The Holy Face of Jesus: A Devotion of Reparation and Consolation
In a world that so often ignores God or even mocks Him, the Church offers us a powerful way to make reparation and console Our Lord: the Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
This devotion draws us to contemplate the Face of Christ – humiliated, spat upon, crowned with thorns – and to offer love and reparation for sins, especially blasphemy, indifference, and the profanation of Sundays and holy days.
“Lord, show us Thy Face”
All through Scripture we hear the desire of the soul: “Seek ye the Face of the Lord.”
In the Passion, that Divine Face was struck, covered with spittle, and disfigured out of love for us. When we venerate the Holy Face, we are not simply looking at an image; we are honoring the Person of Jesus Himself and asking that His Face shine again upon souls darkened by sin.
The Holy Face devotion is closely connected with:
Our Lord’s Passion
The Sacred Heart (reparation and love)
The Holy Name of Jesus
It invites us to stand spiritually with Our Lady and St. Veronica, offering Him compassion and reparation.
A Devotion of Reparation
Our Lord asked that souls make acts of reparation for:
Blasphemies against His Holy Name
Profanation of Sundays and holy days
Indifference and coldness toward God
By making reparation, we:
Console the Heart of Jesus
Obtain graces for the Church, for sinners, and for our own families
Help repair the damage caused by public sins and scandals
This devotion is very fitting for our times, when God’s law is so often ignored and His Name is carelessly taken in vain.
Promises Attached to the Holy Face Devotion
Through revelations to Sr. Mary of St. Peter and later through the spreading of the devotion, Our Lord attached beautiful promises to those who honor His Holy Face and make acts of reparation. Among them, He promised:
Conversion of sinners:
That He will touch and convert sinners, especially those for whom we pray in this devotion.Help for lukewarm souls:
That lukewarm and indifferent souls will be stirred up and inflamed with renewed love for God.Defense against the devil:
That He will defend those who honor His Holy Face, and that devils will be put to flight wherever His Holy Face is honored and invoked in spirit of reparation.
Grace in families and homes:
That homes where an image of His Holy Face is honored will be protected and blessed, and that He will pour graces of peace and reconciliation into families.Special help at the hour of death:
That those who have been faithful to this devotion and who have consoled His Holy Face will receive a special assistance at the hour of death, and He will look upon them with mercy.Reparation for public sins:
That this devotion will help to repair the crimes of blasphemy and the profanation of Sundays and holy days, and will draw down mercy on nations that have strayed.
These promises are not “magic,” but invitations to trust in Our Lord’s goodness and to take seriously His call to make reparation.
Simple Ways to Practice the Holy Face Devotion
The devotion does not require complicated practices. It can be very simple and very powerful:
Keep an image of the Holy Face in your home
Place it in a prayer corner, near a crucifix, or where your family gathers. Let it remind you to offer little acts of love and reparation during the day.Pray brief prayers of reparation
You can quietly say, especially when you hear Our Lord’s Name misused:“May the most Holy Face of Jesus be adored and loved.”
“Blessed be the Name of God.”
“Lord, show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved.”
Offer your daily crosses
Unite your sufferings, annoyances, and sacrifices to the suffering Face of Christ:
“Jesus, I offer this in reparation to Thy Holy Face.”Spend time in silent adoration
Before the Blessed Sacrament, imagine Our Lord’s Face turned toward you. Offer Him your love and the love of those who do not pray.Make Sundays truly the Lord’s Day
As part of this devotion, resolve to keep Sundays holy: Mass, family, rest, and works of charity, giving Our Lord the honor that is so often denied Him.
The Holy Face devotion can be practiced:
As a family: praying a short prayer before an image of the Holy Face, especially on Sundays or Fridays.
These are small acts, but united to the infinite merits of Christ’s Passion, they take on great value before God.
Why This Devotion Matters Today
We live in a time when:
The Name of Jesus is often mocked
God’s law is rejected
Many souls live as if God does not exist
The Holy Face devotion gives us a concrete way to respond—not with anger or despair, but with faith, love, and reparation. We cannot control the world, but we can decide that in our homes and in our parish, the Face of Jesus will be honored, loved, and consoled.
Let us ask Our Lady to teach us to look upon the suffering Face of her Son and to make our lives an act of reparation and love.
“Lord, show us Thy Face, and we shall be saved.”