THE CHAPLET OF THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS
During the 1840’s in Tours, France, a Carmelite nun, Sr. Marie of St. Peter, received a series of revelations from Our Lord about a powerful devotion He wished to be established worldwide—the devotion to his Holy Face. This devotion, as detailed in the book The Golden Arrow, is a devotion to Our Lord in reparation for the many blasphemies and outrages he endures and for the triumph of the Catholic Church over her enemies. Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) is the historic feast of the Holy Face of Jesus.
The Chaplet of the Holy Face is a chaplet of reparation for sins and is composed of a cross, 39 beads (6 large and 33 small), and a medal of the Holy Face.
The Cross calls to mind the mystery of our Redemption. The 33 small beads represent the 33 years of the mortal life of our Lord. The first 30 recall the 30 years of his private life, and are divided into 5 sets of 6 beads with the intention of honoring the 5 senses of touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste of Jesus, which have their seat principally in His Holy Face, and of rendering homage to all the sufferings which our Lord endured in His Face through each one of these senses. The last 3 small beads recall the 3 years of public life of our Savior and have for their object the honoring of all the wounds of His adorable Face. The Gloria is repeated 7 times in honor of the 7 last words of Jesus upon the Cross, and the 7 sorrows of the Immaculate Virgin.
Chaplet of Reparation Prayers
On the Cross pray, "O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me," followed by the Glory Be.
On each large bead pray, "My Jesus Mercy!" followed by one Glory Be.
On each small bead pray, "Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered, and let all that hate Thee flee from before Thy Face.”
On the Holy Face medal say, "God, our Protector, look on us, and cast thine eyes upon the Face of Thy Christ.” Amen.
First set of 6 beads: In honor of the sense of touch of our Lord
Second: In honor of the sense of hearing of our Lord
Third: In honor of the sense of sight of our Lord
Fourth: In honor of the sense of smell of our Lord
Fifth: In honor of the sense of taste of our Lord
Final 3 beads: In honor of our Lord's public life
Concluding prayers
May God arise and let His enemies be scattered and let those who hate Him flee before His Face! May the thrice Holy Name of God overthrow all their plans! May the Holy Name of the Living God split them up by disagreements! May the terrible Name of the God of Eternity stamp out all their godlessness! Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Note: According to Sr. Mary of St. Peter’s revelations, “after receiving this prayer, Sister Mary of St. Peter was given a vision in which she saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus delightfully wounded by this ‘Golden Arrow,’ as torrents of graces streamed from It far the conversion of sinners.”
The purpose of the Chaplet of the Holy Face of Jesus is to honor the five senses of Our Blessed Savior. We ask our good God for the triumph of His Church, as well as to thwart evil and the snares of the devil. This Chaplet is composed of a cross, a Holy Face medal, and thirty-nine beads, six which are single beads, and thirty-three beads which are grouped into five sections of six beads each.
History
Our Lord revealed the powerful devotion of His Holy Face to French Discalced Carmelite nun Sr. Mary of St. Peter in the mid-1800s. Jesus asked that she spread the devotion in reparation for the blasphemies against God and the profanation of Sunday. Many saints honored the Holy Face of Jesus, including St. Therese of Lisieux. Pope Leo XIII also established an Archconfraternity of the Holy Face in 1887. The Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus each year on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
Nine Promises for those praying the Chaplet of the Holy Face
Jesus presented nine promises to those who honor his Holy Face:
1) By offering My Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused, and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained.
2) By My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the anger of God and draw down mercy on sinners.
3) All those who honor My Face in a spirit of reparation will by so doing perform the office of the pious Veronica.
4) According to the care they take in making reparation to My Face disfigured by blasphemers, so will I take care of their souls which have been disfigured by sin. My Face is the Seal of the Divinity, which has the virtue of reproducing in souls the image of God.
5) Those who by words, prayers or writings defend My cause in the Work of Reparation, especially My priests, I will defend before My Father, and will give them My Kingdom.
6) As in a kingdom, they can procure all that is desired with a coin stamped with the King’s effigy, so in the Kingdom of Heaven they will obtain all they desire with the precious coin of My Holy Face.
7) Those who on earth contemplate the wounds of My Face shall in Heaven behold it radiant with glory.
8) 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 splendor in Heaven.
9) I will defend them, I will preserve them, and I assure them of Final Perseverance. How to Pray the Little Chaplet of the Holy Face Several reparation prayers honor the Holy Face of Jesus. However, this Little Chaplet is quick and powerful. Christ revealed this chaplet to Sr. Mary St. Peter “to battle the enemies of God, especially communists.” It honors each of Jesus’ five senses. While meditating upon his senses, Jesus asks us to meditate upon his wounded Holy Face. If you do not have cross beads, feel free to count another way. The Lord hears you, even without the beads! The thirty-three grouped beads represent the thirty-three years of the mortal life of Our Lord.
The first thirty recall to mind the thirty years of his private life and are divided into five groups of six beads with the intention of honoring the five senses of Jesus; touch, hearing, sight, smell, and taste, and of rendering homage to all the sufferings which Our Lord endured to His Face through each of these senses during His Passion.
The single bead preceding each of the grouped beads, is in honor of the specific sense which it is intended to honor.
The group of three beads recall to mind the public life of Our Savior.
The "Glory Be to the Father" is said seven times throughout the Chaplet to honor the seven words of Jesus upon the Cross, and to honor the seven sorrows of Immaculate Mary.
Father Chris Alar explains the Holy Face devotion as a perfect reparation.