As Catholics, we are called to be in the world but not of the world. We are supposed to swim against the current of modernism and progressivism and all the other “isms”. We are called to live in His Divine Will, not our will. We are called to seek His face, to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength. But it is getting more and more difficult.  With all the distractions and allurements of the world, our hearts and minds are constantly bombarded with worldly enticements.  It is not hard to see that as Catholics, we have not done a very good job. Instead of evangelizing the world, we have allowed the world and old sparky in through the cracks.  The effects of this can even be witnessed in the Church herself.  You know something is seriously wrong when on Sunday, all the malls, arenas, cinemas and restaurants are packed but the churches are empty.

            The Lord promised that if the Israelites would obey His Commandments, He would have mercy on them and that they would prosper, but He also warned them what would happen if they did not obey. Leviticus 26:3-4, and 15-17 tells us:

“If you walk in my precepts, and keep my commandments, and do them, I will give you rain in due seasons. And the ground shall bring forth its increase: and the trees shall be filled with fruit.”

“If you despise my laws, and contemn my judgments so as not to do those things which are appointed by me, and to make void my covenant: I also will do these things to you. I will quickly visit you with poverty, and burning heat, which shall waste your eyes, and consume your lives. You shall sow your seed in vain, which shall be devoured by your enemies. I will set my face against you, and you shall fall down before your enemies: and shall be made subject to them that hate you. You shall flee when no man pursueth you”

History has shown us over and over again what happened when the Israelites rejected God.  Also, when they turned back to Him, He blessed them, rewarded them, and He fought their battles for them. They were prosperous. However, we know in the end it did not end up working so well for the Israelites, and God had to intervene with a new plan. He sent His only Son into the world to pay the price for all our sins and redeem us, if only we follow Him and obey His commandments.  

Fast forward to more modern times, and let us see how well we as Catholics have responded to God’s Commandments. Well, not too well I am afraid. On September 19th 1846, Our Lady of La Salette appeared to two shepherd children, and as she spoke, she wept:

      “If my people do not wish to submit themselves, I am forced to let go of the hand of My Son. It is so heavy and weighs me down so much I can no longer keep hold of it. I have suffered all of the time for the rest of you! If I do   not wish My Son to abandon you, I must take it upon myself to pray for this continually. And the rest of you think little of this.  In vain you will pray, in vain you will act, and you will never be able to make up for the trouble I have taken over for the rest of you.”

       “I gave you six days to work; I kept the seventh for myself, and no one wishes to grant it to me. This is what weighs down the arm of my Son so much.”

    “Those who drive carts cannot speak without putting the name of my Son in the middle”

   “These are the two things which weigh down the arm of my Son so much.”[1]

  Just prior to La Salette, the Lord made known to Sister Marie de St. Pierre in a revelation on the feast of St. John of the Cross November 24, 1843 the following:

               “Till now I have only shown you in part the designs of my Heart, but to-day I wish to show you them in their entirety. The earth is covered with crimes. The violation of the first three Commandments of God has irritated my Father; the holy Name of God blasphemed, and the holy day of the Lord profaned, fill the measure of iniquities. These sins have mounted to the throne of God and provoked his wrath, which will soon burst forth if his justice is not appeased. At no time have these crimes ascended so high. I desire, with an ardent desire, that there be formed an association, well approved and organized, to honor the Name of my Father”

On December 2nd, 1847, the call that Sr. Marie de St. Pierre received was more urgent than ever as our Lord,     appearing to her covered with wounds, spoke to her as follows:  

“The executioners crucified Me on Friday but Christians crucify Me on Sunday. Ask then in My Name the establishment of the Work of Reparation in the Diocese of Tours, in order that My friends may embalm My wounds by their prayers and their acts of sacrifice, and thus obtain mercy for the guilty. My daughter, the storm is already rumbling but I shall keep My promise, if My wishes regarding the Reparation be respected and acted      upon. Speak with humility, but at the same time with a holy freedom.”[2]

  If our Lord was so offended back then by violations on Sunday, how much more is he offended today?  It seems like in over 170 plus years, we Catholics have not been doing a very good job. Our Lord has given us extremely good directions, yet somehow we have veered off course. I was listening to a homily by Fr. Ripperger recently, and he said that we get the priests and clergy we deserve because, quite frankly we as Catholics have failed and we are just not holy enough. The question is then – how do we get back on course? How do we live in God’s will during these times where it is so easy to get distracted by all the allurements of the world on Sundays? 

               I believe the answer is simpler than we think, but it does take some effort. We have to challenge ourselves to follow the commandments more stringently. For starters, instead of eating out on Sunday or going shopping at the mall, or watching sports all day on TV, why not stay at home and spend more time with Scripture and in prayer. Alternatively spend time with your family playing board games or activities. Sundays can also be a day for doing Corporal works us mercy, like feeding the poor or helping out a homeless shelter. As Catholics let us set an example to others so that when we are asked to do things on Sunday, we simply say “No thanks, it is the Lord’s Day, and I am going to spend time resting in the Lord or working for the Lord.  I recognize that some people’s occupations like the police, firefighters, hospital workers etc. require them to work on Sundays, but for those of us who do not legitimately have to work on a Sunday, let us just not.  I know some of you might be thinking that tasks will not get accomplished on the home front, or that you need the money. We have to then remember that you cannot outdo the Lord’s generosity. If you trust in Him fully and obey His commandments, He will look after your needs and you will be surprised how much you can get accomplished when you are fully obedient to the Lord.

               Another thing that we can do as Catholics is stop following what the world does.  We have to set the bar higher and swim against the modern current. We have to ask ourselves, “Is this program I am about to watch going to make me a better Catholic; is it going to help me become holier? Is the music I listen to helping me become holier?” If the answer is “no”, then just do not partake in it. There is hardly anything produced today by Hollywood or modern media that does not blaspheme the Lord’s Name in some way or another. There is a saying that goes something like “You cannot wallow with the pigs and come out smelling like a rose”.  In other words, everything we ingest (take in with all our senses) has a spiritual effect on our soul.  At the end of time when we meet the Lord, we will have to be accountable for everything that we have done in our lives. The scales of the Lord’s justice will either be weighed with good works or the opposite. I do not know about you, but I do not want to be in amongst the goats. I want to be one of His sheep and recognize His voice.  

               The one thing that has truly helped me to become a better Catholic is to keep my eyes fixed on Christ. The Holy Face Devotion has really helped me recognize that I was not being faithful to God’s commandments. Praying the prayers of reparation have given me a greater hope in obtaining salvation, and greater peace throughout my day. When you step into the battle with Christ, He rewards you with gifts of grace and perseverance.

So my dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, I encourage you to take up the challenge and try to reject the ways of the world and live in the Divine Will of God. Try to spend 5 to 10 minutes each day admiring our Lord’s adorable Face and making atonement for your sins and those of mankind.  You will be amazed at how the Lord can transform you!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His Face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His Countenance upon you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Our Lady of the Holy Name of God, pray for us! Saint Joseph pray for us!

2 Dec. 2023, Little Pilgrim of His Holy Face

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[1] https://www.virgosacrata.com/our-lady-of-la-salette.html

[2] Sr. Marie De Saint-Pierre and the work of reparation by P. Janvier ,translated by Miss Mary Hoffman

For those of you who do not know about this devotion, it really is the devotion for our time since it was formed to combat the particular evils inflicting our age.   It is quite a remarkable story (or perhaps we should say, stories) which we encourage everyone to learn about. Indeed, the speed and proliferation of the devotion in recent years is gaining encouraging traction around the world.

Did you know that:

• Our Lord specifically established this devotion to offer reparation to His Holy Face and Name, and to combat the outrages against the first three Commandments?
• This devotion has a spiritual element to it that causes the enemies of God to fight with each other, and implores Him to fight for us?
• In 1847, Jesus Himself confided to a little-known French nun, Sr. Marie de St. Pierre, that this devotion should be established as a defense against the Communists who were then first organizing?
• Venerable Leo Dupont, a great promoter of this devotion, was declared by Pope Pius IX to be perhaps the greatest miracle-worker in Church history with the recording of 6,000 certified miracles attributed to his intercession?

So, why is this important?  Because in our period of history and right now, we are in the midst of the greatest spiritual battle of all time. It is against a new, sophisticated, and modern communism, and we have had a good taste of it in the last three years.  This second communism has a different look, but behind the mask and the mirage, it is the Old Enemy and his infernal cohort who are up to their old tricks and lies.  In our time, the greatest attack against the Church is hurled against the image of God in us.  All of the attacks on humanity we are experiencing today are really about the attack on God’s image. Who is created in God’s image?  We are.  And how is an image represented? The image is represented by the face.  

The other reason why this devotion is important is because great and powerful healings will flow from it once it is exercised.  We need healing today more than ever with so many people ill and suffering. 

Jesus Himself predicted that this devotion would only become more pronounced in later times (and indeed there has been a certain veiling and obscuration of the devotion preceding these days)…

Just after Sr. Marie de St. Pierre’s interview with the Archbishop’s Secretary, our Lord came to console her, and in her words she wrote, “Our Savior made me to understand,” writes Sister Mary, “that His Work of Reparation will only become the more flourishing in the future, for it will grow the stronger and more vigorous in the midst of storms, and that like a ship refused harbor at one port, it will happily land at another.”  (The Golden Arrow: The Revelations of Sr. Mary of St. Peter, p.218)

The days prophesied by Our Lord are here.  The storm is upon us.  The ship has come in. So that means those who are called to “sail” with this devotion have a special mission from Him, and are invited to step on board. 

The barque is about to sail again.  The battle awaits.  

Are you with us?

If you are, then hoist the sails and let us set the course.

By John Pacheco , St. Joan of Arc Community http://stjoanofarc.ca/ and also one of our co-founders . Thank you John for your inspiring Words.

Our Sorrowful Mother, whose most pure heart was transfixed with seven swords of sorrow, you suffered intensely all the pains of your most Beloved Son, throughout His Life, Passion, and Death. The very first sword of sorrow pierced your Immaculate Heart when Jesus was only forty days old. Alongside the good St. Joseph, you presented Him in the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate Him to the Lord. As you held Him close to your most pure heart and gazed upon His Holy Face, your joy soon turned into sorrow as holy Simeon entered the Temple and prophesized that “Thine own soul a sword shall pierce”. You then understood more profoundly that Jesus would suffer cruel tortures for the Salvation of mankind through ingratitude, coldness of heart, sacrileges and profanation. Please come to our assistance and obtain for us the purity and thankfulness of heart to adore, with a firm purpose of amendment, the most Holy Face of your Son.

O Blessed Mother, you received your second sorrow while Jesus was still of a tender age. The Father’s will was manifested in a dream of gentle Joseph directing the Holy Family to flee to Egypt to escape the murderous intentions of Herod. During this arduous journey, you contemplated the angelic countenance of your Son asleep in your arms. You suffered the sword of grief at the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, and the anxiety of travelling unprepared to a pagan land. Assist us by the help of your prayers to turn to the Holy Face of your Son, in order to forbear all evil which assails, so that sinners throughout the world will be converted.

Most Holy Mother, you suffered the third sword of sorrow as you and St. Joseph searched in earnest for Jesus for three long days when He was lost in Jerusalem at the age of twelve. Upon finding Him in His Father’s House, you beheld His Holy Face with relief, but deeply pondered the will of God in your heart. Please obtain for us the graces to patiently pursue the Face of Jesus as a remedy in those moments when we have difficulty accepting the Father’s will, or when Jesus is lost to us through our sins.

O Mary most sorrowful, you endured the fourth sword as you followed Jesus along the road to Calvary. The weight of our sins was insupportable, and He fell to the ground for the first time. It was then that your eyes took in the sight of His Divine Countenance, scarcely recognizable by the blood, wounds and bruises found thereon. At this moment, your mutual gaze became arrows that pierced your two hearts which loved each other profoundly. Teach us dear Mother, through the anguish of seeing our Lord’s Face, covered in wounds, to persevere in desire to love Him and make Him loved by all mankind.

O Queen of Martyrs, you stood resolutely at the foot of the Cross and endured your fifth sword of sorrow, as you glanced at the disfigured Holy Face of your Son Jesus. When He spoke His third word,

“Woman behold thy Son,” it was then that He sacrificed the last earthly consolation of your tender contemplation of His Holy Countenance to direct you to turn toward the beloved disciple. Out of obedience and trust, but with great anguish you complied, and so took on the whole human race as your beloved children, and gave your fiat to the Father once more. Tender Mother of all people, come to our

assistance, so that the will and most Holy Name of Jesus will be praised, blessed, loved, adored, and glorified in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth by all of your children.

Most afflicted Mother, you beheld Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take the lifeless body of Jesus down from the Cross, at which point you received Him into your outstretched arms. This was the sixth sword of sorrow. As you contemplated His breathless Holy Face, you recalled that first Christmas morning, when you peered into His eyes at birth and He cried out for love, nourishment, and warmth.

At that moment, there was only silence, as you had just suffered through the hearing of His death cry.

What torment you must have braved, as in His humanity, Jesus could not return your loving gaze. In your desolation, you could only reflect that the cruel wounds that He had received to His Sacred Face and Head, and which you in turn felt concretely in your soul, were the price paid for the salvation of mankind. O Holy Virgin Mary, deign to assist us in proclaiming the Good News of Salvation through the

Most Holy Name of Jesus, so that the Word of God and discipleship may spread throughout our country

Canada, and the errors of Communism may be defeated throughout the world.

Virgin most sorrowful, you suffered the seventh sword as Jesus was placed in the Sacred Tomb. You knelt at His graveside, praying to the Father in earnest that you may be granted the favour of remaining there at His last resting place. When it was time to move the stone to close the entrance, the Father’s will was manifested – the disciples with the utmost reverence, bid you to take leave of your Son’s side.

Your loving gaze turned one last time to His Holy Face, now hidden behind the burial cloths. You then left your most pure heart there in the sepulchre with Jesus as the great stone was rolled forward as you would experience for the first time the absence of His Holy Presence. However, your sorrow was not sadness. It was tempered with hope as you anticipated His Glorious Resurrection on the third day.

O Queen of Intercessors, obtain for us a share in your lively faith, that we may know without a doubt that

Your Incarnate Son has shown us the Face of God the Father, which is love itself. Pray for us, that we will live forever united to Jesus in the hope of one day enjoying the Beatific Vision for all eternity and partaking in your crown of glory in Heaven, Amen.

4 June 2023 Littlest Wren of the Holy Face.

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(from the Archconfraternity Manual of the Holy Face pages 98 – 107)

According to the Baltimore Catechism, we are created to know, love, and serve God in this life, so to be together forever in the next.  In order to know someone, we must spend time with them face to face. Holy Scripture is filled with references telling us to seek the Face of God. Here are but a few quotes from the Bible;

And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved. [Genesis 32:30]

And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man is wont to speak to his friend. And when he returned into the camp, his servant Josue, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from the tabernacle. If therefore I have found favour in thy sight, show me thy face that I may know thee, and may find grace before thy eyes: look upon thy people this nation. And the Lord said: My face shall go before thee, and I will give thee rest. [Exodus 33: 11,13-14]

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Say to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the children of Israel, and you shall say to them: The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord shew his face to thee, and have mercy on thee. The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace. [Numbers 6:22-26]

My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek. [Psalms 26:8]

A prayer for the church in tribulation, commemorating God’s former favours. Convert us, O God: and shew us thy face, and we shall be saved. [Psalms 79:4, 79:8 & 79:20]

And now we follow thee with all our heart, and we fear thee, and seek thy face. [Daniel 3:41]

 There are literally dozens of more passages referring to our Lord’s Face or His Holy Countenance. The Lord desires us to seek Him and He wants us to be in that relationship with Him. When a man begins to date a woman, they desire to see each other’s faces. This is how they get to know one another, and fall in love by being in each other`s company.  The Lord desires this face time with each and every one of us. So, how do we accomplish this? Well, if you live close to a parish and can get to adoration frequently, I highly recommend it. Jesus is there present in the Eucharist Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity; He is waiting for you to keep Him company.  Besides adoration, I highly suggest you get an image of our Lord preferably in His passion as depicted in the Veronica Veil (check out our recommended link page). Put the image somewhere special that you can just sit and adore the Lord contemplating His passion and His love for you.  Pray the litany of his Holy Face and some other prayers (see our prayer page). So go ahead and take the Face to Face challenge. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I guarantee this will change your life.

 “But we all, beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.” [2 Corinthians 3:18].

The more we seek His face in this life, the more we prepare ourselves to be in His holy presence for all eternity.

“All those who meditate frequently on the vision of My Divine Face, attracted by the desires of love, shall receive within them, by the virtue of My Humanity, a bright ray of My Divinity which shall enlighten their inmost souls, so that they shall reflect the light of My countenance in a special manner in eternity.” Revelation to St. Gertrude Book 4 Chapter 7

May the Lord shine His Face upon you and give you peace.

Little pilgrim of the Holy Face

Scripture references from the Douay-Rheims Holy Bible

18 Nov. 2023

It seems that when our Lord revealed this devotion, He was very clear of the need for it to be canonically established.  He made it known to Sister Marie de Saint Pierre, “If this Work of Reparation is not established on a solid foundation it will never be secure. By this I mean that if it does not have its own Brief it will only languish and wind up by perishing. This Work therefore cannot be truly established without the formality of a Brief.”[1]

So, we can deduce that the Lord Himself desired this establishment, and that the people involved are merely the instruments used by God to bring about His will.  Being part of this formal canonical Archconfraternity means one can gain spiritual benefits such as certain plenary indulgences given by the ecclesiastical authority. Further, praying as a member of an Archconfraternity is akin to unleashing a torrent of graces by being connected to the prayers of all its present and past members. To borrow an analogy from our beautiful friends at the Marian Devotional Movement – praying by oneself is like a tap dripping, praying in a prayer group is like turning a faucet on fully, however praying with an Archconfraternity is like turning on Niagara Falls! 

The church hierarchy was established by God, and one of its key purposes is to ensure cohesion and unison amongst its members.  Therefore, following an already approved formulated plan and set of rules is always good practice.

There seems be a bit confusion of what image to venerate for the purpose of the Holy Face Devotion.  If you are praying as a group and have no affiliation to the Archconfraternity, then naturally you will benefit and obtain many graces from this devotion regardless of what image you are using.  It should however, be legitimate and reverent. If, on the other hand, you want to enroll in the Archconfraternity and enjoy its many spiritual privileges, then it is advisable to venerate the Veronica Veil, the image around which the Archconfraternity was formed.  The prime reason being that our Lord specifically mentions the office of Veronica several times in His revelations to Sr. Marie de Saint Pierre.  He showed her vividly the scene of Veronica wiping His Face during His passion on the way to Calvary. Then told her “by practicing Reparation for blasphemy, we render Him the same service as did the pious Veronica and that just as He looked with kindly eyes upon this holy woman during His passion, so would He regard with affection all those who make reparation.”[2] On another date our Blessed Saviour said to her, “I seek Veronicas to wipe and venerate My Divine Face which has few adorers!”[3] These are but a few of the many instances in which our Lord linked the office of Veronica with performing acts of reparation. As an aside, the Veronica image is the imprint of our suffering Lord during His passion while He was still alive.  The image of the Shroud is from His burial. The distinction is very important.

In conclusion, in order to be in union with the Archconfraternity, and receive the associated indulgences and graces generously bestowed on its members, it is credible to follow the blueprint already established.

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Composed by The Little Pilgrim of the Holy Face and edited by the Littlest Wren. 17 Nov. 2023

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[1]  March 19,1847 Golden arrow page 200

[2] Oct 11, 1845 Golden Arrow page 153

[3] Oct 27, 1845 Golden Arrow page 157

In this life, we have the privilege to gaze on the suffering Face of Jesus as we live out our earthly exile in this valley of tears.  His wounded Face represents the suffering which we too must endure on earth, as He invites us to unite our suffering with His.  We could not bear here below the vision of His glorified Face, nor yet enjoy the direct contact with Him because we are not sufficiently purified, and we are imprisoned by matter.  In His Holy Countenance, subjected to sharp sorrows, we can approach Him, adore Him, and love Him as we understand that we too are wounded.  If we abandon all to Him as pilgrims in this world and gaze upon His Holy Face, we then allow Him to penetrate our Hearts with His gaze, to heal all the wounds contained therein until our hearts swell with love, the condition necessary to live in Divine Intimacy with Him.  “He that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in Him” (1 Jn 4:16). 

Let us answer His call to each and every day take one step deeper in love for Him and for the souls in our midst, so that our faces would shine more and more with the light of His Face and so that at journey’s end we would enter into the glorious love and light of His eternal Beatitude.

Littlest Wren of the Holy Face Oct 31, 2023

Natures reflects the glory of God! Just like plants transform the sun’s rays to energy and grant life so it is with humanity.  When you stand outside in the sun, the sun warms you up but that isn’t all that it does; your body absorbs the rays to create nutrients such as Vitamin D. According to recent science the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is found in nearly all, if not all, cells in the body.

            Adoration of our Lord is the same, when we adore our Lord He looks back at us, penetrating us with His seemingly ultra violet rays into every cell of our bodies.  When we adore Him, He is changing us interiorly to be more like him.

One of the promises that our Lord revealed to St Gertrude to those who honour His Holy Face. “That they will receive in their souls a bright and constant irradiation of My Divinity, that by their likeness to My Face they shall shine with particular splendor in Heaven.” Another promise this one revealed to Sister Marie de St. Pierre “According to the care you take in making reparation to My Face disfigured by   blasphemies, so will I take care of yours which has been disfigured by sin. I will   reprint   therein My image and render it as beautiful as it was on leaving the   Baptismal font.”

Remember in the Holy Scripture that after Moses spoke with the Lord he had to cover his face with a veil because his face was so radiant the Israelites couldn’t look upon him.

Let us also recall when our Lord went up mount Tabor and He was transfigured before the 3 apostles. His Face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as snow.  He revealed to them briefly his Glorious Divinity.

You have all heard the phrase “Out of sight out of Mind”. Truer words cannot have been spoken. When we are not thinking of our Lord it is so easy to get caught up in worldly things, just remember poor Martha from the Gospel readings.  How often does it happen that we are not 5 minutes out of the parking lot of the Church and already our minds are filled with planning the day and how anxious we get about the time or accomplishing our daily “to do list” etc.……?

This is just another reason why the Holy Face Devotion is some important. To keep the image of our Lord in our minds, to seek His Face throughout the day. Is it any wonder why so many scriptural passages tell us to seek His face or His Countenance? You would almost have to think our Lord was trying to tell us something really important, but yet something so simple.

I read a reflection from Divine Intimacy and in the reflection it mentioned when you pick up a fragrant fruit, does the smell not linger on your hands for hours later. I think we can compare this to the fragrance of love which our Lord shares with us when we adore His Holy Countenance and make reparation for our sins and mankind’s as well.  The effect of Adoration can stay with us for hours afterwards.   So let us strive to adore the Lord whether it’s in Eucharistic adoration or devotional prayers to His Holy Face let us try to keep His image always before our eyes. 2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Little Pilgrim of His Holy Face, 2 July 2023

Just found this powerful revelation from Jesus to Saint Gertrude.

St. Gertrude often saw the Face of Jesus, in meditation, resplendent as the sun, illuminating priests, inflaming the devout and converting sinners. When she asked why the Face of Our Lord shone like the sun, and Jesus explained: “Like the sun, My Countenance illuminates, warms and fructifies.”

post updated on 19 Nov 2023, Corrections and updates (25 Nov. 2023)

As Sacred Scripture tells us, mankind was created in the image and likeness of God.  However, because of the fall of man, our sinfulness destroyed that. “Disfigured by sin and death man remains “in the image of God”, in the image of the Son but is deprived “of the Glory of God” of his “likeness”. CCC Para 705. Christ came into the world to restore us to that Divine likeness, by taking upon Himself all the sins of mankind and paying our debt on the Cross.  We, through the Church and Her Holy Sacraments can be restored into that Divine likeness.

When we pray these prayers of reparation, we are uniting ourselves with Christ in fighting the evil which is so prevalent in the world today. When we adore His Sacred Holy Face in the Passion, we are offering Him to God the Father in reverence to atone for the sins of Blasphemy and Profanation of Sunday & Holy Days. We hope & trust in God’s Mercy through our prayers for the reversion of mankind.

When we pray these prayers, we are pleading with God to restore mankind and His Holy Church in the Divine Likeness. We are praying for the Triumph of the Church as we lift Her up in battle, and proclaim as Moses did when the Ark was lifted up. “Arise O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered, let those that hate thee, flee before Thy Face” (Num 10:35).  Likewise, in the same manner we lift up the Virgin Mary, Mother of God as the New Ark of the Covenant and Mother of the Church when we pray the Rosary.

When we contemplate his holy face in the veil of Veronica, we can see a portion of His virtues and attributes; as described in the Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, each name such as Jesus Most Admirable, Jesus Most Powerful, Jesus Most Obedient etc., are all attributes of Jesus which make up His Divine Likeness. When we contemplate the virtues/attributes of Christ, we are desiring in our hearts and minds to imitate these qualities.  As St Paul said to the Corinthians; “Beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being changed into his likeness, from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18).

I believe that is why these prayers are so powerful.  Who does not want for everyone to be restored in God likeness?  Except for the demons who are doing everything in their power to destroy God’s image and likeness in mankind, isn’t that truly what the battle is all about?  The devil’s plan is a hatred that is aimed at God by destroying the image of God in our humanity, and trying to prevent us from attaining the glory of God’s likeness. Everything that the Devil promotes is aimed at defiling or destroying God’s image in mankind.  Just consider the evils of abortion, euthanasia and strange gender ideologies.  He also attacks the Church, the priesthood and the sacraments, because they are all a means of God’s children to be reconciled to God and re-attain the glory of His likeness.  Just one more reason why we need to pray these prayers of the Chaplet. Because, they are a mini exorcism. As revealed to St. Athanasius when he asked a demon what scripture verse terrified them , The demon  responded by saying it is that verse that begins “Arise O Lord, Let thy enemies be scattered”.  In union with the Rosary, the Holy Face Chaplet is a one, two punch – the blue print given to us by God to fight the battle of the third millennium.  

Little Pilgrim of the Holy Face!