The Holy Face: October 2010

Perfect Charity

Let all traces,

by virtue of our generous love for God,

be for Salvation to our brothers for whom they hold interest.

mandylion icon (Russian)

Head of Christ, from the Abbey Church of SS. Peter and Paul in Wissembourg, c.1070 (stained glass) This amazing image of Christ's face, knows as the Wissembourg Christ's Head, is one of the oldest known pieces of stained glass.

Orthodox Christians pray before icons, looking deeply into the eyes of the Savior, the Mother of God, or one of the saints.
St. Teresa of Avila wrote in Way of Perfection that she found it helpful to begin her time of prayer by holding an image of the Savior.

I found this wonderful image in a greeting card shop when I was a girl in college. Not long ago I found that it was most likely based on the Shroud of Turin.

SHROUD OF TURIN

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"Then, free from all care,

we shall see

the ineffably beautiful

face of the divine king;

we shall love

the sweet and amiable

face of the son of god and

the son of Mary;

we shall praise

the victorious face

of the redeemer.

We shall behold it forever;

we shall praise it

without weariness,

and with ever reviving

transports,

ever renewed joy,

forever and ever.

Amen"
~ St. Augustine (354 - 430) Doctor of the Church, Feast Day August 28th

"Since with all my soul I behold the face of my beloved, therefore all the beauty of his form is seen in me."
~St. Gregory of Nyssa (Homilies on the Song of Songs)

'Prayer to Reproduce the Image of God in Our Souls. Our Lord told Sister Mary of St. Peter that the Image of His Holy Face is like a Divine Stamp which, if applied to souls, through prayer, has the power of imprinting anew within them the Image of God. Prayer. I salute you, I adore you, and I love you, oh, adorable face of my beloved Jesus, as the noble stamp of the divinity! Completely surrendering my soul to you, I most humbly beg you to stamp this seal upon us all, so that the image of God may once more be reproduced by its imprint in our souls. Amen.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee with sweetness fills my breast,
But sweeter far, thy Face to see and in thy presence rest.
~ St. Bernard of Clarvaux (1090 - 1153) Doctor of the Church, Feast Day August 20th

All those who, attracted by my love and venerating my Countenance, shall receive by virtue of my humanity, a brilliant and vivid impression of my divinity. This splendor shall enlighten their souls, so that in eternal glory the court of heaven will marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my likenesss.
~ Revelation from Jesus to St. Gertrude the Great (1263-1302) Feast Day, November 16

O Jesus whose adorable Face ravishes my heart, I implore you to fix deep within me your Divine Image, and to set me on fire with your Divine Love so that I may be come worthy to come to the contemplation of Thry Most Glorious Face in heaven. Amen
Prayer of St. Terese of Lisieux (1873-1897) Doctor of the Church, Feast Day, October 1

Perfect Charity

Head of Christ, from the Abbey Church of SS. Peter and Paul in Wissembourg, c.1070 (stained glass) This amazing image of Christ's face, knows as the Wissembourg Christ's Head, is one of the oldest known pieces of stained glass.

I found this wonderful image in a greeting card shop when I was a girl in college. Not long ago I found that it was most likely based on the Shroud of Turin.

Followers