INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS Leader: The light of Your Face has been shed upon us

People: You have given joy to our hearts

All kneel
All: O powerful and merciful God, *grant us to see *forever beaming with glory
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
*the Face of our Lord Jesus Christ *which we honor here below * all
disfigured in His Passion by our sins, *through the same Jesus Christ.
Leader: Arise, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered.
Amen.
People: And let them that hate You, flee before Your Holy Face.

Leader: Behold, O God, our Protector.

SALUTATIONS TO THE HOLY FACE
People:And look on the Face of Your Christ."
IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR
Leader: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. People: Hail! O Adorable Face * present in the Sacrament *more resplendent than
People: As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. the sun * Hail! You noble seal of the divinity, *You mirror of divine
perfections! With all the powers of my soul, * I turn to You, O Jesus,* and
All: May the Most Holy *Most Sacred *Most Adorable * humbly pray to You,* to imprint upon our hearts, *all the features *of Your
Most Incomprehensible * and ineffable Name of God be forever praised * Divine Countenance. Amen.
blessed, loved, adored and glorified * in heaven and on earth *by al the
creatures of God, *and by the Most Holy Face * of our Lord and Savior CHAPLET OF THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS
Jesus Christ * in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen. Sign yourself with the Cross and say:
V. O God, come to my assistance!
Leader: Behold, O God, our Protector; R. O Lord, make haste to help me!
People: And look on the Face of Your Christ." Glory be.

All: We beseech You O Almighty and Merciful God. • grant us On the six (6) single beads say:
and all • who venerate the Countenance • of Your dearly beloved Son • all "My Jesus mercy" Glory be.
disfigured by our sins • the grace to behold it throughout eternity • in the
glory of Its majesty through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. On the 3 beads say:
V. Arise, O Lord and let Your enemies be scattered!
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN R. And let them that hate You flee before Your Holy Face!
(Prayer of Leo Papin Dupont, the "Holy Man of Tours")
At the end say:
O Mary, Virgin most holy, I place myself under your protection, and through you V. Our God, our Protector, look on us!
I throw myself with confidence into the arms of divine mercy; R. And look upon the Face of Your Christ!
to you I commit all the moments of my life and above all the hour of my death, V. O Lord, show us Your Face!
I commit to you my body and my soul and all that belongs to me. R. And we shall be saved!
Kindly receive once more my troubles and my fears, my consolations and my hope, so
that by your powerful protection and your merits, BLESSING
I may have in all my actions, for one only and unique end your good pleasure and the The Lord bless us, and keep us;
holy will of your divine Son. Amen. The Lord show His Face to us, and have mercy on us;
The Lord turn His Countenance to us, and give us peace. Amen.
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was scorched by the sun and bathed in sweat on Your journeys,*
O Jesus, the expression of whose adorable Face is wholly divine,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face gave a holy kiss and blessing to the little children,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face sorrowed and wept at the grave of Lazarus, *
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was brilliant as the sun and radiant with glory on Mount Tabor,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is worthy of al reverence, veneration and worship,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face grew sad at the sight of Jerusalem when You did weep over that
ungrateful city,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was bowed to the earth in the garden of Olives because of our
sins,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was bathed in bloody sweat,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was kissed by Judas the traitor,* O Jesus, the power of whose
adorable Face smote the soldiers to the ground in the garden of Olives,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was struck by a vile servant, derided by enemies and desecrated
by their unholy hands,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was defiled with spittle and bruised by blows,*
O Jesus, the divine look of whose adorable Face wounded Peter's heart with repentant sorrow
and love,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was humbled for us before the tribunals of Jerusalem,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face preserved Its serenity and dignity when Pilate pronounced the
death sentence,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was covered with bloody sweat which fell to the ground under the
Cross,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face the pious Veronica wiped on the way to Calvary,*
O Jesus, the eyes of whose adorable Face shed tears of blood,*
O Jesus, the mouth of whose adorable Face was tormented with vinegar and gall,*
O Jesus, the hair and beard of whose adorable Face were plucked out by the executioners,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was disfigured like to that of a leper,*
O Jesus, the incomparable beauty of whose adorable Face was disfigured by the sins of the
world,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was overcast by the mournful shadows of death,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was washed, anointed and wrapped in a shroud by Mary and the
holy women,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was laid to rest in the grave,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was resplendent in beauty on the day of Your resurrection,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was radiant in glory on the day of Your ascension,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face will appear in the clouds at the end of the world with great power
and majesty,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face will be the terror of sinners,* O Jesus, whose adorable Face is the
joy of the just in heaven,*
MEDITATION ON THE PASSION AND DEATH OF THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS
FIRST DAY
THE HOLY FACE AT BETHLEHEM
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from it on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: Enter into the Bethlehem grotto, consider the newly born Child, cradled in
the manger, wrapped in poor linens. Mary and Joseph are standing in front
of Him and are contemplating Him. You also, gaze at His sweet and radiant
Face. His, the Face of the Emmanuel, of the Son of "God with us", of the "most
beautiful of the children of men." For 4000 years, the patriarchs and the
prophets have longed to see Him; they proclaim Him with earnestness as "the
salvation" promised to the world:
LORD, they ceaselessly repeat, SHOW US YOUR FACE AND WE SHALL BE
SAVED. Here He is! At last, His Face is manifested; see how ravishing and
amiable it is! Jesus has already hastened to give you the most precious He has
through it!
I. HE GIVES YOU HIS FIRST PRAYER; because, forth with from His cradle, He
turns it towards heaven, towards the Father sovereign Lord of angels and men,
the Author of all things. He adores Him in your name, He prays for you: "Here I
am", He says O" my Father, I come to accomplish Your will." Now this will is to
deliver you from eternal death and to accomplish your salvation. In letting us see
It for the first time, Jesus shows us His Face, humbled, suppliant, associate
yourselves to His prayer; have in view to yourselves to work efficaciously to this
great matter of your salvation, the object of His coming.
II. HE GIVES YOU HIS FIRST TEARS. See the innocent and delicate cheeks of the
newborn shivering with the cold, bathed with tears which are wrung from Him
less by the sufferings of the body than the grief of His soul caused by the sight of
the world's sins? This sweet Face of the little Infant Jesus is that of the great
Restorer, victim of justice and expiation He suffers, He weeps, He makes
satisfaction for your sins. Gather up those holy tears with respect, a single one of
which is of infinite price; give them to the eternal Father because they are of
sufficient value to pay your debts.
 III. He has smiled at Joseph; now, in the midst of His swaddling bands,
through His tears, He turns Himself towards you. He opens Himself out
at your gaze, sweetly; He sends you His infant smile, smile of peace and
love, a smile from heaven which invites you, which calls you, which
seems to say to you: "The Face which smiles upon you is that of a friend, a
brother, a savior. Approach me, have confidence, I love you".
ACT OF LOVE - If the Infant Jesus loves you, fi by His Holy Face He gives you the
proof of it, what holds you back? Give Him love for love.
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - Detach yourself, at least in your heart, from all the things
of earth: that Jesus may be your treasure.
SPIRITUAL BOUQUET'- Dry this first tear; take away with you this beautiful smile
of Jesus; place it in the deepest depth of your soul, like a ray of hope, like a spark of
love, and say with the prophet: "The light of Your Face has been testified amongst
us; you have put joy in my heart."
All kneel
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58):
have pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face
shine upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded,
because I have called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in
venerating the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because
of our sins, we may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of
celestial glory, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
CLOSING PRAYERS
All kneel
All: I have entreated Your Face with my whole heart; have pity on me according
to Your promise. Let the light of Your Face shine upon me: save me in Your
mercy; Lord, Ishal not eb confounded, because Ihave called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, we beg You to grant us that in venerating
the Face of Your Son, disfigured in His Passion because of our sins, we
may merit to contemplate It eternally in the brilliance of His celestial glory,
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
INVOCATIONS TO THE HOLY FACE
Leader: O Jesus, whose adorable Face Mary and Joseph worshipped with profoundest
reverence,
People: *Have mercy on us. (Response after each invocation)
Leader: O Jesus, whose adorable Face is the masterpiece of the Holy Spirit, in which the
Father was well pleased,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face ravished with joy the angels, shepherds and Magi ni the stable
of Bethlehem,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face wounded with a dart of love the aged Simeon and the
Prophetess Anna in the temple,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was bathed in tears in your Holy Infancy,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face at the age of twelve astonished doctors ni the temple,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is white with purity and ruddy with charity,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is more beautiful than the sun,
brighter than the moon and more brilliant than the stars,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is lovelier than the roses of spring,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is more precious than gold, silver, and gems,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is most noble in Its heavenly features, *
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is the admiration of angels,* O Jesus, whose adorable Face is
the sweet delight of the Saints,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was the delight of Your Virgin- Mother and Your holy father
St. Joseph,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is the ineffable mirror of divine perfections,*
O Jesus, the modesty and mildness of whose adorable Face attracted both just and sinners,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face appeases the divine wrath,* O Jesus, whose adorable Face is
the terror of the evil spirits,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is the treasures of graces and blessings,*
O Jesus, whose adorable Face was exposed to the inclemency of the weather in the desert,*
 so ravishing and so beautiful; we will love this Man-God, this Son of
Mary, so sweet, so lovable, we will praise this so victorious and powerful
Redeemer, we will see Him without end, we will love Him without
mortification, we will praise Him without weariness, with raptures of joy
renewed and always new, from centuries. Amen.
ACT OF DESIRE - When shall I come and appear before the Face of my God? When
shall I see Him face to Face?
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - Detach yourself bit by bit from hte alluring, deceitful,
passing joys of this world; seek for the goods of Heaven, where the risen Jesus
awaits you.
SPIRITUAL BOUQUET - "May I expire with a burning thirst to see the desirable
Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ" (Last words of Leo Dupont)
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58):
have pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face
shine upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded,
because I have called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in
venerating the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because
of our sins, we may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of
celestial glory, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
SECOND DAY
THE HOLY FACE IN THE MIDST OF THE PEOPLE OF JUDEA
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from It on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: Follow our Lord during His public life, traversing the towns and the villages
of Judea, announcing the good news of the Gospel, healing the sick and the
infirm, everywhere doing good. Because the Son God was really united to
our nature in entirety, having a human face with distinctive features, a dis-
tinct physiognomy which made Him to be recognized amongst all: because
"man, said the wise Man, is known by the look of his face." Before al, one
seeks to see the Face of Jesus.
Wonder at the three miracles of grace which the sight of that adorable Face
produced upon those who approached it.
I. IT ENRAPTURES THE CROWD. When Jesus appeared in public, the people
surrounded Him, avid to see Him and to hear Him; hanging upon His divine
lips, they said: "No man has ever spoken like Him." And they were in a state of
rapture and stupefaction. He is all very different from Moses, the God-Man did
not put a veil over His Face, He showed Himself to everyone's gaze; He
conversed with al indistinctly, tempering by the sweetness and charm of His
humanity to the dazzling rays of the divinity which dwelt corporally in Him. His
Face was truly the mirror of His Soul, the brightness of His Heart, the visible
manifestation of His interior sentiments. Is it astonishing that people were
enraptured at His appearance? - You also, draw near: contemplate this Face both
divine and human with avidity; listen with respect to the words of His mouth;
love to hear Your Savior, to ask Him questions, to have converse with Him.
II. IT ATTRACTS THE APOSTLES. One day the Savior passed by a publican seated
at his cashier's desk: "Follow Me", He said. This person immediately got up and
followed Him; he became one of His apostles and His first evangelist. "It is
therefore" remarks S.t Jerome, "that at the same time that Matthew heard Jesus'
voice, he saw upon His Face a ray of divine majesty which enlightened him and
moved him to the depth of his soul." - Another time, Andrew brought his brother
to Him. Jesus penetrating the new comer with His glance, said to him: "You shall
be called Peter." (Jn 1, 43) He transformed him and made him the head of His
apostles the cornerstone of His Church. - Walking along the seashore, He
perceived two fishermen, two brothers, who were mending their nets. He
 stopped, looked at them: "Follow Me," He said to them. (Jn ,1 43) At this
imperative word, at this ray which came from the gaze and the Face of Him who
called them, they did not resist, they abandoned their nets, their boat, their
father; they placed themselves in His retinue. - Are there not times when Jesus
enlightens you, stirs you and touches you? Do not oppose by resistance nor delay
to His attractions; allow Him to work in changing you as He desires.
III. HE IS COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL TO ALL. Little children are the
objects of Jesus' embraces and caresses. Bowing towards the earth before the
repentant sinner, He raised Himself to look at her and said to her: "Go in peace,
and do not sin anymore." (Jn 8:11) Attentive to the needs of the crowd in the
desert, He raised His eyes towards heaven and called down the blessing which
multiplied the bread necessary for the subsistence of the famished multitude. He
shed tears upon Lazarus' tomb, and gave to this man, who had been dead 4days,
a miraculous "resurrection", image of the possible con- version of the most
hardened sinner. - Light, grace, pardon, life, like so many rays, spring from His
adorable Face, gather them up with avidity according to the needs and diverse
states of your soul.
ACT OF CONFIDENCE - Everywhere that He showed Himself upon earth, Jesus has
blessed, pardoned, healed, has done good; I invoke Him, why should I not be answered?
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - Be docile to the impression of grace; a grace, that is Jesus' glance
which entreats you and im- pels you; give yourself up to His heavenly influence.
SPIRITUAL BOUQUET - "My well-beloved, show me your Face, make Your voice resound
in my ears, in the same way as Your voice is sweet, so is Your Face beautiful; I desire at the
same time to see and hear You."
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58): have
pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face shine
upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded, because I have
called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in venerating
the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because of our sins, we
may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of celestial glory,
through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
NINTH DAY
THE HOLY FACE ON THE DAY OF THE RESURRECTION
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from it on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: On the day of His Resurrection, Our Lord, showed Himself several times to
His holy Mother, the holy women, His apostles. He came forth from the
sepulcher, endowed with a spiritual and incorruptible life, shining with glory
and immortality. In this state, that which attracted attention above all, was
the beauty and the brightness which shone upon the Holy Face of the
triumphant Savior.
I. GLORY OF JESUS RISEN. In spirit and with the eyes of faith, you yourself gaze
at this adorable Face. What heavenly fire in His look! What serenity upon His
Face! What a smiling and majestic countenance! During His Passion, we have
seen the Face of Jesus bruised and desolate; in this moment joy gladdens Him,
super abundant consolation, in proportion to the sorrows and ignominies
suffered. O adorable Savior, it is right that today, victorious over death and sin,
You should show Your Face radiant with strength and splendor, which allows
You to rejoice in the consolations, the rays of glory and honor with which You
are crowned! Go forth thus and reign over al hearts.
II. JOY WHICH HE COMMUNICATES. The first time that the apostles, reunited in
the Cenacle, saw the Face of their divine risen Master, they were thrilled with a
great joy, the Evangelist states; His smile, His sweet look, His benevolent and
paternal words, flooded them interiorly with a delicious peace which they had
never felt. What will be the joy of the elect, when they will see in its full
brightness, without cloud or shadow, the glorious Face of the Incarnate Word!
This sight will make them penetrate, as in a very clear mirror, into the secrets of
the divine essence, where they will find the perfect beatitude and the sovereign
good. They will see Him as He is, this divine king and they will be like Him; the
perfection of soul and body will come to them through the light of His glory,
with which they will be penetrated.
III. PRAISE NI ETERNITY. Lord, grant "that I may see Your Face in its pure and real
glory; when this glory appears to me thus, my heart will be ravished with
delights. Being then, says St. Augustine, free and released from all care "we will
see, we will love, we will praise," we will see this Face of the divine King
 obtain their pardon, in offering Your Blood for them; You give them the
greatest proof of your love. Teach me this support of my neighbor and this
generosity of pardon, even in regard to the most cruel enemy. Yes, for love
of You, I pardon al those who have offended me. With You, I pray for the
sinners who offend You, for the unhappy ones who blaspheme You, I ask
You for their conversion and their salvation. That they may turn towards
You only and that they may invoke You. It is enough: whosoever will gaze
at Your Face with faith and repentance, will escape the serpent's wound
and will find life.
ACT OF GENEROUS LOVE - My God, I forget the wrongs which have been
committed against me: I pardon all those who have offended me in any way: I love
them sincerely: I pray to You for them and ask their salvation of You.
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - Bear with the wrongs and coldness of your neighbor;
accept what is painful in them with your whole heart in a spirit of reparation on
account of that which the Savior has suffered for you.
SPIRITUAL BOUQUET - "God, our protector, incline Your Eyes upon the Face of
Your Christ."
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58):
have pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face
shine upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded,
because I have called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in
venerating the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because
of our sins, we may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of
celestial glory, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
THIRD DAY
THE HOLY FACE ON THABOR
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from it on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: With Our Lord, CLIMB up Tabor. He ascended this mountain with three
privileged disciples: Peter, James and John, and He began to pray. Whilst He
was praying, His Face transfigured itself before them; His Holy Face became
resplendent like the sun; His garments were white as snow. Jesus desired this
to liberate the rays of divinity which were hidden in Him; for the first time
He caused His adorable Face to appear before mortal eyes, with the burst of
glory and beauty which is proper to Him . In this mystery you will find three
subjects worthy of your attention.
I. A SPECTACLE TO CONTEMPLATE. That of our Lord's Face, shining with grace
and splendor. The light which radiates from this divine Face communicates to
the Savior’s garments and to His whole person a virginal whiteness of an
incomparable purity. This brightness reflects itself at a distance, envelops the
whole mountain and ravishes the disciples who were there. They experience an
ecstasy of happiness. For them it is a foretaste of heaven's delight, and St. Peter
cries out: "It is good for us to be here; let us make tents for ourselves in this
place." However it was only a passing ray of the eternal splendor, a drop of this
ocean of felicity, of that fullness of life of which Our Lord is the source. What will
it be when you can draw long draughts from it, and that you will have a full
possession and an assured joy from the same source?
II. A CONVERSATION TO HEAR. Hear the conversation which Moses and Elias
had with Jesus thus transfigured. That which occupies them is the work of the
Redemption of the human race, which the Man-God had come to accomplish;
they speak about "His leaving this world", (Lk 9:30-31) that is to say about His
Passion and His Death. This Face of the Redeemer, so radiant and beautiful at
this moment, will soon be bruised, bleeding, spat upon, outraged in a thousand
ways. Raised upon an infamous gibbet in dying, the Savior will raise up to
heaven the cry of pardon, and this will be the consummation of our salvation, the
signal of peace reconquered, the pledge of an entire reconciliation between God
and man. In this mysterious interview, Jesus' Face offers itself to us under two
very different aspects: It is at the same time the glorious Face and the sorrowful
Face, Tabor and Calvary draw near to each other and are united; it must be this:
 it is on Calvary, on the cross, by the sorrows and ignominies of the Passion
flashing out upon the Lord's Face, that the Redemption will be wrought and that
we will merit, with the beatific vision, the delights of Paradise. Do not separate
the idea of sacrifice from that of recompense; if the joys of Tabor are sometimes
granted you, think that it is to give you the grace to follow Jesus to Calvary
better, and to carry the cross with Him.
III. A COMMAND TO RECEIVE. This order emanates from the Eternal Father, who
from the mountain's summit as from the height of an immense tribunal, desires,
in the eyes of heaven and earth, to render a solemn homage to His Son. Jesus is
indeed, the splendor of His Substance, the very pure ray of His eternal light, the
stainless mirror of His justice and of His infinite perfections. The Father enhances
the glory of His incarnate Word in surrounding Him like a splendid Cadre by
this luminous cloud coming from heaven, symbol of the Holy Spirit, from whose
bosom came a voice full of power and majesty: "This is My well beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased, listen to Him." (Mt 17:5) Such is the order which God
gives to every creature. He glorifies the Face of His Word; He makes a solemn
manifestation of it upon the highest mountain of the Holy Land, by this to show
to all peoples and al centuries, the sign of salvation and the organ of truth. Gaze
therefore, "act according to the model which is shown to you upon the
mountain."
ACT OF LOVE - Yes, I know that my Redeemer lives. I will see Him with my own eyes one
day in His glory and not another; that is the hope which rests in my heart.
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - Fidelity in obeying the divine commandments: "Speak, Lord, your
servant hears."
SPIRITUAL BOUQUET - "It is good for us to be here." Say these words before the
Tabernacle, at the foot of the altar; there is your Tabor; because, through the Eucharist, the
mi - mortal and glorious Jesus is present to the eyes of your faith; make this the object of
your delights and your contentment.
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58): have
pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face shine
upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded, because I have
called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in venerating
the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because of our sins, we
may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of celestial glory,
through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
EIGHTH DAY
THE HOLY FACE UPON THE CROSS
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from it on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: Upon the cross, where He is placed as upon an altar of propitiation between
heaven and earth, Our Lord makes himself our intermediary, our Mediator.
I. THE PARDON GRANTED. Raising His gazes veiled with tears towards the
Heavenly Father, He begs for our pardon: "Father forgive them. O Father remit
the debt of sinners; restore Your friendship with them". Then, turning Himself
towards us, He lovingly inclines His Head as if to offer us the kiss of peace and
reconciliation. Oh! How touching this attitude of the Redeemer! What sufferings
upon this bed of anguishes! What prolonged agony! And also what patience,
what sweetness, what ineffable serenity in His action and His words! Up to seven
times this divine Savior makes a respite in His grief, grief, opens His blessed lips;
each of His words is a lesson, a grace, like a supreme and reiterated adieu which
He addresses to the world. He does not murmur, not become angry; He prays,
pardons, blesses; finally He gives a loud cry and gives up the last breath.
II. THE APPEAL MADE TO DIVINE MERCY. O God, our Creator and our Father,
we dare not raise our eyes to You, because we have sinned; we have abused Your
innumerable benefits; we are greatly culpable, we merit the blows of Your justice.
But, Lord, see Your Christ upon the cross; look at His merciful and
compassionate Face which implores You. Listen to the cry of His prayer. See the
tears, the thorns of His crown, the blood with which He is inundated. Se Him
mute, lifeless, frozen by death. He has given Himself up to death for us, O
Father; He has prayed to You on behalf of us. He has desired to appease Your
anger. Look, look at the Face of Your well-beloved Christ in this state. Pardon us,
Father most clement, and save us.
III. CHRISTIAN PARDON. - Jesus on the cross what instruction You give me! Your
charity has reached up to pardoning Your executioners and in praying for them.
It is above al for those who have struck You, bruised You, buffeted You, covered
with spittle, that You have said: "Father, forgive them for they know not what
they are doing." When they struck You, You bore it patiently and in silence; now
You raise Your voice to excuse them and defend them, to
 Veronica was penetrated on the way to Calvary. What matter the scorns
of the world and the rage of hell? I will listen to the Church's voice; I will
follow my heart's inspirations. I will go to You, O most sweet Savior; I will
soothe the wounds which bruise You; I will efface the ignominious marks
with which people desired to stain You. In Your turn, vivify me by the
rays of Your grace and engrave in my soul the heavenly imprint of Your
virtues.
ACT OF CHARITY - Love Jesus and have compassion because of the outrages
people made Him suffer; love your straying brothers and pray God that He will
spare them and convert them.
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - May the zeal of Reparation inflame you; practice it by
communions, by some prayers, by your words, your example, by all the means
which the sight of the veil which is committed inspires you.
FOURTH DAY
THE HOLY FACE IN THE GARDEN OF OLIVES
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from it on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: Follow Jesus, who after the Last Supper is going to the Garden of Olives to
prepare Himself for His Passion. He kneels down apart, in solitude in a
lonely place. He prays a long time, lasting three hours. His soul is given up to
sadness, to fear, to the anguish of death. From time to time, He interrupts His
prayer to go towards His disciples, to seek a little strength and consolation
from them, but He does not find it: "I have sought" He says, "for someone to
console Me, and I have not found anyone." You should observe three things
here:

I. THE SORROWFUL CONDITION OF THE HOLY FACE. It reflects all the

SPIRITUAL BOUQUET - "I must have Veronicas" said Our Lord to Mary of St. Peter.
"My daughter, take My Face as a precious coin which will pay the debts of His
justice to My Father."
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58):
have pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face
shine upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded,
because I have called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in
venerating the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because
II.
of our sins, we may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of
celestial glory, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
impressions of His soul: It appears sad, desolating, trembling; It sheds tears,
sorrowful groans escape from His lips. See also how, after having prayed on His
knees, eyes humbly cast down, in order to give more intensity and fervor to His
prayer, the Savior prostrates Himself with His Face to the ground. Contemplate
this divine Face lowered even into the dust, pressed against an earth which has
been cursed following upon Adam's sin and condemned to only produce thorns
and brambles; purified by this kiss of peace, by these tears of the adorable
Victim, our earth will see its inhabitants bringing forth, following this, a rich
harvest of flowers and fruits of virtue; but Jesus takes the thorns upon Himself,
He will crown His forehead with them.
THE APPARITION OF THE ANGEL. At this moment the anguish of the Man-
God redoubles; he feels a kind of mortal agony; a mysterious sweat, a sweat of
blood, bathes His Face, trickles down His forehead, and falls drop by drop upon
the ground where He is prostrated. An Angel appears to strengthen Him;
strengthened by the heavenly aid, Jesus rises, accepts the chalice which His
Father offers to Him; He will drink it with love and to the end. Consoling Angel,
you give me the example; I am envious of your lot; I desire to put myself in your
place, it is for me to raise up this adorable and languishing Victim, to make up
for Him by the tenderness of my love and the generosity of my sacrifices;
because it is for me that He suffers and is humiliated; it is for me that He
resigned Himself to drink the chalice which His Father is presenting to Him.
 III. WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. It is for you to offer and to imitate, O Jesus!
You never refused the help of others and the Angel's consolation. Allow
me, despite my unworthiness, to approach You and render you the same
service. Let me compassionate You in Your sadness, to raise You from the
ground and respectfully to hold You in my arms. It is for me to prostrate
myself to the ground, to humble myself in a spirit of reparation; I associate
myself with Your humiliations and Your grief; like You I accept the chalice
of trial, with you I bow my head and resign myself to the divine will,
saying: "Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will; this law will be always
engraved in my heart; may Your will be done, and not my own, not what I
desire, but as you wish."
ACT OF ABANDONMENT - Offer yourself entirely to God to do nothing but His
adorable will; make this offering in union with Jesus praying with His Face to the
ground in the Garden of Olives.
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - Do penance; move yourself to contrition for your own
faults and for those of others; accept in a spirit of expiation the trials which ti may
please God to send you.
SPIRITUAL BOUQUET - My nourishment, that is to say my joy and my delights, is
to do the will of my Heavenly Father.
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58):
have pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face
shine upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded,
because I have called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in
venerating the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because
of our sins, we may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of
celestial glory, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
SEVENTH DAY
THE HOLY FACE ON THE WAY TO CALVARY
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from it on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: See Jesus climbing the mountain of His Sacrifice, loaded with the weight of
the cross. After the painful and humiliating fall which He has undergone, His
adorable Face appears to be soiled with dust, sweat and blood. This sight
arouses the scorn of the crowd and the taunts of the executioners.
I. REPARATION OFFERED. In this state of desertion and opprobrium, suddenly
the Savior receives a sign of devotion and tenderness which consoles Him. A
courageous woman, Veronica, has been touched with compassion; listening only
to her faith and her love, she breaks through the crowd, goes through the
executioners and approaches Jesus with feeling and respect. Then she takes off
the soft white veil of fine Egyptian linen which covers her head, she extends it
and gently applies it to the-bloody and bruised Face of the Man-God; she wipes
It and soothes It; it is a real service which she is rendering to Him. In recompense
Jesus at the same time leaves her the imprint of His Holy Face upon the linen
which she has used for this heroic act.
II. VERONICA AS A MODEL. Congratulate Veronica; regard her as an admirable
model; learn from this generous woman to repair the injuries committed against
your God. In our days, impiety renews in various ways the outrages of Calvary.
His Majesty is particularly insulted and despised by so many horrible
blasphemies which hell vomits forth against His divinity. The Savior complains;
He seems to say to those who know Him and love Him: "I have searched around
Me for consolers, and I have not found any." Let our heart reply to Him: "Here I
am, Lord, I am at Your disposal to do Your good pleasure. Must hate and
despises of impiety oppose my faith, my adorations, my example? I am ready."
III. GOOD INSPIRATION TO FOLLOW. - Divine Master, You have said in Your
Gospel: "Whosoever glorifies Me before men, I will in my turn glorify him before
My Father who is in heaven." At the present time perverse sects and sacrileges
injure You; I wish to glorify You by my expiations, by my praises, by all the
fervor of my love. Animate my soul with the spirit with which
 by the diadem which crowns Your Head, you have acquired the right to
reign over my heart; this diadem of ignominy and pain is a crown of
expiation and love. Many times I have disowned Your royalty in
despising Your holy law and Your divine teachings; many times I have
caused Your Blood to flow upon Your august Face in pressing in the
thorns which pierce Your Forehead by my reiterated faults; I have run
after the joys of this world and crowned myself with roses; I have aspired
to slack merry-making of an easy and pleasant life with our dreaming that
I was the subject of a king crowned with thorns. No, O good Master, I do
not wish that You may suffer more the thorns of my iniquities; I desire to
please you by my homage, to adorn You with the flowers of my virtues,
and cause You to triumph in me by generous love which may be worthy
of You.
ACT OF OFFERING - O Jesus, my king and my God, here is my soul with its
thoughts, my heart with its affections, my will with its aspirations! Here is my spirit
and my body; I place myself entirely under Your rule; reign over me forever.
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - By mortification make all desires and unlawful tendencies
to die in you, those which might offend Our Lord and in some manner to renew His
sufferings.
SPIRITUAL BOUQUET - Should a subject be sensual and fastidious under a Head
crowned with thorns?
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58):
have pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face
shine upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded,
because I have called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in
venerating the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because
of our sins, we may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of
celestial glory, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
FIFTH DAY
THE HOLY FACE IN THE COURT OF CAIPHAS
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from it on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: It is the night of the Passion, Jesus after a mocking trial, has been scornfully
convicted, with His hands bound to the court of the High Priest.
I. OUTRAGES. He is at the mercy of a troop of soldiers and the court servants who
make a cruel sport of Him, to overwhelm Him with insults and affronts of every
kind. His Holy Face is their special aim. The entire night He had to suffer the
most humiliating injuries which the malice of men and the rage demons could
invent. They injured Him by slaps in the Face, they bruised Him and made Him
bleed through hand-cuffs; they soiled Him with spittle, a kind of insult especially
acute to the Savior, He complains of it by the mouth of the prophet: "They did
not fear to spit in My Face"; and in predicting to His apostles the Passion which
He had to suffer in Jerusalem, He specified that they would spit upon Him: "The
Son of Man will be spit upon."
II. CONVERSION OF ST. PETER. In the midst of these treatments what patience on
the Savior’s part! What serenity! What sweetness! He does not complain; He does
not murmur; He prays, He loves; He expiates and makes reparation for the
outrages which our sins have inflicted and still inflict upon the majesty of His
heavenly Father. Stronger than these ignominies, He found a way of doing,
through His sorrowful Face, an act of mercy and ineffable charity; He takes pity
on the prince of the apostles and raises him from his fall. Peter was there, at some
distance; faithless disciple he mingled with the crowd, the enemies of his master,
he shamefully denied his master three times. Suddenly he met the gaze of the
divine eyes which was fixed upon him and sent him a look of sweet reproach,
compassion and love. It is enough: the sight of that sorrowful Face, this ray of
light which shone from this sad eye, pierced the apostle's heart; penetrated with
shame and repentance, he went to a lonely place and wept bitterly.
III. TURN BACK TO YOURSELF. O Jesus, whose divine Face raises and transforms
wandering souls, cast those eyes upon me, have pity on me. After having
offended God, I have not responded to His allurements of Your grace, or if I have
shed some tears, this was only the result of a temporary humility,
 of a sadness into which self-love entered more than true repentance. Since
Your adorable Face is a sun of justice capable of softening souls and
purifying consciences, burn, consume in me all which opposes itself to the
purity of Your love; may Your heavenly rays inflame me, and make me
secretly weep for my past offences. I also, I am an unfaithful disciple; or
rather I have been and do not wish to be anymore. You are merciful
enough to forget my revolts and to turn aside from my sins. No, my Jesus,
whatever may happen and whatever it may cost me, I will not renounce
You anymore; I desire in the contrary, to glorify You by my penitence and
my works.
ACT OF CONTRITION - Lord, turn away Your Face from my sins; efface al my
iniquities; I detest them, I desire to make reparation for them.
VIRTUE TO PRACTICE - Have the courage of faith, do not fear the glance and the
speech of men when there is question of a duty to fight or a fault to avoid.
SPIRITUAL BOUQUET - Jesus looked at Peter, and Peter wept bitterly.
All: I have prayed before your Face with my whole Heart (Psalm 118:58):
have pity on me according to your promise. Let the light of Your Face
shine upon me in Your mercy, Lord, I shall not be confounded,
because I have called upon You.
All powerful and merciful God, grant, we beg of You, that in
venerating the Face of Your Christ, disfigured in His Passion because
of our sins, we may merit to contemplate It eternally, in the light of
celestial glory, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Closing Prayers (page 21)
SIXTH DAY
THE HOLY FACE IN THE PRAETORIUM OF PILATE
All kneel
All: Lord, I desire to search again for Your Face; so do not push me far away
from it on account of my sins; do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me.
Let the light of Your Face shine upon me; instruct me in the way of Your
commandments.
All be seated
Leader: Pilate's Praetorium was for Our Lord the bloody place of two equally
ignominious and cruel tortures, the flagellation and the crowning with
thorns.
I. SUFFERINGS OF JESUS. The whips of the executioners who were scourging
Jesus did not spare His sweet and lovable Face; He was furrowed in always,
bruised, stained with blood, torn by the rods. Then seeing that Jesus was
condemned to death because He called Himself "King", the soldiers made this
title a subject of bitter derision and sacrilegious mockeries. They threw a purple
mantle over His shoulders, they put a reed in His hands in the guise of a scepter,
and by a refinement of unheard malice, they made a crown with thorns, which
they intertwined and forced down upon His Forehead with heavy blows. The
long, hard, sharp thorns penetrated deeply into the Savior’s Head, causing Him
atrocious pains, and inundated His Holy Face with trickles of blood.
I. JESUS' HUMILIATION. It was in this pitiable state that Pilate presented Jesus to
the people, hoping to arouse their compassion and to deliver Him. "Behold the
Man" he said. This sight served only to inflame their fury: "Crucify Him! Crucify
Him!" they cried out. — "Shal I crucify your king?" We have no other king but
Caesar: we do not wish Him to rule over us." The Savior’s enemies triumph.
Amongst that crowd there were many whom He had loaded with blessings, who
perhaps in secret called themselves His disciples and His friends; none of them
raised a voice to declare themselves as His disciple and defend Him; no one
dared to recognize Him as his king and his God. This shameful abandonment,
joined to other outrages, was a painful martyrdom for Jesus: "My people, what
have I done to you? Why do you outrage the Face of your Savior? Why have you
crowned Me with a diadem of thorns?"
II. HONOUR DUE TO JESUS. - It is not without a profound mystery that this divine
Savior was thus crowned; He must reign. The soldiers, without doubting it,
attested Jesus Christ's royalty as well as Pilate; without knowing it, they enter
into God's designs, who desires that His Son may be recognized as king and
receive with the title the homage of all creatures. - Yes, O Jesus,