O Jesus, Who in Thy bitter Passion didst become “the most abject of men, a man of sorrows,” I venerate Thy Sacred Face whereon once there 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 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.
–Prayer of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.
My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
The Golden Arrow in reparation to the Face of Christ
“Behold the Man!”
May the most holy, most sacred, 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.
Act of Love to the Holy Face
Adorable Face of My Jesus, my only love, my light and my life, grant that I may see no one except Thee, that I may love Thee alone, that I may live with Thee, of Thee, by Thee and for Thee. Amen.
“The world is all in flames…and are we to waste time asking God for things of little importance?” This was the lament of St. Teresa of Jesus as she contemplated the wars, conflicts and divisions of her own time. March 28th marks the 500th anniversary of her birth. Today, ever increasing wars, terrorism and violence seem to rage in every corner of the globe. Yes, “the world is in flames!”
St. Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church
We (the sons and daughters of Holy Mother Teresa, the Discalced Carmelite Order of Friars, Nuns and the Secular Order) would like to offer her a 500th birthday present, of which, she would approve; we invite all persons of good will to join us in an hour of prayer for World Peace, which we hope will fill the day with prayers for peace, as people unite in prayer around the world, on March 26 (beginning at 6:00 GMT)and continuing till March 27th. This is the proposal of the Father General of the Discalced Carmelite Order, Fr. Saverio Cannistra.
Our Holy Father Pope Francis has looked kindly on this initiative and on March 26th “will unite with us in supplication to God, Father of us all, so that through the intercession of His Son Jesus Christ, He will pour His Holy Spirit over all the nations, so that dialogue will triumph overviolence and conflicts that scourge our world.” Please share this message and join with us on this day, “holding tightly to the power of the redeeming Cross of Christ” and lifting our eyes to heaven, let us beg the Father to look upon the Face of His Son, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, and grant us the gift of peace… Not the peace the world gives, but the peace that Jesus promised us, which nothing can take from us. Through the powerful intercession of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Mother the Queen of Peace and St. Teresa of Jesus let us also “beseech God for the opportunities for dialogue and encounter among men, that we learn to ask for forgiveness so that peace may grow in the world like the fruit of the reconciliation that He has come to bring us.” Nothing is impossible with God!
Pope Francis adoring The Eucharistic Face of Christ
Last year I had not one, but three statues of St. Joseph in my house, old, broken, with decades of
St. Joseph in need of restoration
different layers of flaking paint. I have restored countless numbers of such statues of Jesus, Mary, St. Joseph, Saints, Angels, even lambs and camels… large and small, in various distressed conditions; some nearly smashed to smithereens, seemingly beyond hope. Some of the worst had been through Hurricane Katrina. All the statues had one thing in common, they were dearly loved by someone who couldn’t bear to get rid of them.
The first one showed up on my doorstep twenty years ago. I am a watercolor artist, so when a friend asked me if I could “fix a statue” because I “painted,” I was confused but decided to give it a shot. The statue was in terrible shape –but it was me or the trash can. (Not a great choice.) So, I did some research on restoration and got to work. Statues have been showing up ever since and I repair them for one reason: I can’t bear to see them broken. For me, it’s a labor of love.
Restored St. Joseph
I’ve often wondered if this is how God looks at our souls; broken, disfigured, and in various states of decay. He looks on us with love and a desire to restore us to our original beauty. When we come back to His “doorstep,” which is the Church, and “turn back to His Face,” the Divine Artist restores His Image in us.
Our Lord revealed the work of reparation, which is devotion to the Holy Face, “the most beautiful work under the sun,” to Sr. Marie St. Pierre, a Carmelite nun. Jesus told her 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.
This is Sr. Marie St. Pierre’s beautiful prayer to reproduce the image of God in our souls, “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 in our souls. Amen.”
In fact, anytime we turn to His Face, in prayer, He is beautifying and restoring our souls… and that is THE “labor of love!”
ISIS destruction of Sacred Christian Sites in Nineveh. Photo: EMRIJTTM
It is clear to anyone who has seen these sort of images from around the world what is the ultimate goal of terrorism – They seek to destroy The Face of God. This manifestation of Evil is blasphemy and why reparation to The Holy Face is so necessary, particularly at this time.
Statue of The Blessed Virgin Mary and Infant Jesus. Faces smashed by ISIS. Photo EMRIJTTM
Whether is the smashing of the Face of Jesus, of His Mother, Mary, His Saints, His Churches or the beheading of Christians, made in His Image, around the world, that evil which seeks to hide it’s own face, also seeks to destroy The Face of God, if that were possible. We need not fear, but, turn to His Holy Face and make reparation for these grave offenses and pray for these souls, also made in God’s Image, that they may be converted and released from the slavery and service of the evil one. (Please say a prayer of reparation from the “Prayers” tab.)
Devotion to the Holy Face is the powerful weapon and remedy for this great evil of our time. As Emeritus Pope Benedict has said, “From contemplation of the Face of God are born, joy, security, peace.” So, please, contemplate the Face of Jesus and encourage other good souls to do so as well, to make reparation and obtain for the world a “peace which nothing can take from us.” (Emeritus Pope Benedict)
“Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me.” – Our Lord to Bl. Mother Pierina De Michelli
Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but I want him to be converted and live. Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.
“May the Lord bless and keep you; may He make His Face shine upon you and be merciful to you; may the Lord turn His Countenance toward you and give you His PEACE!” (Num 6:24-26)
One of the greatest blessings of the internet, at least for me, is something called “FaceTime.” If you have ever been separated from loved ones who live in another part of the country, or on the other side of the world, you know what I mean. A letter, an email, a phone call are all good but not quite as good as seeing them face to face. We need to look in the face of a person in order to truly have a good relationship; to read their expression and discover what is in their heart; to see their emotions and, when they are mirrored in our own face, show to them our empathy and our love.
When it is death that separates us from a loved one, we long to see that face again, gaze at a photo of them, a face frozen at a moment in time and try to re-kindle memories of our relationship with them; the smile, crinkle of the eyes, expressions of love that we hope to see again in heaven one day.
The longing to see the Face of our Creator has been written in our hearts. All of mankind long for that one, particular face, the Face of God, even if they don’t know what that feeling of longing is for. Unfortunately, man, seeking the object of its longing, sometimes cannot bear the mystery of God’s hiddenness. Rather than wait for God to reveal Himself when He is ready, mankind seeks “the face which is NOT a face,” –that is, an idol, as described in the encyclical “Lumen Fidei,” (“The Light of Faith”). The opposite of faith (longing to see God’s face) is idolatry, trying to fill our longing for Him with something else, an idol, which is a dead end, a one-way street in which there is no relationship.
“Show us…Your Face, that mirror mystery-laden, of God’s infinite mercy.”–Pope Benedict XVI
Lent is a time in which, by faith, we turn toward God in conversion, enter into relationship with Him and let ourselves be transformed and renewed by God’s call and reject idols. “Those who believe come to see themselves in the light of the faith which they profess: Christ is the mirror in which they find their own image fully realized. And just as Christ gathers to Himself all those who believe and makes them His body, so the Christian comes to see himself as a member of this body, in an essential relationship with other believers.” (Lumen Fidei sec. 22)
Without light or sound, there would be no Face Time. We would all be sitting silently in the dark. “Faith is hearing and seeing” (Lumen Fidei, sec. 37) God has shown us His Face in His Son, Jesus. We can now see His Face, we can hear His voice in the Scriptures, in our neighbor, in His images and in The Eucharistic Face of Jesus, in which He reveals to us all the love of His Most Sacred Heart. During Lent, by “turning away from idols” we turn toward the Face of God. When we open our hearts to God’s love, through this divine “Face Time” we hear his voice and receive his light, a gift which is so great we cannot keep it to ourselves but through word and light, invite others to “Face Time” with God and to believe.
“…all the love of God, hidden in a human heart, in a human FACE.” –Pope Benedict XVI
“All of us with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image.” (2 Cor 3:18) “God…has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of Christ.” (2Cor 4:6)
“Christ’s response, “Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father, “lead us into the heart of Christological faith.” — Pope Benedict XVI
Jesus Christ the Alpha and the Omega
Act of Consecration
O Lord Jesus, we believe most firmly in You, we love You. You are the Eternal Son of God and the Son Incarnate of the Blessed Virgin Mary. You are the Lord and Absolute Ruler of all creation. We acknowledge You, therefore, as the Universal Sovereign of all creatures. You are the Lord and Supreme Ruler of all mankind, and we, in acknowledging this Your dominion, consecrate ourselves to You now and forever. Loving Jesus, we place our family under the protection of Your Holy Face, and of Your Virgin Mother Mary most sorrowful. We promise to be faithful to You for the rest of our lives and to observe with fidelity Your Holy Commandments. We will never deny before men, You and Your Divine rights over us and all mankind. Grant us the grace to never sin again; nevertheless, should we fail, O Divine Saviour, have mercy on us and restore us to Your grace. Radiate Your Divine Countenance upon us and bless us now and forever. Embrace us at the hour of our death in Your Kingdom for all eternity, through the intercession of Your Blessed Mother, of all Your Saints who behold You in Heaven, and the just who glorify You on earth. O Jesus, be mindful of us forever and never forsake us; protect our family. O Mother of Sorrows, by the eternal glory which you enjoy in Heaven, through the merits of your bitter anguish in the Sacred Passion of your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for us the grace that the Precious Blood shed by Jesus for the redemption of our souls, be not shed for us in vain. We love you, O Mary. Embrace us and bless us, O Mother. Protect us in life and in death. Amen.
Glory 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.
Happy Feast of The Holy Face of Jesus!
Hans Memling’s “St. Veronica c.1470-75 – St. Veronica, the model of reparation to The Holy Face
“It is the Church’s task to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make His Face shine before the generations of the new millennium. Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated His FACE!” –St. Pope John Paul II
All are invited…
Please offer prayers of reparation on The Feast of The Holy Face, wherever you may be. May God reward you!
Tuesday, February 17th from 6pm to 9pm Benediction, St. Anselm Catholic Church, Madisonville, Louisiana
You are invited to an evening of prayer, sacred music, and Adoration of The Eucharistic Face of Christ in The Blessed Sacrament. The Sacrament of Confession will be available throughout the evening.
For those in the New Orleans, LA area, there will take place the Annual Holy Face Triduum February 14, 15 and 16 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Kenner. Each night begins with the Rosary at 6:00 pm, followed by Mass at 6:30 pm.
In addition, on February 16th, there will be the Mardi Gras Day of Prayer. Mass at 12:00 noon, 6:30 pm, and closing Midnight Mass for Ash Wednesday. In between Masses, the Church will be open for prayer and devotions.
St. Therese of The Child Jesus and The Holy Face Icon by Patricia Enk
“O Jesus, Whose adorable Face ravishes my heart, I implore Thee to fix deep within me Thy Divine Image and set me on fire with Thy Love, that I may be found worthy to come to contemplation of Thy glorious Face in Heaven. Amen.” — St. Therese
Alpha-Omega Holy Face of Jesus Novena Prayers and Consecration
This disfigured Face resembles all those faces of men and women marred by a life which does not respect their dignity, by war and violence which afflict the weakest…” –Pope Francis
Daily Preparatory Prayer
Sorrowful Mother and The Holy Face
O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ninth Day
Psalm 51: 18-21
For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice a
Altar of The Holy Face, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York
contrite spirit. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn. In your goodness, show favor to Zion; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice, holocausts offered on your altar.
Sacred Face of our Lord and our God, what words can we say to express our gratitude? How can we speak of our joy? That you have deigned to hear us, that you have chosen to answer us in our hour of need. We say this because we know that our prayers will be granted. We know that you, in your loving kindness, listened to our pleading hearts, and will give, out of your fullness, the answer to our problems.
Mary our Mother, intercede for us, St. 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 to the Holy Trinity
Sr. Lucia’s vision of The Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our first beginning and our last end. Since you have made us after your own image and likeness, grant that all the thoughts of our minds, all the words of our tongues, all the affections of our hearts and all our actions may be always conformed to your most Holy Will, so that that after having seen you here on earth in appearances and in a dark manner by the means of faith, we may come at last to contemplate you face to face, in the perfect possession of you forever in paradise. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary’s, one (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (3 times)
Tomorrow will be The Feast of The Holy Face and “Act of Consecration”
In the Act of Consecration, which is very important, we will place ourselves and our families under the protection of The Face of Jesus Christ.
“Holy Face of Tours”
Our Lord told Sr. Marie St. Pierre 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.
Shroud of Turin
Prayer to reproduce the Image of God in our souls
I salute You! I adore you and I love you, O 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 the image of God may once more be reproduced in our souls. Amen.
“Il Volto Santo” Holy Face of Manoppello, Italy
“All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image.” (2Cor 3:18)
Alpha-Omega Holy Face of Jesus Novena Prayers and Consecration
“Whoever who gazes upon me already consoles me.” –Our Lord to Bl. Mother Pierina De Michelli
Adorable Face of my Jesus, my only love, my light and my life, grant that I may see no one, except Thee, that I may love Thee alone, that I may live with Thee, of Thee, by Thee and for Thee. Amen
Daily Preparatory Prayer
O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Eighth Day
Psalm 51: 16-17
O rescue me, God my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.
The Good Shepherd
Most merciful Face of Jesus, who in this vale of tears was so moved by our misfortunes to call yourself the healer of the sick, and the Good Shepherd of the souls gone astray, allow not satan to draw us away from you, but keep us always under your loving protection, together with all souls who endeavor to console you.
Mary our Mother, intercede for us, St. 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 to St. Peter
O Jesus, the divine look of whose adorable Face wounded the heart of Peter with repentant sorrow and love, have mercy on us.
O glorious St. Peter, who in return for thy lively and generous faith, thy profound and sincere humility and thy burning love, was honored by Jesus Christ with singular privileges, and in particular, with the leadership of the other apostles and the primacy of the whole church, of which thou was made the foundation stone, do thou obtain for us the grace of a lively faith, that shall not fear to profess itself openly in its entirety and in all of its manifestations, even to the shedding of blood, if occasion should demand it, and to the sacrifice of life itself in preference to surrender. Obtain for us likewise a sincere loyalty to our Holy Mother the Church. Grant that we may ever remain most closely and sincerely united to The Holy Father, who is the heir of thy faith and of thy authority, the one true visible head of the Catholic Church. Grant moreover, that we may follow, in all humility and meekness, the Church’s teaching and counsels and may be obedient to all her precepts, in order to be able here on earth to enjoy a peace that is sure and undisturbed, and to attain one day in heaven to everlasting happiness. Amen.
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary’s, one (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (3 times)
“O Jesus, whose venerable Face is worthy of all reverence, veneration, and worship – Have Mercy on us!
Alpha-Omega Holy Face of Jesus Novena Prayers and Consecration
“For God so loved the world…”
Daily Preparatory Prayer
O Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, through the intercession of Holy Mary, whose soul was pierced through by a sword of sorrow at the sight of the passion of her Divine Son, we ask your help in making a perfect Novena of reparation with Jesus, united with His sorrows, love and total abandonment.
We now implore all the Angels and Saints to intercede for us as we pray this Holy Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus and for the glory of the most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seventh Day
Psalm 51: 14-15
Give me again the joy of your help, with a spirit of fervor sustain me, that I may teach
ECCE HOMO! “Behold the Man!”
transgressors your ways and sinners may return to you.
Lord Jesus! After contemplating Thy features, disfigured by grief, after meditating upon Thy passion with compunction and love, how can our hearts fail to be inflamed with a holy hatred of sin, which even now outrages Thy Adorable Face! Lord suffer us not to be content with mere compassion, but give us grace so closely to follow Thee in this Calvary, so that the opprobrium destined for Thee may fall on us. O Jesus, that thus we may have a share, small though it may be, in expiation of sin. Amen.
Mary our Mother, intercede for us, St. Joseph, pray for us.
Through the merits of your precious blood and your Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition, …Pardon and mercy.
“Lord, grant to your Church to stand like Your Virgin Mother, at the glorious Cross and all the crosses of all people to bring about consolation, hope and comfort.” — St. Pope John Paul II
Prayer in Honor of Mary
Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father! Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son! Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit! Hail Mary, Temple of The Most Holy Trinity! Hail Mary, our mistress, our wealth, our mystic rose, Queen of our hearts, our Mother, our life, our sweetness and our dearest hope! We are all thine, and all we have is thine. O Virgin blessed above all things, may Thy soul be in us to magnify the Lord; may Thy spirit be in us to rejoice in God. Place Thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon our hearts, that in Thee and through Thee we may be found faithful to God. Grant, most gracious Virgin, that we may be numbered among those who Thou are pleased to love, to teach and to guide, to favor and to protect as Thy children. Grant that with the help of Thy love, we may despise all earthly consolation and cling to heavenly things, until through the Holy Spirit, Thy faithful spouse and through Thee, His faithful spouse, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, be formed within us for the glory of the Father. Amen. (St. Louis De Montfort)
Pray one (1) Our Father, three (3) Hail Mary’s, one (1) Glory Be.
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (3 times)
Illumina Domine Blog - Devotion to The Holy Face 