“The Word will imprint in your soul, as in a crystal, the image of His own beauty, so that you may be pure with His purity, luminous with His light.”
Ten years before entering the Carmelite Convent in Dijon, France, eleven year-old Elizabeth Catez met the prioress on the afternoon of her First Holy Communion. What the prioress told her on that occasion left a deep impression in her soul; upon learning Elizabeth’s name, the prioress told her that her name meant “House of God.” She later wrote on the back of a holy card for Elizabeth: “Your blessed name hides a mystery, accomplished on this great day. Child, your heart is the House of God on earth, of the God of love.”
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16)
Waiting to enter Carmel–St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
Upon entering Carmel at the age of twenty-one, Elizabeth sought God’s Face within the temple of her own soul, in prayer and silence, with a growing desire to be united with Jesus, to share in His life and sufferings–to be transformed into His image–so that God the Father would find in her the image of His Son, in whom He was well-pleased. Elizabeth wrote, “God bends lovingly over this soul, His adopted daughter, who is so conformed to the image of His Son, the ‘first born among all creatures,’ and recognizes her as one of those whom He has ‘predestined, called, justified.’ And His Fatherly heart thrills as He thinks of consummating His work, that is of ‘glorifying her by bringing her into His kingdom, there to sing for ages unending’ the praise of His glory.” She prayed that the Holy Spirit “create in my soul a kind of incarnation of the Word: that I may be another humanity for Him in which He can renew His whole Mystery.”
“I want to gaze on You always and remain in Your great light.”~St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, OCD
“We must become aware that God dwells within us and do everything with Him; then we are never commonplace, even when performing the most ordinary tasks.”
This was the fruit of contemplation that St. Elizabeth of the Trinity wanted to share with everyone; the secret of transforming love hidden within our own hearts. By gazing steadfastly upon God, in faith and simplicity, the Word of God, Jesus Christ–as in the legend of St. Veronica’s Veil–will leave the imprint of His image on the veil of the soul. By her continual loving gaze at Him, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity was transformed into His image. When she died at the young age of twenty-six, she had already fulfilled her mission in the Church as a ceaseless “Praise of Glory,” reflecting the luminous, pure light of the Holy Trinity.
“It is Your continual desire to associate Yourself with Your creatures…How can I better satisfy Your desire than by keeping myself simply and lovingly turned towards You, so that You can reflect Your own image in me, as the sun is reflected through pure crystal? …We will be glorified in the measure in which we will have been conformed to the image of His divine Son. So, let us contemplate this adored Image, let us remain unceasingly under its radiance so that it may imprint itself on us.”
— St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, OCD, Feast Day November 8.
St. Veronica with the Veil of the Holy Face 1485, Maestro, Viennese
When he placed the New Millennium under “the Radiant sign of the Face of Christ” Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “To contemplate the Face of Christ, and to contemplate it with Mary, is the ‘program’ which I have set before the Church at the dawn of the third millennium…It is the Church’s task to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make His Face shine also before new generations of the new millennium. Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated His Face.” The Rosary is a traditional Christian prayer directed to the contemplation of Christ’s Face. “Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul,” says Pope St. John Paul II, “and runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ.”
Contemplation is a gift, a grace, from God. It is a communion in which God transforms a soul into His likeness. To put it more simply, as St. Teresa of Jesus says, contemplation is “a close sharing between friends…taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” Contemplation is not something beyond our reach however–we have an incomparable model in Mary; the eyes of her heart were always turned toward His Face. To dispose our souls to receive this great gift of God we need only reach for a Rosary and pray it with humility, listening attentively in the Spirit together with Mary, in silent love–that veil of mystery–to the Father’s voice. When we contemplate the scenes or mysteries of the Rosary in union with Mary, the Rosary becomes an unceasing praise of God; a way to learn from her about her son, Jesus, to discover His secrets and understand His message for us.
To recite the Rosary, which can be called a compendium of the Gospel, Pope St. John Paul II says, “is to contemplate the Face of Christ in union with, and at the school of, His Most Holy Mother…Against the background of the words of the Ave Maria the principal events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul. They take shape in the complete series of the joyful, [luminous,] sorrowful and glorious mysteries, and they put us in living communion with Jesus through–we might say through the heart of his Mother…The Rosary belongs among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation…To look upon the Face of Christ, to recognize its mystery amid the daily events and sufferings of His human life, and then to grasp the divine splendor definitively revealed in the Risen Lord, seated in glory at the right hand of the Father; this is the task of every follower of Christ and therefore the task of each one of us. In contemplating Christ’s Face we become open to receiving the mystery of Trinitarian life, experiencing ever anew the love of the Father and delighting in the joy of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul’s words can then be applied to us ‘Beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being changed into His likeness, from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.'” (Rosarium Virginus Mariae)
“The contemplation of Christ’s Face cannot stop at the image of the Crucified One. He is the Risen One!”~ Pope St. John Paul II
The entire month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary and October 7th is celebrated as the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The feast, originally named for Our Lady of Victory, commemorated the stunning victory, against all odds, obtained by Our Lady in the Battle of Lepanto through the prayer of the Rosary–which saved Christendom on October 7th, in 1571. By keeping our eyes fixed on the Face of Jesus as we pray the Rosary, together with Mary, through her maternal intercession, we too may obtain great victories through the heart of her Son Jesus, who obtained for all mankind the greatest victory over sin and death by His Resurrection.
“Through her, may we see Him. Made sweeter, not made dim. And her hand leaves His light, sifted to suit our sight.” ~ Gerard Manley Hopkins (Painting of the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus by Margaret Farr)
“The one you are looking for is the one who is looking.” ~St. Francis of Assisi
Within the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi is a precious relic: a small, crumpled piece of yellowed parchment with the writing of St. Francis, now displayed in a silver reliquary. It was written on Mount La Verna after St. Francis received the stigmata. The first biographer of St. Francis, Bl. Thomas of Celano wrote that for a long time St. Francis’s friend, Brother Leo, had greatly desired to have some memorial from the words of Our Lord written by St. Francis to be prayed in times of temptation:
“One day Blessed Francis called him, saying, ‘Bring me paper and ink, for I wish to write the words of God and His praises which I have been meditating in my heart.’ What he asked for being straightway brought, he writes with his own hand the praises of God and the words which he [his companion] wished, and lastly a blessing of the brother, saying: ‘Take this sheet for thyself and until the day of thy death guard it carefully.’ All temptation was at once driven away; the letter is kept and worked wonders for the time to come.” Brother Leo kept it faithfully; folding it in four, he carried it in his pocket and guarded it jealously for a good forty-six years. The text in the middle, written in black, and marked with a large “Tau” cross is in Francis’s own handwriting, he writes the praises of God* and grants to Brother Leo the blessing from the Book of Numbers 6: 22-27 which later became known as “the Blessing of St. Francis.”
“The Blessing of St. Francis” in reliquary.
*(St. Francis’s “Praises of God” are now now quite faded, but, this much can be still read: “Thou art holy, Lord God, who alone workest wonders. Thou art strong. Thou art great. Thou art most high. Thou art the Almighty King, Thou, holy Father, King of heaven and earth. Thou art the Lord God Triune and One; all good. Thou art good, all good, highest good, Lord God living and true. Thou art charity, love. Thou art wisdom. Thou art humility. Thou art patience. Thou art security. Thou art quietude. Thou art joy and gladness. Thou…” That is all that has been preserved.)
St. Francis in Ecstasy before the Veil of the Holy Face, 17th century (photo:Paul Badde/EWTN)
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in his homily for the World Day of Peace, 2013, spoke of this blessing from the Book of Numbers that was so precious to St. Francis:
“The blessing repeats the three times Holy Name of God, a Name not to be spoken, and each time linked to two words indicating an action in favor of man. Peace is the summit of these six actions of God in our favor, His most sublime gift, in which He turns toward us the splendor of His Face.”
This is the same, great blessing that St. Francis desired to impart to his friend, Brother Leo:
“May the Lord bless and keep you; may He make His Face shine upon you and be merciful to you; may He turn His Countenance toward you and give you His Peace!” (Num. 6:22-27)
Lady Jacoba was a noblewoman and widow, with two children from Rome, who became a follower of St. Francis. After having heard him preach she sought his guidance on how to be charitable. When Francis traveled to Rome, he would stay with Lady Jacoba as her guest and she cared for him when he was sick. She gave some of her property in Trastevere to the brothers, which they used to care for lepers. She gave up her life of comfort in order to help the poor. Woman were not normally permitted to be in company of the brothers, however, St. Francis made an exception in her case, jokingly referring to her as “Brother Jacoba.”
As Francis lay dying he sent an urgent letter by messenger to Lady Jacoba: “Brother Jacoba, the servant of the Most High, health in the Lord and communion in the Holy Ghost. Dearest, I want you to know that the blessed Lord has done the grace of revealing that the end of my life is nigh. So, if you want to find me still alive, hurry to Santa Maria degli Angeli as soon as you receive this letter.” He went on to request that she bring a gray cloth to wrap his body in, candles for burial, and almond cookies that she had made for him in Rome when he was sick. Before the messenger arrived in Rome, Lady Jacoba had already anticipated St. Francis’s needs by the light of the Holy Spirit and was on her way to Francis’s deathbed.
The bells of the church of Santo Stefano the Martyr which rang by themselves when St. Francis died.
St. Francis’s biographer, Bl. Thomas Celano, wrote that Lady Jacoba brought not only the gray cloth, the candles, and the almond cookies, but also a pillow for his head, and a“sindomen pro facie” (a veil to cover his face in death, which was displayed in the Relic Chapel). It had been her own sheer, embroidered wedding veil that she placed on the face of St. Francis in death. So, St. Francis, an alter Christus who bore the stigmata, also had his “Veronica” in Lady Jacoba, who brought him consolation in his passion.
“The Luke Icon: Rome’s Hidden Wonder of the World”
She is more than 2,000 years old, and for the greater part of seven centuries she has been mostly hidden in a cloister in Rome, known only by a few, footnoted in dusty books written by little known scholars. Many copies of the icon have been found around the world, but she is the original, surpassing all the others made by man in beauty and gracefulness. Her beautiful lips are closed, yet she speaks with her eyes. She is known as “Advocata Nostra.”
“Eia, Ergo, Advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.” “Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us.” ~from the Salve Regina.
Among his many gifts, Paul has an amazing talent for finding lost, ancient relics–to bring them back from obscurity to light. Paul has recently published a very special book that has been twenty years in the making, or one could even say, “a lifetime in the making,” because his story truly begins with his earliest memories of being taught to love the Mother of God by his own dear mother in his native Germany.
The title of the book is: “The Luke Icon: Rome’s Hidden Wonder of the World”–which hides the fact that it is actually a love story–tells of Paul’s long search for the earliest icon of the Blessed Mother, known as “La Advocata” in Italy, which was said to have been painted by St. Luke in the first century.
The Holy Face of Manoppello and Paul Badde(CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Advocata Nostra with golden hands and cross
Photo: Paul Badde/EWTN
The Luke Icon: Rome’s Hidden Wonder of the World is partly a biography–because Paul’s search is a very personal one. But since love unites us all in Christ, Paul’s story is woven together with many interesting people, as well as places, surprisingly very near and also far away; there is mystery, intrigue, long years of research, and providential clues that fell in his lap. Many times his holy quest was an uphill battle with crosses, delays, and roadblocks along the way. In the end–in God’s perfect timing–it seems that Divine Intervention cleared away obstacles to suddenly reveal the incredible and astonishing results of his long search.
As I read Paul’s book, (very slowly translating from German, as it is not yet available in English), an image kept coming into my mind of a little boy sitting on a stool watching his mother at work, twisting and knotting various colored threads, as she wove a tapestry. I was reminded of a story told by St. Pio of Pietrelcina, in which he explained why God permits suffering, and evil to exist on our lives, only to bring about a greater good:
“A mother was embroidering on a small weaving frame. Her young son was seated in front of her on a small low stool watching her work. But, as he is watching, he saw only the tangle of threads on the reverse side of the weaving frame, from underneath. And so he says, ‘But mother, what are you doing? The embroidery is so ugly!’ So what does the mother do? She lowers the weaving frame and shows him the other side of the work, the good side with all its colors in place and all the threads making a harmonious pattern…. Have you seen what evil is like? Evil is like the reverse side of that embroidery, and we’re all sitting on a small stool.” ~ St. Pio
Though paint has crumbled away after centuries, and restorations have been done, out of respect, sections of the original have not been touched. Advocata Nostra – Wiki Commons – Public Domain
Paul was looking at “tangles of thread” from over 2,000 years. In addition to the arduous task of finding the Luke Icon in the first place, very difficult questions needed to be answered, such as: Was it actually painted by St. Luke, despite Hebrew prohibitions on the painting of images? Is “La Advocata Nostra” indeed the original? Is there any evidence that the encaustic wax icon belonged to the first century? Was the icon restored? What is the meaning of the gesture of Our Lady’s hands? Are there copies? And more.
The Shroud of Turin and Holy Veil of Manoppello are known as “achieropoieta.” Meaning the miraculous sudarium veil of Jesus’s own human face was “written in light” by the Hand of God, and not human hands. An image created by God’s hand, of course, does not violate the prohibition on images. Paul writes, “This image [the veil of the Face of Jesus] was obviously needed before the first icon of Mary could be created later on, which really over-ruled the old ban on images.” Luke’s Icon of Mary is the iconoclast-breaker that removed the Hebrew prohibitions against painting any human image–“made in the image and likeness of God.” How fitting the Mother of God should be the first!
The position of her hands, raised as though she is interceding for us, caused her to be called by the unusual title of “Advocata Nostra.” She is our “lawyer,” but Advocata can have another meaning, “to call” or “summon.” Or as once Paul told me, “She is the one who is there when you call her.” Mary is ever pleading for us before the throne of God. However, the gesture of her hands, Paul discovered, turned out to mean much more. Paul had found some copies of the icon, made centuries before a restoration in the 1960’s, that reveal that before time had crumbled the paint away, she was holding something very precious in her hands that the restoration covered over. It would have been her most precious possession–a veil. A veil?…Why would she be showing us a veil? Paul makes a very good argument, that the veil that Our Lady holds in her hands is “The Cloth that covered Jesus’s Head” found in the tomb by Saints Peter and John-miraculously imprinted with His Face at the Resurrection–“Il Volto Santo,” the Holy Veil of Manoppello, Italy, is believed to be that veil. After all, it makes perfect sense, that of all of Jesus’s disciples, Saints Peter and John would have given “the cloth that covered His Head” to His own Mother.
It has been a long tradition of the Church that after a newly ordained priest has been anointed with blessed chrism, the oil is then wiped with a linen cloth, called a manutergium, representing the burial, or sudarium cloth of Christ, which is given to the priest’s mother, who keeps it throughout her lifetime, to be placed in her hands at her burial.
“Advocata Nostra” Photo: Paul Badde/EWTN “All generations will call me blessed.” (Luke 1:48)
When one looks into the eyes of Advocata Nostra, as a child of Mary, one encounters a person, a motherly presence–Mary looks at us, she listens to us. She holds out to us, in her pure hands, her most precious treasure: the veil of the Holy Face of her Son Jesus. Though she is silent, as she “turns her eyes of mercy toward us, Mary seems to say everything: ‘Take courage, my child’...”He is Risen!”
Veil of the Holy Face of Jesus of Manoppello, believed to be the cloth that covered Jesus’s Head at the Resurrection. (photo: Paul Badde/EWTN)
August 29, 2024: Antonio Bini, of Manoppello, has written many wonderful pieces, translated from Italian for Raymond’s blog. Most recently, he has written about a very positive developement– the uniting of devotees of the Holy Face in “The ‘Holy Face’ of Christ Unites.” The Holy Face of Jesus has been loved and adored under many different aspects over the centuries, such as The Face from the Shroud of Turin, “Il Volto Santo” Holy Veil of Manoppello, The Holy Face of Chiusa Sclarfani, Italy, The Holy Face of Tours, France, and under many other titles around the world. However, the intention to love, honor and adore the person of Jesus Christ in His Sacred Humanity is always the same… Be sure to give Antonio’s report from Manoppello a read!
Mass of St. Gregory, attributed to Israel van Meckenem, circa 1440-1503
There are many beautiful versions of artworks portraying the story of the “Mass of St. Gregory.” The earliest version was found in an 8th-century biography of St. Gregory from the 8th century. One version, by John the Deacon, tells the story of Pope St. Gregory saying Mass when suddenly, from within the Church, a woman began to laugh. It was just at the moment of the Consecration. It turns out, that the laughing woman was the one who had baked, the bread to be consecrated, herself, and so told her companion that she didn’t believe that the host could be Jesus Christ. St. Gregory, when he heard the mocking laughter, prayed for a sign and the host began to bleed, thus confirming the True Presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Other versions of the story also tell of St. Gregory’s vision of Jesus appearing on the altar in His Passion. Many works often included the instruments of the Passion, and prominent among them, one sees the Veil of the Holy Face of Jesus. Pilgrims to Rome, as well as many great artists, were able to see for themselves the “Greatest relic of the Church,” when the Holy Face Veil was publicly displayed from the reign of Pope Innocent III up until the Sack of Rome in 1527. Thankfully, therefore, we have many historic representations of what the Holy Veil actually looked like:
Detail of face of Jesus on veil in painting of the Mass of St. Gregory by Michael Wolgemut, who was the teacher of Albrecht Durer. The “Veil of Veronica” in artwork before the early 1500’s resemble the “Il Volto Santo” of Manoppello.“
The Mass of St. Gregory I by Robert Campin 15th Century
The Holy Face of Jesus on the Veil is a visible, tangible sign of the reality of Jesus’s presence in the world: He is “The Word made flesh” who dwells among us; Jesus Christ, who lived, suffered, died and rose again from the tomb, and who is truly present to us in the Eucharist at each Mass until the end of time.
St. Augustine in Meditation, Bartolome Esteban Murillo
“I have sought Thy face. I have sought for Thee and none other beside Thee. Thy face is my only reward. I will seek Thy face, O Lord: in this demand will I persevere. Indeed I will not look for any unworthy object, but only Thy face that I may love Thee more generously, because I find none other more precious. Thy face is the reward of the elect. The righteous shall dwell under Thine eyes, and when they will love Thy face, they will eat the bread of the sweat of their brow.
Let us return, wiping away the sweat, let us end the weariness and the weeping that we may shine in Thy all satisfying face. Neither let us search any more, because there is nothing better. Let us not abandon Thee, and we shall not be abandoned by Thee. Because what was said about the Lord, after the Resurrection? I will be filled with overflowing joy with Thy face, because without Thy face, there would not be joy for us.” ~ St. Augustine
Boticelli’s Deposition
From the Confessions of Saint Augustine, bishop:
“Lord, you know me. Let me know you. Let me come to know you even as I am known. You are the strength of my soul; enter it and make it a place suitable for your dwelling, a possession without spot or blemish. This is my hope and the reason I speak. In this hope I rejoice rightly. As for the other things of this life, the less they be lamented; and the more they deserve tears, the less likely will men sorrow for them. For behold, you have loved the truth, because the one who does what is true enters into the light. I wish to do this truth before you alone by praising you, and before a multitude of witnesses by writing of you. O Lord, the depths of man’s conscience lie exposed before your eyes. Could anything remain hidden in me, even though I did not want to confess it to you? In that case I would only be hiding you from myself, not myself from you. But now my sighs are sufficient evidence that I am displeased with myself; that you are my light and the source of my joy; that you are loved and desired. I am thoroughly ashamed of myself; I have renounced myself and chosen you, recognizing that I can please neither you not myself unless you enable me to do so.
Whoever I may be, Lord, I lie exposed to your scrutiny. I have already told of the profit I gain when I confess to you. And I do not make my confession with bodily words, bodily speech, but with the words of my soul and the cry of my mind which you hear and understand. When I am wicked, my confession to you is an expression of displeasure with myself. But when I do good, it consists in not attributing this goodness to myself. For you, O Lord, bless the just man, but first you justify the wicked. And so I make my confession before you in silence, and yet not in silence. My voice is silent, but my heart cries out.
Joan Mates, Mourning over the body of Christ
You, O Lord, are my judge. For though no one knows a man’s innermost self except the man’s own spirit within him, yet there is something in a man which even his own spirit does not know. But you know all of him, for you have made him. As for me, I despise myself in your sight, knowing that I am but dust and ashes; yet I know something of you that I do not know of myself.
True, we see now indistinctly as in a mirror, but not yet face to face. Therefore, so long as I am in exile from you, I am more present to myself than to you. Yet I do know that you cannot be overcome, while I am uncertain which temptations I can resist and which I cannot. Nevertheless, I have hope, because you are faithful and do not allow us to be tempted beyond our endurance, but along with the temptation you give us the means to withstand it.
I will confess, therefore, what I know of myself, and also what I do not know. The knowledge that I have of myself, I possess because you have enlightened me, while the knowledge of myself that I do not yet possess will not be mine until my darkness shall be made as the noonday sun before your face.”
Sr. Petra-Maria before the Holy Face of Manoppello, Italy (Photo: Patricia Enk)
“Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep but kept awake, and they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Elijah” –not knowing what he said. As her said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen” ~From the Gospel of Luke
Miraculous Veil of the Holy Face of Manoppello, Italy. Photo: Paul Badde
Many special events are held at the Basilica Shrine of the Il Volto Santo in Manoppello, Italy, leading up to the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus. The Basilica contains a very precious relic veil, on which one may see–according to the light–the Holy Face of Jesus. The conference speakers included Author Paul Badde, who gave an intriguing talk on the message that God has bestowed on the world, through the means of a gift: a miraculous veil bearing the Holy Face of the Father’s “Beloved Son.” Paul’s talk, which has been translated by Raymond Frost, may be read in its entirety by clicking here: “The Medium is the Message,” on The Holy Face of Manoppello Blogspot.
“Let us ask God, through the intercession of Mary, Teacher of faith and contemplation, to enable us to receive within us the light that shines brightly on the Face of Christ, so that we may reflect its image on everyone we meet.” ~Pope St. John Paul II
Reliquary containing God’s “gift” of the precious relic veil of the Holy Face. Photo: Paul Badde
“This veil of the ‘Sanctissimum Sudarium’ with the ‘human face of God’ (Benedict XVI) was in some way conceived as the foundation of the largest and most important church in Christianity.” –Excerpt from Paul Badde’s talk “The Medium is the Message.” (Photo: Paul Badde)
All of us, gazing on the Lord’s glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into his very image by the Lord who is the Spirit.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts, that we in turn might make known the glory shining on the face of Christ.
(2 Cor. 3: 18 – 4:6)
Rector of the Basilica Shrine of the Holy Face, Padre Antonio Gentile gazes at the Veil as the appearance and disappearance of the Holy Face changes according to the light. (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
Photo: Alexandra Prandell
Photo: Alexandra Prandell
Light shines through the sheer veil. (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
Thank you to Alexandra Prandell for the following beautiful photos taken by her at the evening procession of the relic veil of Holy Face on the Feast of the Transfiguration in Manoppello, Italy:
Relic of the Holy Face of Manoppello, (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
Holy Face Veil, (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
Reliquary carried through the streets, (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
“Il Volto Santo” (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
The light of His Face shines in the darkness, (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
The gaze of the Holy Face of Jesus penetrating the darkness,( Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
Let your Face shine on us, and we shall be saved! (Photo: Alexandra Prandell)
Blasphemy against Our Lord now seems to have reached the inverted crescendo of debauchery reflecting the depths of hell in the opening ceremony of the French Olympic’s obscene mockery of the Last Supper of Christ. I cannot stomach repeating a description of the revolting display that was acted out in an anti-christian spirit that perhaps surpassed that of the French Revolution in it’s world-wide scope.
What does blasphemy has to do with the Face of God, and what should be the response of all Christians?
God has a Face and a Holy Name in Jesus Christ. When God became man at the Incarnation, He showed us His human face in Jesus. The Hebrew term “panim” means both to see the Face of God, or to be in His Holy Presence, as well as a term that describes relationship. Through the Face of Jesus we enter into relationship with God. Jesus lets us know the hidden Face of the Father through His human face, by the gift of the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts. Blasphemy is rejecting the tender love God offers to mankind in His Son Jesus, and in effect, attacking and spitting in His Face.
Because of this relationship between God and man — reflected in the name of Jesus and His Holy Face — sins committed against Him cause pain and suffering to His Sacred Heart, and are reflected in the Face of Christ. The manifestation of our sins on His Countenance come about through blasphemy, atheism, disrespect of God in sacred things, the profanation of Sunday, hatred of God’s Church. All of which was demonstrated in the satanic display at the Olympic opening ceremony.
Our relationship with God as it should be is lovingly presented to mankind in the first three of the Ten Commandments that relate to God Himself:
I AM THE LORD THY GOD: THOU SHALT NOT HAVE STRANGE GODS BEFORE ME.
THOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD THY GOD IN VAIN.
KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY.
According to Catholic Church teaching, the first commands: faith, hope, love and worship of God; reverence for holy things; prayer; and forbids: idolatry; superstition; spiritism; tempting God; sacrilege; and attendance at false worship. The second commands: reverence in speaking about God and holy things; the keeping of oaths and vows. It forbids: blasphemy; the irreverent use of God’s name; speaking disrespectfully of holy things; false oaths and the the breaking of vows. The third commands: going to church on Sundays and holy days of obligation. It forbids missing church through one’s own fault; unnecessary servile work on Sunday and holy days of obligation.
The sins, however, committed by those who do not know God, pale in comparison to the most horrible and destructive blasphemy which has been committed by those who should be closest to the Heart of Jesus, within the Church, who have betrayed Him. All these indignities suffered by Our Lord in His Face represent the most serious sins, because they are against God Himself.
Left: Photo of the Holy Face of Manoppello / On the Right: Judas betraying Jesus with a Kiss. Painting by Hans Holbein Photo: Paul Badde/EWTN
If you would like to console Jesus, uniting to Him in His suffering, our bishops have suggested attending Mass with reverence, as well as spending time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. In addition, prayers of reparation may be found clicking the “Prayers” tab. The damage done by the sins of humanity to our precious relationship with God, which are reflected in the Face of Jesus Christ, are in need of repair. For this reason, devotion and reparation to the Holy Face and the Holy Name are fitting in order to make amends for what humanity has done to Him.
“For God so loved the world”
“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 the sins of men.” –Words of Our Lord to Bl. Mother Maria Pierina de Micheli
The Veronica Veil
The Golden Arrow Prayer, is a prayer given by Our Lord to Sr. Marie St. Pierre, OCD, to be prayed in atonement for the sins of blasphemy against God’s name–As those sins are like a ‘poisoned dart’ continually wounding Our Lord’s Sacred Heart, Sr. Marie St. Pierre saw in a vision that this “Golden Arrow Prayer” had the power to wound His Heart delightfully:
“May the most holy, most adorable, most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever 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.”
Be a “Veronica” by wiping the spittle from the Face of Our Lord, and He will restore His Image in your soul. Click here to learn “What does it mean to be a Veronica?”
“Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.” (2 Kings 13:21)
4th century fresco of the King of Edessa, who was healed of leprosy after being brought a miraculous face cloth of Jesus by St. Jude, according to one legend.
“So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished through the hands of Paul that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.” (Acts 19: 1-12)
“A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him [Jesus] and touched the tassel on his cloak. ‘She said to herself, ‘If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.’ Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, ‘Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.'” (Mat 9:20-22)
The Catholic Church is often criticized for its veneration of relics, but who would not like to touch the “face cloth” mentioned in the Bible that St. Paul may have once used to wipe his brow, or touch the hem of Jesus’s garment? A letter written by Pope Pelagius II in the sixth century declared that any common object placed in contact with the grave of a saint would acquire its sanctifying power. St. Helena discovered the True Cross when God used that relic to bring a dead man from death to life the moment his body came in contact with it.
“How do we know if a relic is true?”
That is a question often heard regarding purported relics. Skeptics often cite the many dubious relics that were forged; such as the “heads” or “teeth” of St. John the Baptist that abounded in the Middle Ages. While the Church wants to treasure and preserve what is genuine, it also seeks answers to the question, “How do we know…?” How does the Church determine the authenticity of a relic? Outside of a miracle, today there are many forms of scientific research, such as carbon dating, that are now available. Naturally, this is a very controversial subject, as testing done the wrong way could degrade or destroy the relic itself. It may also be a very risky business spiritually, with a potential to do something far worse: Disputes over a relic’s authenticity or errors in testing have caused scandal, resulting in the loss of faith of many individuals.
Then, there are also many classes of relics to be considered: Relics are divided into three classifications. A first class relic is a body part of a saint, such as a bone, blood, or flesh. Second class relics are possessions that a saint owned, and third class relics are objects that have been touched to a first or second class relic or to the saints himself or herself. In verifying relics, there is also the great risk to be considered in exposing what may be a very precious ancient relic to invasive tests that could further degrade the relic. Great care must be taken, not only to preserve and protect the Church’s treasures, but also the souls of the faithful. This is why the Church sometimes moves so slowly in these matters.
Digital scan of the Face of Christ on the Shroud of Turin
Despite the many scientific advances in carbon dating, and other testing, errors have been made in the past which have led to false results causing a great deal of harm; as was the case in the false carbon dating of the Shroud of Turin to medieval times, which made front page news at the time, labeling the Shroud of Turin a medieval fraud. It was later proven that the sample for the carbon dating of the Shroud was actually taken from a repair patch, and not the original shroud, which, when re-tested, was then dated to the first century–making the back page news, of course.
Face of Jesus known as the “Uronica” in the “Holy of Holies Chapel of Sancta Sanctorum in Rome.
Recently, the testing of relics is once more in the news. Most people who have traveled to Rome are familiar with the “Scala Sancta” or the “Holy Stairs,” near St. John Lateran. They are twenty-eight marble steps that were brought from Jerusalem that lead up to a chapel known as “Sancta Santorum or Holy of Holies.” Named for the original place in Jerusalem that contained the ark of the covenant, the chapel is said to contain the some of the holiest relics in Christendom, including relics of the earliest martyrs, and the “Uronica,” an “acheiropoieta,” not made by human hands, of Jesus, Ruler of the Universe, attributed to St. Luke–which, “according to legend,” was finished by the angels. In 816, Pope Leo III placed the reliquary box under the altar of the chapel. The relics remained hidden there, until 1903, when Pope Leo XIII permitted experts to examine them. It turned out to be an arduous task, and, unfortunately, later important data was lost due to a rivalry between French and German scholars. To protect the relics from falling into the wrong hands, they were eventually moved to the Vatican Library, and then, to the Vatican Museum.
Barbara Jatta, head of the Vatican museums, recently gave a press conference, on May 23, 2024, on the Catholic Church’s attempt to bring some “clarity and provenance” to two of the ancient relics that had been kept for centuries in the “Holy of Holies” chapel: the relic tunics of St. Peter and St. John the Evangelist. Jatta announced a new permanent exhibition that will display these two purported relics and the tests they have undergone that have shed light on which of the two may be authentic: EWTN Vatican has a good article by Matthew Santucci summarizing the conference: “The Tunics of St. Peter and St. John, Two Extraordinary Relics of the Sancta Sanctorum.” The Vatican Museum should be applauded for this admirable work that has been carefully carried out in pursuit of the truth.
Note the distinctive folds of the veil in this painting detail.
“The Veronica Veils” and the question of which relic is true?
One hopes that the Vatican Museum will continue to seek the truth in the case of other controversial relics, by whatever reasonable means are available, to discover their origins. The issue of testing relics has increasingly been brought up in the case of two “Veronica Veils:” one, held at the Vatican, and another, known as the “Veil of Manoppello.” Acrimonious debates that have erupted in recent decades regarding the two veils have caused division among many Catholic devotees of the Holy Face. Some claim as well that the authority of the Church on the subject the devotion to the Holy Face ended with Pope Leo XIII; thus, passing over what has been been uncovered or written about regarding the devotion since that time, including: the discoveries and research on the Shroud of Turin, or writings by Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, or Pope Francis; thus, making it very difficult to enter into dialog on the subject. It will ultimately be for the Church to decide whether or not to investigate the relics to help provide the “clarity and provenance” needed to confirm their authenticity.
Fresco of ciborium that existed in 708 containing sudarium of the “Veronic” True Icon
The authenticity of the Vatican relic of the “Veronica Veil” has come into question due to the abundant historic research that points to the relic “Veil of Manoppello” as being the original “proto-image” for icons, frescos, and paintings of the face of Jesus, as seen in so many of the earliest works of art depicting the “Veronica”; such as the “Liber Regulae Sancta Spiritus in Saxia,” or in other more ancient works, such as the “Godescic Manuscript” of 781, both pictured below:
Godescic Manuscript, 781
This illustration of the first public procession of the “Veronica” on the feast of “Omnis Terra” (All the Earth), depicts Pope Innocent III, in 1207, carrying the crystal reliquary displaying the “Veronica Veil” (from “Liber Regulae Sancti Spiritus in Saxia” manuscript ,1350).
The Vatican “Veronica veil” is displayed at a great distance during Holy Week. No face can be discerned on the darkened cloth that is displayed in a face-shaped frame.
A closer look at the Veronica Veil being presented for veneration at the Vatican, April 7, 2019. Photo: Daniel Ibanez
First, in order to explain anything about the images known as “Veronicas,” it must be understood that the Church has a very rich 2,000 year history, and that there are hundreds, if not thousands, so-called “Veronicas” representing the true image of the Face of Christ in museums, churches and basilicas. Secondly, the term “Veronica” refers to the image itself, and not a Saint called Veronica. The various legends of a St. Veronica did not appear until the Middle Ages. There a many, many earlier legends that name other persons such as woman named Hypatia, who drew the miraculous image from a well; or a woman named Bernice, whose name is associated with the woman with the hemorrhage in the Gospels; or St. Jude; who was said to bring the Holy Face Veil to the King of Edessa to cure him.
The Veronica, Hans Memling, 1479
“These pious traditions cannot be documented, but there is no reason why the belief that such an act of compassion did occur should not find expression in the veneration paid to one called Veronica.” —The Catholic Encyclopedia
Pope St. John Paul II explored the deep meaning behind these legends before he dedicated the millennium to the Face of Christ (Found here) and has written beautifully on the compassionate woman who is known as “Veronica” and what the significance the Image of the Face of Christ on the veil has for Christians. Most “Veronica” images are copies of an original or “proto-image,” others are imaginative, and a few are believed to be of Divine origin, that is, “made by God’s Hand.” Only one, however, can be the original and true image.
For centuries following the first time the Veil was publicly displayed and processed by Pope Innocent III in 1207 any pilgrim could see for themselves the Holy Face of Jesus on a Veil from either side of the sometimes transparent veil. Artistic works also called “Veronicas” were produced at that time for the many pilgrims who flocked to Rome to gain an indulgence by seeing the relic Veil for themselves…and take home a souvenir, of course, of a copy for themselves, or for their local Church. That was up until the Sack of Rome in 1527, when it was feared that the Veronica Veil had been stolen:
The broken crystal frame that displayed the Veronica, from the Vatican Museum
“A letter written to the Duchess of Urbino by her representative, Urban, dated May 21, 1527, reads, ‘Holy relics have been thrown out onto the streets. The Veronica has been stolen and passed around in taverns from person to person without a word of protest‘”
The large reliquary framed that was created to display the miraculous image from both sides, between two large crystal panes, was found broken. (It is now on display in the Vatican Museum.) When the dust settled, following the Sack of Rome, the image was no longer displayed publicly. Pope Paul V, in 1616, prohibited any copies to be made of the Veronica without permission, and later Pope Urban VII ordered that all copies of the Veronica be handed in to a local priest or bishop under pain of excommunication. In 1629, a noticeably different image with a death-like face was placed in the newly completed Veronica Altar in St. Peter’s basilica–covered with another outer veil–and a notice was placed nearby stating that anyone who removed the veil covering the Holy Face without papal approval would be excommunicated. Some have speculated that the “outer veil” mentioned may have been what remained after the Sack of Rome, and put in the place of the original, or possibly another of the many copies was put in its place–but that is only speculation. The facts were that from then forward, the darkened image was then only shown rarely, once a year from a distance of 20 meters, and its appearance was quite different than what was seen and copied by artists previously. In fact, the difference between early and later depictions of the “Veronica” was shocking. Not surprisingly, the interest in the Veronica and therefore devotion to the Holy Face soon dwindled.( More detail found in “Four Stories–One Face”)
Veronica’s Veil 1420 as it was depicted in paintings prior to the Sack of Rome.
BERTRAM, Holy Face c. 1390-1400
Painting made after the Sack of Rome, in 1617, by Pietro Strozzi
Painting of Veronica Veil which bears strong resemblance to the Holy Veil “Il Volto Santo” of Manoppello, Italy.
Which is the original “true image?” The two relic veils now in question are the Vatican “Veronica Veil” and the “Il Volto Santo” Holy Face Veil of Manoppello, both claiming to be the original Veil of the Face of Christ:
The Vatican “Veronica Veil” which is housed in St. Peter’s Basilica’s “Veronica Pillar” is a darkened brown cloth, in a frame shaped like a face. Pilgrims are now only permitted to see this relic from a great distance. The cloth does not appear to be transparent, and is only shown from one side.
The Vatican Veil Being displayed for veneration
During the exile of the Pope Pius IX at Gaeta in 1849, he ordered that the Veronica Veil be exposed, at a time of crisis, for public prayer and veneration, from Christmas to Epiphany. On the third day of exposition, the Veil, which had darkened to the point that a face could no longer be discerned, became visible, as if it were illuminated by a soft light. The Pope invited artists to make copies of the miraculous image, which were later touched to the relic of the veil, as well as the relics of the Passion, held in the Veronica Pillar at the Vatican.
This image is often associated with the revelations of of Sr. Marie St. Pierre, who died in 1848, and so had never seen the drawings. The “Epiphany Miracle,” as it was called, was regarded by some as a confirmation of her revelations regarding her devotion to the Holy Face. Although many of the prayers related to her revelations were approved, her writings as a whole were not. Sometime later, a layman, Leon Du Pont, who was a friend of Sr. Marie St. Pierre, placed an oil lamp before a reproduction of the image in his home. “The Holy Man of Tours,” as he was known, prayed for the sick there, and anointed them with oil from the lamp. It was said that hundreds of cures were obtained through his intercession before the image. St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face had a copy of the image pinned to her bed curtains as she lay dying. She and her family had a great devotion to the Face of Jesus, and belonged to the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face that was in existence at that time, and into the 20th century, but no longer exists today.
“Vera Effigies” drawing of the wounded Holy Face, depicting closed, weeping eyes, and slightly parted lips. The upper forehead and other artistic elements were an imaginative addition to what was originally viewed by witnesses.
The Holy Face on the Veil of Manoppello (Photo: Paul Badde)The distinctive lock of hair, and folds on the veil may be seen in this photo.
Transparent Veil of Manoppello
The other “Veronica” relic is the Holy Veil of Manoppello. It is not a painting; the image is truly present in a mysterious way on a sheer veil, made of a precious sea-silk called byssus. The Veil and Image itself are a “miracle of light:” the delicate veil, held between two panes of glass, can appear transparent. The image of the Face appears and changes according to light and the direction from which it can be viewed from either side. The veil closely matches centuries-old artwork and written accounts of those witnesses who made pilgrimages to Rome when the “Veronica” was publicly displayed–including written accounts and works of art dating to the early Church–before the veil was known as “the Veronica,” but was known by other names such as the Camulia, or the Edessa, or the Mandylion. The veil was once much larger, but was trimmed down over the centuries. The wounded, yet peaceful countenance of Jesus is visible with open eyes and parted lips, sparse beard, wavy hair, and a distinctive lock of hair at the center of the forehead, which is often depicted in many eastern icons, and paintings of the face of Jesus through the centuries. The Manoppello Veil is not a painting, but an “achieropoieta”–an image not made by human hands.
Hand seen from the other side of the Veil of the Holy Face of Manoppello–which is so sheer a newspaper can be read through it. Photo: Paul Badde
Copy of the “Veronica” from 1373 painted on an altarpiece with the distinctive lock of hair at the center of Jesus’ forehead…
…Also seen in this beautiful depiction of the Veronica that is in the Getty Museum…
…as well as this manuscript and many others.
In this remarkable “Meister of St. Laurenz” painting of the Holy Trinity, the faces of both God the Father and the Son are portrayed similarly, each bearing a strong resemblance to the face on the Holy Veil of Manoppello. Photo taken in Cologne, Germany by Paul Badde.
The late, highly respected Heinrich Pfeiffer S.J. was an eminently qualified teacher of art history and Christian iconography at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was also an expert “sindonologist.” Sindonology is the study of the Shroud of Turin, which is its own branch of science. In the course of his many years of research he traveled to the Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello. Upon seeing the Veil for himself, he immediately recognized it as the “proto-image” or original from which most icons, paintings, and other representations of “the Veronica” had been derived. The incredible “Veronica” of Manoppello was believed to be the veil that covered the Face of Jesus in the tomb. (Author Paul Badde has written much about this search for the “rediscovered face” in his books: The Face of God – the Rediscovery of the True Face of Jesus, The True Icon: From the Shroud of Turin to the Veil of Manoppello, and The Holy Veil of Manoppello: The Human Face of God.)
Christ’s Face being covered with a sheer veil or sudarium in the tomb.
When, as a scholar, Fr. Pfeiffer joyfully and dutifully reported the fruits of his research, “all hell broke loose.” Instead of being met with rejoicing over the historic discovery of the “proto-image” of the Veronica–a miraculous image that corresponds to historic accounts and countless works of art in museums and churches around the world–Fr. Pfeiffer was roundly vilified by persons who, while accusing him of perpetrating fraud, also refused to look at his evidence. Any requests that Fr. Pfieffer or other scholars and researchers made to look into the authenticity of the relic veil held in the Vatican were declined by bureaucrats.
The indisputable abundance of centuries of art history, that even a child can see, points to the Veil of Manoppello as the original proto-image. But piles of comparisons are not enough to satisfy the outraged critics. Fr. Pfeiffer’s vast research that led him to Manoppello continues to be rejected out of hand, and ignored by those who refuse to look at the data. Unless the relic at the Vatican is examined, the controversy between the two relics of the Face of Jesus will remain at a stalemate, and continue to be a unhappy source of division in the Body of Christ. It was the cause of much suffering for Fr. Pfeiffer in his lifetime, but he was committed to speaking and writing about what he had discovered until he died in 2021.
Pope Benedict XVI greets Sr. Blandina Paschalis Schlomer, an expert in iconography, renown for her expertise and forensic comparisons of ancient images of the Face of Christ. Looking on are Fr. Heinrich Pfeiffer S.J., and Paul Badde, author of many books about the Holy Veil of Manoppello (September 1, 2006).
Pope Benedict XVI gazes at the ‘Veronica’s Veil’ during a visit to the Holy Veil in Manoppello, Italy (September 1, 2006).
Streams of pilgrims, from the greatest to the least, have travelled the world to visit the Basilica Shrine of the Holy Face Veil in Manoppello, to see for themselves and experience the grace and peace flowing through their encounter with the Face of Christ. Hopefully, one day the Church will see the way clear to safely examine the relics, as it has done in the case of the relics of Sancta Santorum, to bring light, peace and truth once again to the faithful through their devotion to the Face of Jesus.
“To contemplate The Face of Christ, and to contemplate it with Mary, is the ‘program’ which I have set before The Church at the dawn of the third millennium.” — Pope St. John Paul II
“From contemplation of the Face of God are born, joy, security, PEACE”–Pope Benedict XVI
PAX ET BONUM!
UPDATE: Stunning results of testing on the Veil of Manoppello in November, 2024 conclude that the Holy Veil radiates light energy — May be read here.
“Jesus, has shown us the Face of God, One in substance and Triune in Persons; God is all and only Love, in a subsisting relationship that creates, redeems, and sanctifies all: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
~Pope Francis
A Discalced Carmelite nun who lived in the mid-1800’s, Sr. Marie St. Pierre, had many interior visions regarding the Holy Face of Jesus — including a sublime conception of the The Holy Trinity and the Holy Face — which she tried to express in these words she received from Our Lord:
Sr. Marie St, Pierre
“Remember, O my soul, the instruction which thy celestial Spouse has given thee today on His adorable Face! Remember that this Divine Head represents the Father who is from all eternity, that the mouth of this Holy Face is a figure of the Divine Word, engendered by the Father, and that the eyes of this mysterious Face represent the reciprocal love of the Father and the Son; for these eyes have but one and the same light, the same knowledge, producing the same love, which is the Holy Spirit. In his beautiful silken hair contemplate the infinitude of the adorable perfections of the Most Holy Trinity in this majestic head, the most precious portion of the Sacred Humanity of thy Saviour; contemplate the image of the unity of God. This, then, is the adorable and mysterious Face of the Saviour, which blasphemers have the temerity to cover with opprobrium: thus they renew the sufferings of His Passion, by attacking the Divinity of which it is the image.”
Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Our Lord told Sr. Marie St. Pierre that she could comfort and console Him by her praises, such as in The Golden Arrow Prayer: “May the most holy, most sacred, most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
Holy Face Veil of Manoppello, Italy (Photo: Paul Badde/EWTN)
“According to the diligence you will manifest in repairing my image disfigured by blasphemers, so will I have the same care in repairing your soul which has been disfigured by sin. I will imprint thereon my image, and I will render it as beautiful as when it came forth from the baptismal font… Oh! could you but behold the beauty of My Face!–But your eyes are yet too weak.” –Our Lord to Sr. Marie St. Pierre
St. Elizabeth of The Trinity
Another Discalced Carmelite Nun, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, also directs our gaze to the Face of the Son in order to contemplate the beauty of the Holy Trinity and and reflect God’s image:
“It is Your continual desire to associate Yourself with Your creatures…How can I better satisfy Your desire than by keeping myself simply and lovingly turned towards You, so that You can reflect Your own image in me, as the sun is reflected through pure crystal? …We will be glorified in the measure in which we will have been conformed to the image of His divine Son. So, let us contemplate this adored Image, let us remain unceasingly under its radiance so that it may imprint itself on us.” –Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, O.C.D.
O My God, Trinity Whom I Adore
O My God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely that I may be established in You as still and as peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing trouble my peace or make me leave You, O my unchanging One, but may each minute carry me further into the depths of Your Mystery. Give peace to my soul, make it Your heaven, Your beloved dwelling and Your resting place. May I never leave you there alone but be wholly present, my faith wholly vigilant, wholly adoring, and wholly surrendered to Your creative action. O my beloved Christ, crucified by love, I wish to be a bride for Your Heart; I wish to cover You with glory; I wish to love You…even unto death! But I feel my weakness, and I ask You to clothe me with Yourself, to identify my soul with all the movements of Your Soul, to overwhelm me, to posses me, to substitute Yourself for me that my life may be but a radiance of Your life. Come to me as Adorer, as Restorer, as Savior, O Word Eternal, Word of my God. I want to spend my life listening to You, to become wholly teachable that I may learn all from You. Then, through all nights, all voids, all helplessness, I want to gaze on You always and remain in Your great light. O my beloved Star, so fascinate me that that I may not withdraw from your radiance. O consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, come upon me, and create in my soul a kind of Incarnation of the Word; that I may be another humanity for Him, in which He can renew His whole Mystery. And You, O Father, bend lovingly over your poor little creature; cover her with your shadow, seeing in her only the Beloved in whom You are well pleased. O my Three, my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in which I love myself, I surrender myself to You as Your prey. Bury Yourself in me that I may bury myself in You until I depart to contemplate in Your light the abyss of Your greatness. November 21, 1904 — St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
Illumina Domine Blog - Devotion to The Holy Face 