Today is the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus. It always falls on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras.) I can’t help thinking that this Feast of reparation falls on this day at least partly because of all the sins committed during the Mardi Gras celebrations. (I grew up in New Orleans, so I know….)
I hope you will visit this link to my post featuring the history of this feast, as well as the Golden Arrow Prayer which Jesus Himself dictated to a Carmelite nun….a prayer to bring delight to His Heart.
But I also wanted to celebrate the Beauty of the Face of Jesus today. I substituted at Adoration yesterday, and found myself meditating much on His Sacred Humanity, and how irresistible the Face of Jesus must be.
I cannot imagine such love and compassion, such kindness, tenderness, majesty and power, such goodness and glory all shining forth in one Sacred Countenance. Truly, one could not see Him as He is and live!
I remember the words of St. Faustina: Jesus, who will paint You as beautiful as You are?
O Most Beautiful Face
Of my Savior,
I adore Your Divine Beauty,
Hidden from me now,
Yet known somehow
In the depths of my soul.
I sit before You,
Beneath Your Loving Gaze.
I gaze back,
Seeing
Only the Sacred Host,
Yet knowing
That it is into the
Eyes of my Beloved Savior that
I see,
Endlessly.
For an outstanding article on the Holy Face, visit: http://vultus.stblogs.org/index.php/2014/03/look-to-him-and-be-radiant/
I Want to See God 
Just Beautiful Thank you for sharing
Thank you, Joanne! I hope you are feeling better. BTW, if you write me at the e-mail address I gave you, and I don’t respond, let me know here on the blog, because sometimes I have “issues” with that address for some reason…don’t always get and receive e-mails properly. Have a blessed Lent!
This. Is. Beautiful. Our Lord is breath taking. I can’t imagine being face to face with Him someday. How wonderful to sit and gaze on Him in the Sacred Host; to adore Him; His humility and His glory. Thank you Patricia for sharing these amazing words and poem with us. I will save and reread often and “gaze” on the beautiful photo of Him that we might “see endlessly.” Wow. Your gift is so inspiring. The peace and love and joy of Christ be with you always dear friend….
” Our Lord is breath taking.” Yes! Yes! He is!
I can’t imagine truly seeing Him either, Cynthia. He is already so beautiful!
That’s my favorite part too: I see endlessly. 🙂
How true that will be one day. We will never come to the end of His Beauty, His Love…all of His attributes. How exciting!!!
Have a most blessed Lent, dear Cynthia! I look forward to your Lenten poems. You are in my heart and prayers! xoxo
Patricia- How beautiful! Thank you !!
Hi Cristy! Thank you for commenting. I’m so happy that you liked this little poem. I love to write in my journal while in the Eucharistic Presence of Jesus. Any blessings there flow straight from HIs Eucharistic Heart! How good He is! Hope to “see” you again! Have a most blessed Lent!
Hello Patricia….just found your delightful website whilst looking for information on the picture of the Holy Face you have here. Do you (or anyone else) know where it came from and whether there is any copyright attached to it as I want to use it myself? I’m sure the original site where I found it said it was the Agemian painting (based on the shroud) now overlaid on the shroud, but I can’t find the site again and I can’t trace any details. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Francisca, so nice to “see” you here! Isn’t that a beautiful picture of our Jesus? I think you are right about it being the painting based on the shroud. I have seen it before on prayer cards, etc. It seems to be a very popular image of Our Lord. I may have found it on google images….not sure as it has been a while. I do not know if it is copyrighted. It is so hard to know, the way pictures are all over the Internet, on pinterest, etc. I include copyright info when it is available, but so often, it isn’t on older and popular images. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. God bless you, and I hope you will visit again.
Hello Patricia….I’m using this image for devotions but I don’t see it as a picture. For me it is like looking at Jesus – as if I’ve been given the chance to sit opposite him as a disciple and I can’t take my eyes off him! If this really is anything like the ‘historical’ Jesus (the heart says it is; the brain follows the science which seems to back it up pretty well, now), is it any wonder that the disciples wanted to send away the children? They must have flocked to him and been entranced – can you imaging sitting there listening to him?
I think I’ve tracked down the ‘author’ and am trying to contact him. I’ll let you know if I hear anything. Francisca
Francisca, your comment just stirred my heart! Yes! I would love to sit at His feet and just gaze at Him….wouldn’t need to say a word, would you? 🙂 I often think of the children flocking to Jesus too, which tells me He must have had a beautiful smile as well, and such a warm and engaging manner. How wonderful that you are using the picture for devotions. I love it too, but try to imagine what it will be like to see His living eyes filled with love and tenderness, and the expressions of His Divine Countenance.
My husband and I went to a presentation on the Shroud of Turin last week. It was so interesting. At the end, there was a 3-D picture which another artist has painted, based on dimensions of the shroud and all the info which could be gleaned from it. He gave Jesus blue/green eyes…large eyes, and a very gentle, loving face. You can find it on youtube if you search for the Shroud of Turin Jesus’ face. It is different from this one though. But when I went to buy a picture, it was much closer in appearance to the one above, although not the exact picture. I have it in 8 X 10 now. Can’t wait to frame it and keep it near during prayer. I suppose there are several circulating around. I’m so happy you found one which speaks so deeply to your heart, and which you can use at prayer. I always remember St. Faustina saying (with frustration), “Jesus, who will be able to paint You as beautiful as You are?”
Francisca, I can imagine that Jesus is so delighted with your love for His Holy Face and is longing for the day when, at last, He reveals His Infinite Beauty to you!
Thanks so much for sharing! Yes, do let me know if you learn the name of the artist. God bless you!
Hello again Patricia………
I hope you are well! Do you remember our little exchange last year about that beautiful image of Jesus and your prayer? I’m just letting you know that I’ve had a Prayer Card printed with this image – I managed to track down the Priest responsible for it. I’m in the UK, but if you would like me to send you a few copies, I’d be very happy to do so, if you’re happy to let me have an address – privately, of course. I’m attaching a file showing the Card details.
Best wishes and God Bless You
Francisca
Hello Patricia – I agree – I’d intended writing “can’t you just imagine his face lighting up in a big smile?”! Sometimes when I look at this picture he almost seems to. I’ve tracked down the photographer ;-)) , who’s a Priest (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4161151619514&set=a.1397507210131.2054544.1005752693&type=1&theater). I have his permission to use it for a prayer card, which I believe I’m being asked to do for Him, so please pray that He gives me the strength to do this. I’ll send you a copy if it works out.
About the Shroud – strangely it was only this last Holy Week that I thought I’d update myself about the Shroud and started working through all the science reports and videos available online now. It was the first time I’d seen the digital photos including the details on the back of the image. Horrific, even if it wasn’t the shroud of Christ. As one scientist has said “This man was brutalized…and murdered many times over.” Anyway, this time I looked at the pictures and suddenly just said “Wow, you really did it..you really did rise, didn’t you!” It wasn’t that I’d ever doubted (one of my few good points) but it was like actually walking into the tomb and finding the cloths and the body gone. Surely Peter and John must have felt like that?
I find it particularly telling that Jesus’ requests for Devotion to the Holy Face were revealed to Sr Marie of St Peter, who entered Carmel in 1839 which is recognized as the ‘birth’ year of photography, and that those requests came in the 1840s, which was the pioneering decade of photography. Then the Shroud ‘negative’ is discovered two years before the 20th century and all its horrors and increasing loss of faith. Coincidence? Personally, I feel it was a much-needed gift intended to sustain people during times when something concrete could both give courage to believers and also help fight modern science with science.
Bye the way, the article ‘Look to him and be radiant’ has moved to the archives (way down the page) at: http://vultuschristi.org/index.php/category/holy-face-of-jesus/
All for now and thank you for the prayer. It really is beautiful! May his Face shine on you! Francisca
Patricia, hope you are well. I’m just wondering if you read the post above about the prayer cards I had printed with this image? I you read this and have time, do let me know if you’d like some – I have plenty.
Prayers, Francisca
Dear Francisca, I am well. I am busy with my two lovely granddaughters….and a third one due in about four weeks. We have also been traveling more lately. I miss blogging and hope to begin posting again soon. I will look up your comment about the prayer cards. What a beautiful devotion to encourage. Blessings, dear Francisca! I hope that you too are well. Happy, holy Advent to you. Love, Patricia