His Holy Face.

This post originally appeared on Instagram on February 5, 2021.

SEEK HIS HOLY FACE

In 1849, the Lord asked a Carmelite named Sr. Marie of St Peter for reparations made to His Holy Name. These reparations were specifically to combat early forms of COMMUNISM and rampant BLASPHEMY.

In 1885, Pope Leo XIII established this devotion, and surprisingly made it immediately available to the whole world. The devotion largely fell out of favor around World War I, although many people practice it privately.

Pope Leo XIII established Shrove Tuesday as the memorial of the Holy Face, and called for a novena leading up to it.

I stumbled upon this devotion and the timing and intentions could not be more apropos. We need these graces now. Will you join me? I’ll post the prayers here daily in my stories.

More info:

There are several images associated with the Holy Face devotion. (You can look up one of these and print them out to have with you as you pray)

No Catholics are required to believe private revelation such as these. I believe, however, we are at a point when our culture needs to see the FACE of Jesus as never before.

Veronica’s veil: Veronica’s name comes from the latin phrase “vera icona,” or “true image.” The story isn’t biblical but goes back to the early Church. Tradition tells us that as Jesus walked the way of the cross, Veronica kindly offered to wipe away His sweat and blood. He rewarded her with an impression of His Face. The veil is preserved in St Peter’s Basilica. Catholics remember this story when we pray the sixth station.

Sudarium of Oviedo: this is a small linen towel that dates back to first century Jerusalem, contains aloe, myrrh, sweat, and blood of a crucified man. The cloth has been revered since the early Church and resides at the cathedral of San Salvador in Oviedo, Spain.

The Shroud of Turin: has also been revered since the early centuries of the Church. It is a large linen cloth dating back to first century Jerusalem that has aloe, myrrh, sweat, and blood of a crucified man. The image imprinted on the cloth has no scientific explanation for its presence, and matches perfectly the blood markings of the Sudarium.

May Jesus’ Holy Face bring us great comfort in a world devoid of all other faces.♥️