“I dare to summon the whole Church bravely to cross this new threshold, to put into the deep, …so that now as in the past the great engagement of the Gospel and culture may show to the world ‘the glory of God on the Face of Christ’ (2 Cor 4:6). May the Lord bless all those who work for this aim.”
~Pope St. John Paul II
the Face of Christ is turned towards us.”
The Splendor of the Truth is Found on The Face of Christ
Obedience is not always easy. As a result of that mysterious original sin, committed at the prompting of Satan, the one who is “a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44), man is constantly tempted to turn his gaze away from the living and true God in order to direct it toward idols (cf. 1 Thes 1:9), exchanging “the truth about God for a lie” (Rom 1:25). Man’s capacity to know the truth is also darkened, and his will to submit to it is weakened. Thus, giving himself over to relativism and scepticism (cf. Jn 18:38), he goes off in search of an illusory freedom apart from truth itself.
But, no darkness of error or of sin can totally take away from man the light of God the Creator. In the depths of his heart there always remains a yearning for absolute truth and a thirst to attain full knowledge of it. This is eloquently proved by man’s tireless search for knowledge in all fields. It is proved even more by his search for the meaning of life. The development of science and technology, this splendid testimony of the ultimate religious questions. Rather, it spurs us on to face the most painful and decisive of struggles, those of the heart and of the moral conscience…
No one can escape from the fundamental questions: What must I do? How do I distinguish good from evil? The answer is only possible thanks to the splendor of the truth which shines forth deep within the human spirit, as the Psalmist bears witness: “There are many who say: ‘O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord’” (Ps 4:6)
The light of God’s face shines in all its beauty on the countenance of Jesus Christ, “the image of the invisible God” (Cor 1:15), the “reflection of God’s glory” (Heb 1:3), “full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Christ is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (Jn 14:6). Consequently the decisive answer to every one of man’s questions, his religious and moral questions in particular, is given by Jesus Christ, or rather is Jesus Christ himself, as the Second Vatican Council recalls: “In fact, it is only in the mystery of the Word Incarnate that light is shed on the mystery of man. For Adam, the first man, was a figure of the future man, namely, of Christ the Lord. It is Christ, the last Adam, who fully discloses man to himself and unfolds his noble calling by revealing the mystery of the Father and the Father’s love”. –Pope St. John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor (1993)
Prayer to the Holy Face by Pope John Paul II
Lord Jesus, Crucified and Risen; the image of the glory of the Father,
Holy Face, which looks at us and searches for us, kind and merciful, You who call us to conversion and invite us for the fullness of love, we adore and bless you. In your luminous Face, we learn to love and to be loved, to find freedom and reconciliation, to promote peace, which radiates from you and leads to you.
In your glorified Face we learn to overcome every form of egoism, to hope against every hope, to choose works of life against the actions of death. Give us grace to place you at the centre of our life, to remain faithful amidst dangers and the changes of the world, to our Christian vocation; to announce to all people the power of the Cross and the Word which saves; to be watchful and active, to attend the needs of the little ones; to understand the need of true liberation, which had its beginning in you and will have its end in you.
Lord, grant to your Church to stand like your Virgin Mother, at the glorious Cross, and at the crosses of all people to bring about consolation, hope and comfort.
May the Holy Spirit which you have granted, bring to maturation your work of salvation, through your Holy Face, which shines forever and ever. Amen.
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the Face of Christ.”
(2 Cor. 4:6)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
These are dark times — Please pray the Chaplet of the Holy Face “for the triumph of the Church and the downfall of it’s enemies.”
The Chaplet of the Holy Face
There are many “Rosaries” or “Chaplets” in addition to the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Little Chaplet of the Holy Face is a gem, which is not only very short, but also very powerful. The words of the Chaplet derive from Psalm 67 (68 in some Bibles). St. Athanasius relates that the devils, on being asked what verse in the whole Scripture they feared most, they replied, ‘That Psalm which begins: “Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered. Let those that hate Him flee before His Face!’ Then they are compelled to take flight.”
The Chaplet of the Holy Face honors the five senses by which Our Lord Jesus suffered in His Holy Face. It is also offered in reparation for blasphemy, sacrilege and indifference by which God is offended, and to entreat God for the triumph of His Church and conversion of its enemies.
The Symbolism of the Holy Face Chaplet: The Chaplet consists of 39 beads. The Cross reminds us of the mystery of Our Redemption. The 33 (“Hail Mary”, or small) beads represent the years of Our Lord’s mortal life on earth. *The three beads near the Cross represent the public years of Jesus’s Life. The remaining 30 (small) beads represent His hidden life. Chaplet is divided into five groups of six in honor of His five senses. The seven “Glory Be’s” which are said within the Chaplet represent the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
How to say the Chaplet of the Holy Face:
LITTLE CHAPLET OF THE HOLY FACE
(The words of the Holy Face Chaplet derive from Psalm 67(68) – St. Athanasius relatesthat the devils, on being asked what verse in the whole Scripture they feared most, replied: “That Psalm which begins: ‘Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered. Let those that hate Him flee from before His Face.’ “Then they are compelled to take flight.” The seven “Glory Be’s” which are recited within the Chaplet are in honor of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.)
The Chaplet of the Holy Face honors the five senses by which Our Lord Jesus suffered in His Holy Face. It is also offered in reparation for blasphemy, sacrilege and indifferenceby which God is offended, and to entreat God for the triumph of His Church and conversion of its enemies.
All: +In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
(On the first bead)
Leader: My Jesus mercy!
R: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(On the next three beads)
Leader: Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered.
R: And let those that hate Thee, flee from before Thy Face!
In honor of all that Our Lord suffered in His Holy Face…
1 – Leader: O Jesus, who endured a kiss of betrayal from Judas as well as the strikes and blows on His Holy Face from sinners ….Have Mercy on us!
Leader: My Jesus mercy! (“Our Father” bead)
R: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(On the next six beads)
Leader: Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered.
R: And let those that hate Thee, flee from before Thy Face!
2 – Leader: O Jesus, whose ears were assaulted by the curses and blasphemies which issued from the lips of those whom He created in His love ….Have Mercy on us!
Leader: My Jesus mercy! (“Our Father” bead)
R: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(On the next six beads)
Leader: Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered.
R: And let those that hate Thee, flee from before Thy Face!
3 – Leader: O Jesus, whose eyes were filled with tears and blood, then shamefully blindfolded by those who refused to look upon Jesus who is the Truth …Have Mercy on us!
Leader: My Jesus mercy! (“Our Father” bead)
All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(On next six beads)
Leader: Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered.
R: And let those that hate Thee, flee from before Thy Face!
4 – Leader: O Jesus, who suffered in His sense of smell, when His Holy Face was defiled and disfigured, covered with spittle and filth ….Have Mercy on us!
Leader: My Jesus mercy! (“Our Father” bead)
All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(On the next six beads)
Leader: Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered.
R: And let those that hate Thee, flee from before Thy Face!
5 – Leader: O Jesus, whose adorable mouth was filled with vinegar and gall ….Have Mercy on us!
Leader: My Jesus mercy! (“Our Father” bead)
All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(On the next six beads)
Leader: Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered.
R: And let those that hate Thee, flee from before Thy Face!
Conclusion
Leader: O God, our protector, look upon us.
R: And look upon the Face of Thy Christ.
Glory Be to the Father…
Additional prayers that may be said at the end of the Chaplet. We ask the Blessed Mother to place in the midst of the Church’s enemies all the instruments of the passion. A kingdom divided against itself will fall, so may the enemies of the Church be divided.
May God arise and let His enemies be scattered, and let those that hate Thee, flee from before Thy Face!
May the thrice holy name of God overcome all their plans.
May the Holy Name of the Living God split them up by disagreements.
May the terrible name of the God of Eternity stamp out all their godlessness.
And because God wills not the death of a sinner, but that they may be converted and live, we pray — Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.
The Golden Arrow Prayer
All: MAY the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible andineffable Name of God, be forever praised, blessed, adored, loved and glorified, in heaven, on earth, and in the hells, by all the creatures of God, and by theSacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
Jesus, may I seek your Face, may I learn to find it and to reflect it to others. May I know how to discover you in the ordinary happenings of my daily life. Amen.
Illumina Domine Blog - Devotion to The Holy Face 