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.
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
Ultrasound image of smiling baby “Their face is the Face of Christ” –Pope Francis
On this infamous anniversary of the legalization of abortion in The United States, we reflect on the millions of faces which we will never see and the blindness of those who deny the humanity of unborn babies. Science and technology has made it possible to see this reality in an undeniable way, as shown in the ultrasound picture of the smiling baby in the photo above. They have a face and unique identity; he or she is created in the image and likeness of God! May they gaze on the Face of God and intercede for us before the throne of God that He may remove the blindness from our eyes and purify them, so that, we too, may one day see God face to Face.
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was formed and hidden in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary for nine months — have mercy on us!
Gossamer-thin veil of Manoppello Photo: Paul Badde
Ever since I first laid eyes on the Holy Face of Manoppello, Italy, I have wanted to paint it. Surely every artist who has looked upon the image has felt the same desire. The “Il Volto Santo” seems to be the prototype of ancient images of the Face of Christ in the Eastern and Western Church as there is abundant evidence in museums and churches. There were more than a few obstacles to fulfill this desire of my heart to paint His Face. For one thing, I didn’t attempt to take a photograph when I saw the “Il Volto Santo” as I had come to pray as a pilgrim to the Basilica in Manoppello, and made up my mind to get a picture or holy card at the Sanctuary’s small gift shop. Also, I had seen numerous photographs–all different, some strange, flat or distorted, the color itself varying greatly from one picture to another. Some photos are very dark and the image appears covered with wounds, as one would see Christ in His Passion. Others bright, beautiful and fresh, with wounds healed as it must have appeared at the moment of The Resurrection.
The changeability of the image itself posed a great challenge. When standing by myself before “Il Volto Santo,” I saw the face with wounds, from a crown of thorns, bruises, blood, torn beard and red inflamed skin. But, upon kneeling … words cannot express what is felt, a living face of a man, wounds very faint and the eyes…! The eyes filled with mercy and peace more deep and still than if Jesus had stilled the waters of the ocean to it’s depths… Again, nothing could compare to what my eyes beheld. In addition, seeing was one thing and experiencing another. I knew that trying to use paint to convey that experience of God’s Mercy and Peace would fall infinitely short of the goal. Still, the desire to paint His Face remained.
More than two years passed before I even began. As I said, no photo I’ve seen would do, but finally I decided to look at several and use the elements that, for me, came close to my memory of the veil. Even though I cannot paint icons in the traditional sense, I do paint them in my own fashion, not having formal art education. Being a wife and raising six children has been my primary vocation in life, and I’ve fit my painting in between the many things that fill a mother’s day. So, when I got fed up with my own excuses not to begin to paint the Face of Jesus, I prepared an icon board, selected a few pictures and began to draw.
Artists look at things a little differently, I think. I had planned on making a simple outline of the main features of the face from a relatively clear photo of the Veil of Manoppello that I came across, but my plan took a different turn. Come to think of it, that is often how the Holy Spirit works. Icons are said to be “written” by the hand of the artist through the Holy Spirit. I drew the lines, and as other faint lines and shadows appeared to my eyes, I drew them as well with the same value or darkness as the most obvious lines.
My drawing on gold-leaf on board.
The results left me astonished. What isn’t readily apparent manifested itself in such a beautiful way. Faint marks on the forehead, for example, appeared as marks from thorns. Faint short lines on the face which turned this way and that were obviously the hair from a torn beard. Looking very closely and drawing each curved line became soft waves of hair. All were there, but faintly. The drawing just made the facts more noticeable. The concentration of the lines above the brow and below the nose accentuated the space surrounding the eyes as though a blindfold had protected them from some of the blows inflicted on the rest of the face.
Painting by Fra Angelico showing Jesus blindfolded.
I began the painting in silent prayer. Although sacred music can elevate the mind and heart, I greatly prefer the “language of heaven” which is silence. My family would attest to the fact that when I paint, I tune out all noise anyway. The house could come down around my ears and I probably wouldn’t look up. St. Teresa of Avila spoke of ignoring “the mad-woman running around the house” referring to distractions while she was trying to pray. We probably all have our own “mad-woman” who tries to distract us with many cares, anxieties and trivialities as we try to turn our attention to God. Painting is a wonderful way to shut the door on the crazy lady and focus solely on listening to God.
It is true that God’s Face can be found in the Scriptures and in our neighbor, but I seek Him most often in images of Jesus and in particular, I love the image of “Il Volto Santo,” in Italy. It is for me an icon which encapsulates the whole of Divine Revelation in one Face. As I select colors and brush and begin my work, I gaze at Him, the words of Scripture are ever present in my mind, beginning with the longing of all mankind, “Your Face, O Lord, I seek. Hide not your Face from me.” (Psalm 27) “There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him.” “…a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity”(Isaiah 53:2 – 3), “For God so loved the world that He gave it His only begotten Son.” (John 3:16) “The word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) With sorrow, I look at the terrible wounds on the face of Christ, and the words of St. Pope John Paul II echo in my heart, “We cannot stop at the image of The Crucified One. He is the Risen One!” and St. Paul’s words, “All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image.” (2 Cor 3:18) and more and more… There are no end to the depths of the treasures in His Face.
How could I hope a painting could ever match the beauties that are found in His Face? It can never be possible unless He painted it Himself, so I ask Him to paint His image in my heart. I knew at the outset I would be unsatisfied with the result of my painting, because only seeing Him face to face in eternity could satisfy that infinite desire. Still, I can look at the work of my hands, pray, and remember that there is always “more than meets the eye.”
Icon of “Il Volto Santo” by Patricia Enk
The words on the icon are: Illumina, Domine, Vultum Tuum Super Nos. or “Shine the light of Your Face on us, O Lord.”
Closeup of “Il Volto Santo” painting by Patricia Enk
May His Face shine upon you always!
“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” –Hebrews 11:1
St. Pope John Paul II “In the Eucharist, the Face of Christ is turned towards us.”
Webster’s Dictionary gives these definitions for “epiphany”: 1. January 6th observed as a church festival in commemoration of the coming of the three wise men to Jesus in Bethlehem or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of Jesus’ baptism. 2. an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being 3. an intuitive discovery or realization [derived from Late Latin epiphania, from late Greek, plural, probably Greek epihaneia “appearance, manifestation,” from epi + phanein “to show.”
The feast of the Epiphany is thus closely linked to the Holy Face–because the Epiphany is the feast on which Jesus Christ first shows Himself to the world represented by the magi–and He shows Himself through a human face, the face of an infant. On the feast of the Epiphany, we ask God to shine His face upon us, to reveal His face to us once more.
The words inscribed on the Holy Face Medal, which bears a replica of the Holy Face image from the Shroud of Turin, and which inspired St. Pope John Paul II to dedicate the millennium to the Holy Face, are based on Psalm 66:2: “Illumina, Domine, vultum tuum super nos,” which means, “May, O Lord, the light of Thy countenance shine upon us,” or as it has also been interpreted, “Show us Thy Face, O Lord.” On the other side of the medal, there is an image of a radiant Sacred Host, the monogram of the Holy Name (“IHS”), and the inscription “Mane nobiscum, Domine,”that is, “Stay with us, O Lord,” which recalls the words of the disciples to Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35). “So he went in to stay with them and it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, and said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.”
On the occasion of the Closing of the Holy Door, January 6, 2001, St. Pope John Paul II prayed for the Church, “May the Lord grant that in the new millennium, the Church will grow ever more in holiness, that she may become in history a true epiphany of the merciful and glorious Face of Christ the Lord.” Amen!
“Be merciful to us, O my God, and reject not our prayers, when amid our afflictions, we call upon The Holy Name and seek with love and confidence Thine adorable Face. Amen.”
Holy Face on The Shroud of Turin
Pope Benedict XVI teaches us the Hebrew term, “panim”, which means “face” means to see The Face of God, or The presence of God. “Panim” is a term that describes relationships. The Hebrew word “shem” meaning “name” is also a term of relationship. God has a Face and a Name!
Miraculous Limpias Crucifix
The revelation of the Face of God took on a new and beautiful manifestation when God became man at the moment of The Incarnation, in the person of Jesus Christ. The Son of God was made man and He is given a Name, Jesus. As fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ gave us a human face that revealed the Face of God. The Incarnation, Pope Benedict XVI teaches, reveals the direct connection between The Holy Face and Holy Name of God. Jesus shows us the Face of the Father for as He told His disciples, “If you have seen Me, you have seen The Father.” But Jesus also makes known to us the Name of God: as He said at the Last Supper when praying to His Father, “I have made Your Name known to them.”
The expression “name of God” means God as He Who is present among men. His name, Pope Benedict XVI says, is the concrete sign of His Existence.
Pope Benedict XI gazes on The Holy Face of Manoppello photo: Paul Badde
Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “To rejoice in the splendor of His Face means penetrating the mystery of His Namemade known to us in Jesus, understanding something of His Interior life and of His will, so that we can live according to His plan for humanity. 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.”
Because of the profound relationship with God and His Name and Face, sins committed against this relationship with Him 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. These indignities suffered by Our Lord in His Face represent the most serious sins, because they are against God Himself.
The damage done by our sins to our relationship with God are reflected in the Face of Jesus Christ. For this reason, devotion and reparation to The Holy Face is fitting in order to make amends for what we have done to Him.
Sr. Marie St. Pierre
The Golden Arrow is a beautiful Prayer given by Our Lord to Carmelite Sr. Marie St. Pierre to be said in reparation for blasphemy against the Holy Name.
Holy Face of Tours
The Golden Arrow
“May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and ineffable 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 the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.”
(The term, “in the hells” refers to the Greek sense of the word as a place of purification, not the hell of the damned, where God’s justice is glorified.)
There are many other beautiful prayers which can be found on the “Prayers” tab, all of which have the effect of wiping the blood, sweat, dust and spittle from The Face of Jesus, as tradition tells us St. Veronica did on the way to Calvary. We too, can be a “Veronica” by saying these prayers, speaking God’s Name with love and reverence and praying for those who do not.
“O God, Who did constitute Your only-begotten Son the Saviour of mankind, and did command that He should be called Jesus; grant in Your kindness that our hearts joy in Heaven may be the Face of Him Whose Holy Name we venerate on earth.” Amen. –Bl. Mother Pierina De Micheli
“May The Lord bless and keep you, may He make His Face shine upon you and be gracious to you: May the Lord turn His Face toward you and give you His PEACE.”
Peace, Pope Benedict XVI tells us, is the summit of the six actions of God in this blessing, which are in our favor, “His most sublime gift, in which He turns toward us the splendor of His Face.”
Today is The Feast of Mary, Mother of God, who is the Queen of Peace, this is also the World Day of Peace. and through the Liturgy we celebrate The Circumcision of Jesus, The Prince of Peace. The Circumcision recalls the great event in which Jesus was named. There is a Discalced Carmelite sacramental called the *”Little Sachet” which contains the gospel of The Circumcision, a picture of The Child Jesus with The Cross and other instruments of His Passion and the words which proclaim the power of The Holy Name, “When Jesus was named – Satan was disarmed.” Devotion to The Holy Face is making reparation to The Holy Name for sins of atheism, blasphemy, profanation of The Holy Name and of The Holy Day of Sunday. When Jesus is named, with love and reverence, Satan is disarmed and there will be peace. The Feast of The Holy Name of Jesus will be celebrated this coming Sunday.
Pope Benedict writes, “To rejoice in the splendor of His Face means penetrating the mystery of His Name made known to us in Jesus, understanding something of His interior life and of His will, so that we can live according to His plan for humanity. 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.” This, the Pope says, is the foundation of our Peace, which nothing can take from us.
+Peace and have a Blessed New Year.
*For those looking for the “Little Sachet” or Little Gospel of the Circumcision, it is unfortunately very hard to find. This is one example of the front and back:
Illumina Domine Blog - Devotion to The Holy Face 