to console Thee for the contempt of the wicked. In their eyes Thou art still "as it were hidden . . . they esteem Thee an object of reproach."
O Adorable Face of Jesus, since Thou hast deigned to make special choice of our souls, in order to give Thyself to them, we come to consecrate these souls to Thee. We seem, O Jesus, to hear Thee say: "Open to Me, My Sisters, My Spouses, for My Face is wet with the dew, and My Locks with the drops of the night." Our souls understand Thy language of love; we desire to wipe Thy sweet Face, and to console Thee for the contempt of the wicked. In their eyes Thou art still "as it were hidden . . . they esteem Thee an object of reproach."
O Blessed Face, more lovely than the lilies and the roses of the spring, Thou art not hidden from us. The tears which dim Thine Eyes are as precious pearls which we delight to gather, and, through their infinite value, to purchase the souls of our brethren.
From Thy Adorable Lips we have heard Thy loving plaint: "I thirst." Since we know that this thirst which consumes Thee is a thirst for love, to quench it we would wish to possess an infinite love.
Dear Spouse of our souls, if we could love with the love of all hearts, that love would be Thine. . . . Give us, O Lord, this love! Then come to thy Spouses and satisfy Thy Thirst.
And give to us souls, dear Lord . . . We thirst for souls! -- Above all for the souls of Apostles and Martyrs . . . that through them we may inflame all poor sinners with love of Thee.
O Adorable Face, we shall succeed in winning this grace from Thee! Unmindful of our exile, "by the rivers of Babylon," we will sing in Thine Ears the sweetest of melodies. Since Thou art the true and only Home of our souls, our songs shall not be sung in a strange land. O Beloved Face of Jesus, while we await the Eternal Day when we shall gaze upon Thine Infinite Glory, our only desire is to delight Thy Divine Eyes by keeping our faces hidden too, so that no one on earth may recognize us . . . Dear Jesus, Heaven for us is Thy Hidden Face!
-Composed by St. Therese
Canticle to the Holy Face by St. Therese-Composed by St. Therese
Jesus, Your ineffable image
Is the star which guides my steps.
Ah, You know, Your sweet Face
Is for me Heaven on earth.
My love discovers the charms
Of Your Face adorned with tears.
I smile through my own tears
When I contemplate Your sorrows.
Oh! To console You I want
To live unknown on earth!
Your beauty, which You know how to veil,
Discloses for me all its mystery.
I would like to fly away to You!
Your Face is my only homeland.
It's my Kingdom of love.
It's my cheerful meadow.
Each day, my sweet sun.
It's the Lily of the Valley
Whose mysterious perfume
Consoles my exiled soul,
Making it taste the peace of Heaven.
It's my Rest, my Sweetness
And my melodious Lyre
Your Face, O my Sweet Savior,
Is the Divine Bouquet of Myrrh
I want to keep on my heart!
Your Face is my only wealth.
I ask for nothing more.
Hiding myself in it unceasingly,
I will resemble You, Jesus
Leave in me, the Divine Impress
Of Your features filled with sweetness,
And soon I'll become holy.
I shall draw hearts to You.
So that I may gather
A beautiful golden harvest,
Deign to set me aflame with Your Fire.
With Your adorned mouth,
Give me soon the Eternal Kiss!
Prayer by Venerable Leo Dupont
O Adorable Face of my Jesus, so mercifully inclined toward us on the tree of the Cross on the day of Your Passion, offered for the salvation of mankind, as then, even now, mercifully incline toward us poor sinners; cast a glance of compassion upon us and embrace us in Your kiss of peace.
O, my sweet Jesus, for your Holy Face bathed with tears, may your Eucharistic Reign triumphs in the sanctity of your priests.
O, my sweet Jesus, for the divine light emanating from your Holy Face, dispel the darkness of ignorance and mistake and be the light of sanctity for your priests.
O my sweet Jesus, for your Divine Face bathed in a sweat of blood in the agony of Gethsemane, enlighten and strengthen the souls consecrated to you.
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Chaplet of the Holy Face
REVELATION OF APPROXIMATELY
NOVEMBER 15, 1843
Our Lord repays Sister Mary of St. Peter for reciting the Chaplet of Reparation by granting her a vision in which He presents her in turn with Beads of precious stones, mounted on a chain of gold.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 124.
OUR LORD inspired me at this time to compose certain prayers of reparation in the form of a Chaplet, or a small rosary. This chaplet is made up of thirty-three small beads, on which is recited thirty-three times the prayer, "Arise, Oh, Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those that hate You flee before Your Face," and also six large beads on which are recited the ejaculation, "My Jesus, mercy," followed by the doxology, "Glory be to the Father, etc."
One day after Holy Mass our Lord appeared to me presenting me with a similar Chaplet which I saw was made of precious stones strung on a fine gold chain. Deeming myself quite unworthy of possessing such a treasure, I begged the blessed Virgin to keep this beautiful rosary for me by placing it in her Immaculate Heart, and I also begged our Lord to attach indulgences to the recitation of this Chaplet.
-Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 124.
Following the Revelation of June 6, 1844, Sister Mary of St. Peter says: I then took the liberty of asking whether the Chaplet which I recited to glorify His Name and honor the Mysteries of His life was pleasing to Him, and He answered:
"All that one does for My glory is for me a delicious repast!"
Sister Mary of St Peter says: He encouraged me to recite this Chaplet especially at those times when I found it difficult to make mental prayer.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 146.
If you wish you can try receiving a free Holy Face Chaplet here
Reciting the Chaplet
On the Crucifix say:
Eternal Father I offer You the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ and all the other instruments of His Holy Passion, that You may put division in the camp of Your enemies; for as Your Beloved Son has said, "A kingdom divided against itself shall fall."
On the next five beads say:
1. May God arise and let His enemies be scattered and let those who hate Him flee before His Face!
2. May the thrice Holy Name of God overthrow all their plans!
3. May the Holy Name of the Living God split them up by disagreements!
4. May the terrible Name of the God of Eternity stamp out all their godlessness!
5. Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live. "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
On the medal say:
The "Golden Arrow" prayer.
On the thirty three beads say:
Arise, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those that hate You flee before Your Face.
On each of the six large beads say:
My Jesus, mercy” and one “Glory Be..”
On the medal at the end say:
The ejaculation: ETERNAL FATHER, I offer You the Holy Face of Jesus, covered with blood, sweat, dust and spittle, in reparation for the crimes of communists, blasphemers, and for the profaners of the Holy Name and of the Holy Day of Sunday.
The Golden Arrow prayer In the publication of the Golden Arrow book is "recommended for recitation on each of the thirty-three beads of the Holy Face chaplet."
-Golden Arrow
Page: 225.
Single page, more here
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Eucharistic Adoration of the Holy Face
"To converse with You, O King of glory, no third person is needed, You are always ready in the Sacrament of the Altar to give audience to all. All who desire You always find You there, and converse with You face to face,"
- St. Teresa of Avila
"How many of you say: I should like to see His face, His garments, His shoes. You do see Him, you touch Him, you eat Him. He gives Himself to you, not only that you may see Him, but also to be your food and nourishment."
-St. John Chrysostom
Pope Gregory XV said that St. Teresa of Avila "saw Our Lord Jesus Christ, present in the Host so distinctly with the eyes of her spirit that she said she did not begrudge the happy lot of the Blessed who behold the Lord face to face in heaven."
"Go with Him, as His inseparable companion, to the wedding feast of Cana, and drink of the wine of His blessing. Let you have ever before you the Face of the Lord, and look upon His beauty, and let your earnest gaze turn nowhere away from His most sweet countenance."
-St. Ephrem of Syria
"All my sermons are prepared in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. As recreation is most pleasant and profitable in the sun, so homiletic creativity is best nourished before the Eucharist. The most brilliant ideas come from meeting God face to face."
"Here 'neath veils, my Saviour darkly I behold;
To my thirsting spirit all thy light unfold;
Face to face in heaven let me come to thee,
And the blessed vision of thy glory see."
-St. Thomas Aquinas
ENCYCLICAL LETTER
ECCLESIA DE EUCHARISTIA
OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE JOHN PAUL II
TO THE BISHOPS
PRIESTS AND DEACONS
MEN AND WOMEN
IN THE CONSECRATED LIFE
AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON THE EUCHARIST
IN ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHURCH
6. "I would like to rekindle this Eucharistic “amazement” by the present Encyclical Letter, in continuity with the Jubilee heritage which I have left to the Church in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte and its Marian crowning, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. To contemplate the face of Christ, and to contemplate it with Mary"
7. "I cannot let this Holy Thursday 2003 pass without halting before the “Eucharistic face” of Christ and pointing out with new force to the Church the centrality of the Eucharist."
53. "I pointed to the Blessed Virgin Mary as our teacher in contemplating Christ's face, and among the mysteries of light I included the institution of the Eucharist. 102 Mary can guide us towards this most holy sacrament, because she herself has a profound relationship with it."
55. "Mary as she contemplated the face of the newborn Christ and cradled him in her arms that unparalleled model of love which should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic communion?"
St. John Paul II Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia
OUR LORD led me to make a short interior retreat, during which I was no longer obliged to exert myself in order to pray, for I felt myself in the hands of our Lord, Who Himself stirred within me feelings of compassion and most tender longing to love Him. Then it was that our Saviour complain sighing that His love in the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar was not appreciated because of the lack of faith among Christians. In order that I may keep Him company in His loneliness, He has delightfully chained my heart and mind to remain at His feet before the Altar, where I continually adore His Most Holy Face hidden under the veil of the Eucharist.
-Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 187.
Single page here
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Our Father "Hallowed Be Thy Name"
The Our Father was composed by our Lord some 2000 years ago and the similarities nearly two millennia later between the Our Father prayer and the Golden Arrow prayer in-part are quite noticeable. Take for example where Jesus says: "Hallowed Be Thy Name" - in the Our Father prayer - now compare that segment to the Golden Arrow prayer: May The Most Sacred Most "Adorable Name of God Be Always Praised." The devotees to the Holy Face are very much called to defend His Holy Name against blasphemy.
Let us now reflect on why it is very bad to take the Lord's name in vain. In the Good Book it tells us clearly that we should never call good bad. When we associate something bad with His Holy Name, we are mocking Him to His Face publicly. We should never associate bad mistakes, bad works with His Holy Name.
To paint a picture in your mind: Imagine someone used your name continually - when - something bad happened: how would that make you feel? Would you at first blush followed by a feeling of great injustice - to name but a few emotions.
If you are willing to protect your own name, then surly in the spirit empathy you can see the great injustice that is being carried out on a daily bases without very little, to no thought, for our Saviour's Name. Even little children mock Him.
Will you step up and defend His Holy Name.
Single page: here
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Holy Face Image
The image of the Holy Face below is similar to the one St. Therese held up in her hands, alongside the Child Jesus of Ittenbach, and is in likeness to the one Venerable Leo Dupont venerated at his house on Rue St. Etienne in Tours. You can find the Holy Face image here or below on this main page.
Engraving of the Holy Face
Every soul attached to Holy Church, and with it to the dogma of the divinity of our Lord, ought to make it a law of love, to have in its own little oratory, a picture of the Holy Face. Ah! if this devotion did but reign in all hearts, we should soon see the last remnants disappear of the odious blasphemy which has come down even to our own days: the denial namely of the Divinity of Jesus! The devotion to the Holy Face is a sign of predestination, for what soul is there which after having loved and venerated this august Face on earth may not rest assured of one day venerating it amidst the triumphs of its glory? (Letter of Mr. Dupont.)
Taken from the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face (1885).
More here
REVELATION OF OCTOBER 28, 1845
The Feast Of The Apostle St. Jude Thaddeus
This communication explains that as in an earthly kingdom money which bears the picture of the ruler or head of a country is legal tender for purchasing whatever one wishes, so through the precious humanity of our Lord, bearing the picture of His Face, one can purchase all he desires from God.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 160.
"Just as in an earthly kingdom, "He stated," money which is stamped with the picture of the sovereign or ruling executive of the country procures whatever one desires to purchase, so likewise in the Kingdom of Heaven, you shall obtain all that you desire by offering the coin of My precious Humanity which is My adorable Face."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 161.
Golden Arrow
Page: 161.
REVELATION OF NOVEMBER 3, 1845
Our Lord further instructs Sister Mary of St. Peter about the excellence of the Devotion to the Holy Face, saying that His Sacred Face is like a Divine Stamp, reproducing the image of God in souls.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 163.
"OUR DIVINE SAVIOUR told me that He has undertaken to bring to the knowledge of men the power residing in His adorable Face in order to restore the image of God in those who have lost it through sin."
"He then showed me in the Apostle St. Peter an example of the power emanating from His Holy Face, for being smitten with one look from the Face of Jesus, the faithless apostle at once repented: "Jesus looked at Peter and Peter wept bitterly."
"By a divine illumination I see that adorable Face is a Divine Stamp which has the power of imprinting anew the image of God upon those souls to whom this Seal is applied.
Transported with joy at this celestial vision I am moved, therefore, to salute the Holy Face in theses words:
"I salute You, I adore You, and I love You, Oh, adorable Face of my beloved Jesus, as the noble Stamp of the Divinity! Completely surrendering my soul to You, I most humbly beg that this seal be affixed upon us all so that the image of God may once more be reproduced by its imprint in our souls!"
"In this work, man is invited to make reparation for the outrages committed against God in return for which God promises us to restore His image in our souls, by applying to them the virtue of His Holy Face . What mystery of love! I believe that God has great plans of showing mercy to souls by revealing to us the power of His adorable Countenance"
"In this priceless gift we possess an infallible means of appeasing the anger of the Eternal Father, irritated by blasphemers because whenever we beg Him to cast a look on the Face of His Divine Son, the rod falls from His hands. "Behold, Oh, God, our protector and look on the Face of Your christ!"
-Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Pages: 163-164.
REVELATION OF MARCH 12, 1846
In this communication our Saviour points to one of the least known among the saints, the good Thief, St. Dysmas, who through a last-minute public act of Reparation obtained forgiveness. He is to be a model for priests who now imitating His bold, open defense of the Saviour's cause on Calvary, must openly from the pulpit preach and defend His cause of Reparation.
-Golden Arrow
Page: 17.
"Our Lord Promised me that all who defended His cause in the work of Reparation, whether by their words, their prayers or by their writings, He would Himself defend before His Eternal Father, and that he would give them His Kingdom."
"Then it seemed to me that our Lord urged me to extend this promise in His Name to His priests, who through a crusade of preaching would advance the cause of Reparation. As for His spouses who would strive to honor and wipe His Holy face in spirit of atoning for blasphemies, our Lord promised that at their death he would purify the face of their souls by effacing the stains of sin, and that he would restore to them their original beauty."
-Sister Mary of St. Peter
After that our Lord said to me:
"Write down these promises for they will make a greater impression on souls than all that you have already said regarding this work, because these promises which speak of eternal rewards will greatly stimulate the interest of the faithful, which interest I do not condemn since I have given My life to merit the Kingdom of Heaven for sinners."
Than our Lord added:
"You will be guilty of an act of injustice if you do not make known these revelations!"
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 172.Golden Arrow
"I again give you My Sacred Head so that you may offer it to My Father to appease His Justice. Oh, if you but knew the power and the virtue that reside therein! And the reason why My Head possesses this power and virtue is because I have taken upon My Head all the sins of mankind so that My Members may be spared. Therefore, offer My Face to My Eternal Father for this is the means by which to appease Him."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 181.Golden Arrow
REVELATION OF NOVEMBER 22, 1846
Placing no bounds to the efficacy of the Devotion to the Holy Face, our Saviour informs Sister Mary of St. Peter that the treasure of His Face is of such tremendous value that through it all matters can be settled!
" My daughter," He said, "I take you today for my stewardess. I place My Holy Face in your hands that you may offer it unceasingly to My Father for the salvation of your country. Turn this divine gift to good profit, for the treasure of my Holy Face in itself possesses such tremendous value that through it all the affairs of My household can readily be settled. Through the Holy Face you will obtain the conversion of many sinners. Nothing that you ask in virtue of the Holy Face will be refused you. Oh, if you only knew how pleasing is the sight of My Face to My Father!"
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 182.Golden Arrow
"I now give this Holy Face in the presence of My Eternal Father and in virtue of the Holy Ghost. Before all the angels and saints, I offer you this gift of My Countenance through the hands of My Mother and those of St. Veronica who will teach you how it must be venerated."
-Our Lord
To Sister Mary of St. Peter
Golden Arrow
Page: 157-158.Golden Arrow
Offer up our Lord and saviour's Face to the good God.
The Devotion may differ here and there individually, but it is in honesty and thus good heart that the Good God listens to in full. Present this then your good heart before the Most Holy Face and trouble not.
You have His Holy Face - what more, what more.
Images for Demonstration Purposes Only:
and Print the Image out for Veneration.
Sites on the Holy Face in
alphabetical order:
Holy Face
Holy Face Association
Holy Face Devotion
Vultus Christi
Videos on the Holy Face
in alphabetical order:
Blessed Sister Maria Pierina De Micheli
Devotion to The Holy Face
Holy Face of Jesus Documentary
Leo Dupont
Oratoire of the Holy Face, Tours
The Holy Face of Jesus Chaplet
Book Recommendations
on the Holy Face
On the left side of the Main Page - Here - you should see a Menu Bar. There you can find single page links to the majority of information presented here and more for bookmarking in your browser. Alternately you can use the links, below each relevant topic, section to bring you to your desired destination to save for later if you wish.
-In The Name Of The Most Holy Trinity-
The Father The Son And The Holy Spirit.
Amen.
