CHAPLET
OF THE HOLY FACE
The purpose of the Chaplet of the Holy Face
is to honour the Five Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and
to ask of God the Triumph of His Holy Church and the downfall
of her enemies.
This
Chaplet was composed by Sister Saint Pierre, a Carmelite of
Tours.
Saint Ethanasius
stated that the devils, when being asked what verse in the Holy
Scripture they feared the most, they replied, "That with
which the sixty-seventh Psalm commences." This passage
states, "Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered.
Let them that hate Him flee from before His Face." They
added that this biblical passage always compelled them to take
flight.
How to pray the Chaplet of the Five Wounds
The Chaplet
of the Holy Face is composed of a medal and 39 beads, 6 of them
being large ones, 33 being small ones, with a medal of the Holy
Face.
The chaplet
of the Holy Face honours the 5 senses of Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
and entreats God for the triumph of His Church. It is recommended
that the faithful pray the Chaplet of the Holy Face to obtain
from God, by means of the Holy Face of the Lord Jesus, the downfall
of His enemies.
The 33 small
beads represent the 33 years of the mortal life of Our Divine
Lord Jesus on earth. The first 30 beads call to mind the 30
years of His hidden life. These are divided into 5 groups, with
the intention of honouring the 5 senses of touch, hearing, sight,
smell, and the taste of Jesus. These senses have their seat,
principally, in the Holy Face and render reparative homage for
all the sufferings which Our Lord Jesus endured in His Face,
through each of these senses.
The last
3 small beads remind us of the 3 years of public life of Our
Saviour, and have as their object, to honour all the wounds
of His Adorable Face.
Begin
as follows:
Make the
sign of the Cross, with the Cross, and say:
"O
God, incline unto my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me."
Then
say 1 --> Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and
ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Before each
group of beads, there is a large bead. On this bead, reflect
on the sense of Jesus, or the wounds of His Face, and say 1
Glory Be... and the following prayer invocation:
"My
Jesus, mercy."
On every
small bead, say:
"Arise,
O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered, and let them that
hate Thee fly before Thy Face!"
At the
end, say:
The Glory
Be... 7 times, in honour of the last 7 Words that Jesus
spoke on the Cross, and the 7 dolors of the Immaculate Virgin.
Upon completing
the Chaplet, say on the medal:
"O
God, our Protector,
look down upon us
and cast Thine eyes
upon the Face of Thy Christ!"
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