Prière Introductive
Introductory Prayer for Each Day
To be recited before the day’s meditation.
O Lord Jesus Christ, in presenting ourselves before Thine adorable Face, to ask of Thee the graces of which we stand most in need, we beseech Thee, above all, to give us that interior disposition of never refusing at any time to do what Thou requirest of us by Thy holy commandments and divine inspirations. Amen.
O adorable Face of Jesus, my only love, my light and my life, I desire to know Thee, love Thee and serve Thee alone, to live with Thee, of Thee, by Thee and for Thee. Amen.
Jour 1 : Day 1: The Glorious Face of Jesus
Méditation
Let us consider the adorable Face of our Lord, shining with glory on Mount Tabor. He was transfigured before Peter, James, and John; His face did shine as the sun, and His garments became white as snow. This is the same Face that would later be disfigured by suffering for our sins. Yet, in this glimpse of glory, we see the promise of our own resurrection and the eternal beatitude that awaits those who love Him. Let us ask for the grace to see beyond the trials of this life to the glory that is to come, and to recognize the divine majesty hidden in the Face of our Saviour.
Prière du jour
O most glorious Jesus, whose Face didst shine with the splendour of the Godhead on Tabor, grant that we may be so enlightened by Thy divine presence that we may despise earthly things and aspire only to the joys of heaven. We beseech Thee, by the glory of Thy Holy Face, to illuminate our minds, purify our hearts, and set us aflame with Thy love, so that one day we may be worthy to contemplate Thee face to face in Thy Kingdom. Amen.
Jour 2 : Day 2: The Agonizing Face of Jesus
Méditation
Let us contemplate the Face of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, covered in a sweat of blood. He sees the full weight of the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. His soul is sorrowful even unto death. This agony, borne out of perfect love for us, shows the infinite horror of sin and the infinite mercy of our Redeemer. His Face, bowed to the ground in prayer, teaches us perfect submission to the will of the Father, even when the chalice is bitter.
Prière du jour
O most sorrowful Jesus, who in Thine agony didst sweat blood, we compassionate Thee from the depths of our hearts. By the anguish shown upon Thy Holy Face in the Garden, grant us a true and heartfelt contrition for our sins, which were the cause of Thy suffering. Teach us to pray with fervour and to accept, as Thou didst, the will of our Heavenly Father in all the trials and afflictions of this life. Amen.
Jour 3 : Day 3: The Face of Jesus Mocked and Scorned
Méditation
Let us behold the Face of our Lord during His Passion, when He was blindfolded, buffeted, and spat upon. The Face before which the angels tremble is subjected to the vilest insults of men. He who is the Truth is accused by false witnesses; He who is the Judge of the living and the dead is unjustly condemned. In His silence and patience, He makes reparation for our pride, our angry words, and our judgments of others. His disfigured Face becomes the remedy for our vanity and self-love.
Prière du jour
O Jesus, model of patience, whose adorable Face was defiled with spittle and bruised by blows for our salvation, we adore Thee. Grant us the grace to bear insults and injuries with meekness, forgiving those who offend us. By the merits of the outrages Thou didst endure, cleanse our souls from all stain of sin and make us worthy to be called Thy disciples. Amen.
Jour 4 : Day 4: The Face of Jesus Crowned with Thorns
Méditation
Let us gaze upon the Holy Face of Jesus, crowned with thorns. The soldiers weave a crown of sharp thorns and press it upon His sacred Head. His Face is pierced, and blood trickles down, mingling with tears and spittle. He is mockingly hailed as a king, the King of Sorrows. This crown of pain atones for our prideful thoughts, our desire for worldly honours, and our rebellion against God’s law. Each thorn is a reminder of our sins, and each drop of blood is a testament to His infinite love.
Prière du jour
O King of Glory, crowned with thorns, we bow before Thy sacred Head and adore Thy Holy Face, wounded for our iniquities. We offer Thee our thoughts, our minds, and our wills. Root out from our hearts the thorns of pride, vanity, and evil desires. Grant that we may henceforth glory only in Thy Cross and seek only the crown of everlasting life which Thou hast promised to them that love Thee. Amen.
Jour 5 : Day 5: The Face of Jesus on the Way to Calvary
Méditation
Let us follow our Lord on the sorrowful way to Calvary, His Face covered with sweat, dust, and blood. As He falls beneath the weight of the Cross, a pious woman, Veronica, pushes through the crowd. With a linen cloth, she lovingly wipes His adorable Face. As a reward for her compassion, Jesus leaves the imprint of His sacred features upon the veil. This act of kindness in the midst of cruelty teaches us the value of compassion and the courage to console Jesus in the person of our suffering neighbours.
Prière du jour
O most compassionate Jesus, we thank Thee for the lesson taught us by Saint Veronica. As she wiped Thy bleeding Face, grant us the grace to see Thee and serve Thee in the poor, the sick, and the afflicted. Imprint Thy Holy Face upon our hearts, that we may ever be mindful of Thy love and Thy sufferings, and strive to comfort Thee by a life of charity and penance. Amen.
Jour 6 : Day 6: The Face of Jesus on the Cross
Méditation
Let us stand at the foot of the Cross and look up at the Face of our crucified Saviour. See the agony of His final moments: His eyes dimmed with tears and blood, His lips parched with thirst, His head bowed in death. It is the Face of the Redeemer, paying the price for our salvation. From this Face, though marred by suffering, shines forth the greatest love the world has ever known. In His final breath, He commends His spirit to the Father, completing the work of our redemption.
Prière du jour
O Jesus, crucified for our sins, we adore Thy Holy Face, pale and disfigured in death. We kiss with reverence the wounds of Thy head and the lips that pardoned Thy executioners. By Thy thirst on the Cross, give us a thirst for justice and salvation. By Thy final agony, grant us the grace of a holy death, that our last glance may be fixed on Thee, our merciful Saviour. Amen.
Jour 7 : Day 7: The Holy Face as an Act of Reparation
Méditation
The devotion to the Holy Face has for its special object the making of reparation for the sins which offend God most grievously. These are the sins of blasphemy, the profanation of Sunday and Holy Days, and the widespread contempt for the Church and her laws. Our Lord revealed to Sister Marie de Saint-Pierre that His Face is treated with scorn in the courts of justice, and that sinners wound Him anew with their impieties. By adoring His Face, we offer a loving reparation that consoles His Sacred Heart and appeases the justice of God.
Prière du jour
O most adorable Face of Jesus, outraged by the blasphemies of men, we offer Thee our humble adoration and praise in reparation for the insults of sinners. We desire to console Thee for the profanation of Thy holy Name and for the indifference with which so many behold Thy sufferings. Accept our desire to make amends, and grant that Thy Name may be hallowed, Thy Kingdom come, and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Jour 8 : Day 8: The Holy Face as a Source of Strength
Méditation
The Holy Face of Jesus is a source of immense strength for souls in trial. When we are afflicted, discouraged, or tempted, let us turn our gaze upon the Face of our Lord. In His features, we read a story of suffering overcome by love. Contemplating His patience gives us patience; His silence teaches us restraint; His fortitude gives us courage. He promised that all who honour His Holy Face in a spirit of reparation will have their interior likeness to Him restored and will be fortified in all their battles.
Prière du jour
O Jesus, our strength and our patience, whose Holy Face is a balm for every ill, look upon us in our weakness. When the trials of life weigh us down and our courage fails, turn Thy Face towards us. Let one glance from Thine eyes fortify our souls, calm our passions, and give us the strength to carry our cross in Thy footsteps. By the virtue of Thy Holy Face, make us victorious over our spiritual enemies. Amen.
Jour 9 : Day 9: The Holy Face as the Hope of Heaven
Méditation
Our Lord promised that by offering His Face to the Eternal Father, nothing would be refused us, and that the sight of His Face is the joy of the saints in heaven. This devotion prepares us for that blessed vision. As we imprint His features upon our hearts here on earth through prayer and meditation, we are being prepared to behold Him unveiled in eternity. The Holy Face is our passport to Heaven, a seal of the elect, and our hope for a blessed immortality where we shall see God face to face.
Prière du jour
O adorable Face of Jesus, the contemplation of which is the joy of heaven, we beseech Thee to grant us the grace of final perseverance. May we live our lives with our eyes fixed on Thee, so that at the hour of our death we may be found worthy to enter into the glory of Thy Kingdom. Grant that we may see Thee face to face and praise Thee with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels, and all the saints for ever and ever. Amen.
Prière Conclusive
Concluding Prayers for Each Day
To be recited after the day’s specific prayer.
O Eternal Father, I offer Thee the adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son Jesus for the honour and glory of Thy Name, for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of the dying.
O Jesus, whose adorable Face is the admiration of the Angels, I beseech Thee to imprint It in our hearts, that we may be consumed with Thy love and remain faithful to Thine image all our lives.
Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Thee flee from before Thy Face!
Then, recite the “Golden Arrow” prayer:
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.
Contexte Historique
Neuvaine structurée en 9 jours.