“My soul is athirst for God, the Living God, when shall I come and appear before the Face of God?
Thy Face, Lord Jesus will I seek, turn not away Thy Face from me.”
(Abridged prayers -Little Psalter of the Holy Face)
I humbly ask to share with you a story of the Holy Face from my conversion journey.
As many recall, St. Isidore’s Church in Kanata, Ontario, was privileged to host a Man of the Shroud display at their church from April 4 to April 11th, 2017. Although aware of the exhibit, I waited until April 8th to make my first visit due to a family obligation, but upon arrival, I was immediately awestruck by the image on the shroud and in particular drawn to the Holy Face image that was replicated therein. I revisited the exhibit again every day until it closed, intensely drawn to the image and feeling a profound desire to contemplate it. A deep sense of peace engulfed me as I sat there and it required much effort to pull myself away and leave.
Afterwards, I started praying daily devotional and reparation prayers to the Holy Face in the Eucharistic presence, then eventually learning one of several versions of the Holy Face chaplet, and moving forward began contemplating the image of Veronica’s veil, as well making Tuesday visits to the Blessed Sacrament in reparation to the Holy Face for the Outrages our Blessed Lord received during His Sorrowful Passion and those He receives every day in the sacrament of His Divine Love.
At the time of the exhibit I could not even begin to understand the significance of what had occurred. With a grateful heart, I now know that this was a call to a prodigal child to come home, to find rest from the weariness of a world absent of grace and full of rejection of God. A call to save my soul and bring healing and holiness into my life and into the lives of others; should they wish to accept it, as our God has graciously given us all the free will to choose.
I also now know that the deepest longing in a soul searching for God is to see His Holy Face. A face so beyond beautiful that our wildest imagination cannot even begin to envision Its countenance. A Face so full of beauty that the souls in purgatory burn with longing for It while they submit to their purification before their most ardent desire can be satisfied for all of eternity.
We the living, and members of this chapter, have been given this gift of indescribable worth; the Divine currency with which we can make reparation to our God, purchase the souls of poor sinners and save our own souls. May the purses of our souls be always filled with this coin of inestimable value and be pleasing in the sight of our God.
“Behold O God our protector, and look upon the Face of Thy Christ.
+The Light of Thy Face Lord Jesus is signed upon us, Thou has given gladness in my heart.” (Abridged prayers – Little Psalter of the Holy Face)
Testimony courtesy of C.G.
