Lent Prayers ~ Ash Wednesday

First Prayer

O Almighty and Eternal God, spare those who are penitent, be merciful to those who supplicate Thee; and vouchsafe to send Thy Holy Angel from Heaven, to bless and sanctify these ashes, that they may be a wholesome remedy to all who humbly implore Thy Holy Name, and accuse themselves as a result of the consciousness of their sins, deploring their crimes before Thy divine clemency, or humbly and earnestly beseeching Thy sovereign mercy : and grant through the invocation of Thy most Holy Name that all who may be sprinkled with them for the remission of their sins may receive health of body and safety of soul. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Second Prayer

O God, who desirest not the death of sinners, but rather their repentance, look down most graciously upon the frailty of human nature, and in Thy goodness vouchsafe to bless these ashes which we intend to put upon our heads in token of humility and that we may obtain pardon; that we who know that we are dust, and for the penalty of our guilt must return unto dust, may deserve to obtain of Thy mercy the pardon of all sins, and the rewards promised to penitents. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Third Prayer

O God, who are moved by humiliation, and appeased by satisfaction : incline the ear of Thy goodness to our prayers, and favorably pour forth upon the heads of Thy servants sprinkled with these ashes the grace of Thy blessing, that Thou mayest both fill them with the spirit of compunction, and effectually grant what they have justly prayed for : and ordain that what Thou hast granted may be permanently established and remain inviolate. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fourth Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, who didst grant the remedy of Thy pardon to the Ninivites doing penance in ashes and sackcloth, mercifully grant that we may so imitate them in our attitude that like them we may obtain forgiveness. Through our Lord. Amen.

Today Ash Wednesday ~ First Day of the Holy Season of Lent

On this day, ashes made from the Palms which were blessed on the previous Palm-Sunday, are solemnly blessed and put on the forehead of all the faithful, as a holy emblem of penance, at the same time as the terrible sentence which God Himself pronounced against the first sinner is repeated: "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."

We are entering, today, upon a long campaign of the warfare spoken of by the apostles: forty days of battle, forty days of penance. We shall not turn cowards, if our souls can but be impressed with the conviction, that the battle and the penance must be gone through. Let us listen to the eloquence of the solemn rite which opens our Lent. Let us go whither our mother leads us, that is, to the scene of the fall.

The enemies we have to fight with, are of two kinds: internal, and external. The first are our passions; the second are the devils. Both were brought on us by pride, and man's pride began when he refused to obey his God. God forgave him his sin, but He punished him. The punishment was death, and this was the form of the divine sentence: 'Thou art dust, and into dust thou shalt return'(1)- {Genesis iii: 19}. Oh that we had remembered this! The recollection of what we are and what we are to be, would have checked that haughty rebellion, which has so often led us to break the law of God. And if, for the time to come, we would preserve in loyalty to Him, we must humble ourselves, accept the sentence, and look on this present life as a path to the grave. The path may be long or short; but to the tomb it must lead us. Remembering this, we shall see all things in their true light. We shall love that God, who has deigned to set His heart on us notwithstanding our being creatures of death: we shall hate, with deepest contrition, the insolence and ingratitude, wherewith we have spent so many of our few days of life, that is, in sinning against our heavenly Father: and we shall be not only willing, but eager, to go through these days of penance, which He so mercifully gives us for making reparation to His offended justice.

( Source Reflections on Ash Wednesday - Dom Prosper Gueranger )

Feast of Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes

Today we're celebrating the blessed Ash Wednesday , as well the Feast of Saint Bernadette Soubirous .
On December 8th 1933, Pope Pius XI declared Bernadette Soubirous a Saint of the Catholic Church. Her feast-day was fixed for February 18th, the day her Lady promised to make her happy, not in this life, but in the next.




Prayer on the Feast Day of Saint Bernadette

O God, protector and lover of the humble, Who has bestowed upon Thy servant, Marie Bernadette, the favor of beholding the Immaculate Virgin Mary and of conversing with her, grant, we beseech Thee, that walking through the simple paths of faith, we may deserve to behold Thee in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reighneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Saint Bernadette thou who as a meek innocent child were privileged to see eighteen times the Immaculate Mother of God and to be instructed by Her with many heavenly messages and who as a religious at the Convent of Nevers did offer yourself as a victim for the Conversion of sinners, obtain for us the grace to be pure of heart and to love mortification as thou did, that we may be found worthy to see God and His Holy Mother in Heaven. Amen.

Praises of the Holy Face of our Lord Jesus Christ

Feast of most Holy Face of our Lord Jesus Christ

Venerable Pope Pius XII granted that the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus be observed on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, he fulfilled the desire of Our Lord that His sorrowful Holy Face be contemplated in reparation for our sins. The history and tradition of venerating His Holy Face began on the day of His crucifixion and continues through the centuries with the help of holy men and women chosen by Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother to propagate this devotion.

The bloodied, bruised, disfigured face of Jesus was imprinted by Saint Veronica as she comforted Him by wiping His face on her veil on the road to Calvary. The original veil is kept at Saint Peter’s Basilica and is displayed every Passion Sunday. The image of the face on the Shroud of Turin provides another opportunity of veneration of the Holy Face.

Throughout the centuries, holy men and women have been chosen by Our Lord to spread this devotion. Saint Augustine, Saint Bernard, Saint Gertrude the Great, and Saint Mechtilde were the first to encourage the devotion.
Our Lord promised Saint Gertrude:
“All those who meditate frequently on the vision of My Divine Face, attracted by the desires of love, shall receive within them, through My Humanity, a bright ray of My Divinity, which shall enlighten their inmost souls so that they shall reflect the light of My countenance in a special manner throughout eternity.”


Sister Mary of Saint Peter was a young Carmelite nun in Tours, France. In the 1840s she received a series of revelations from Our Lord. Through her, He wished to spread a powerful devotion to His Holy Face in reparation for the outrages of Communism, atheism, cursing, and the profanation of Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. He revealed to her that each time a blasphemy is committed His Sacred Heart is wounded by a poison arrow. Our Lord gave to Sister Mary of Saint Peter the Golden Arrow Prayer in reparation for the sins of blasphemy. He promised that priests who propagated this work of reparation would be defended by Him before His Father in Heaven. He also gave her eight promises for all those who honor His Holy Face.

On 17 April 1958, Venerable Pope Pius XII approved the observance of the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.
Our Lord made the following promises to those who honor His Holy Face:

1. All those who honor My Face in a spirit of reparation will by so doing perform the office of the pious Veronica. According to the care they take in making reparation to My Face, disfigured by blasphemers, so will I take care of their souls which have been disfigured by sin. My Face is the seal of the Divinity, which has the virtue of reproducing in souls the image of God.

2. Those who by words, prayers or writing defend My cause in this Work of Reparation I will defend before My Father, and will give them My Kingdom.

3. By offering My Face to My Eternal Father, nothing will be refused, and the conversion of many sinners will be obtained.

4. By My Holy Face, they will work wonders, appease the anger of God, and draw down mercy on sinners.

5. As in a kingdom they can procure all that is desired with a coin stamped with the King’s effigy, so in the Kingdom of Heaven they will obtain all they desire with the precious coin of My Holy Face.

6.Those who on earth contemplate the wounds of My Face shall in Heaven behold it radiant with glory.

7.They will receive in their souls a bright and constant irradiation of My Divinity, that by their likeness to My Face they shall shine with particular splendor in Heaven.

8. I will defend them, I will preserve them and I assure them of Final Perseverance.

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.

Prayer of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face to the Holy Face of Jesus

“O Jesus, who, in Thy cruel Passion didst become the ‘reproach of men and the Man of Sorrows,’ I worship Thy divine Face. Once it shone with the beauty and sweetness of the Divinity; but now, for my sake, it is become as ‘the face of a leper.’ Yet, in that disfigured Countenance, I recognize Thy infinite love, and I am consumed with the desire of making Thee loved by all mankind. The tears that flowed so abundantly from Thy Eyes are to me as precious pearls that I delight to gather, that with their worth I may ransom the souls of poor sinners. O Jesus, whose Face is the sole beauty that ravishes my heart, I may not see here below the sweetness of Thy glance, nor feel the ineffable tenderness of Thy kiss, I bow to Thy Will—but I pray Thee to imprint in me Thy divine likeness, and I implore Thee so to inflame me with Thy love, that it may quickly consume me, and that I may soon reach the vision of Thy glorious Face in heaven. Amen.”

Source Catholic Insight

Novena to Holy Face of our Lord Jesus Christ ~ Day 9 ~

"I firmly wish that my Face reflecting the intimate pains of my Soul,
the suffering and love of my Heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer

"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 the depths of their souls,
so that in eternal glory the celestial court
shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)

Day 9 

(Consoling our Lord's Holy Face and the Daily Preparatory Prayer)
Psalm 51 : 18 - 21

For in sacrifice Thou take no delight,
burnt offering from me Thou would refuse,
my sacrifice a contrite spirit.
A humbled, contrite heart Thou will not spurn.
In Thy goodness, show favor to Zion;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem
Then Thou will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
holocausts offered on Thy altar.

Sacred Face of our Lord and our God,
what words can we do to express our gratitude?
How can we speak of our joy? That Thou have deigned to hear us,
that Thou have chosen to answer us in our hour of need.
We say this because we know that our prayers will be granted.
We know that Thou, in Thy loving kindness, listen to our pleading hearts,
and will give, out of Thy fullness, the answer to our problems.

Holy Immaculate Mary, our Mother and chaste Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen

Day 9 - Prayer to the most Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity,
Godhead indivisible, Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
our first beginning and our last end.
Since Thou have made us after Thine own image and likeness,
grant that all the thoughts of our minds, all the words of our tongues,
all the affections of our hearts and all our actions
may be always conformed to Thy most Holy Will,
so that after having seen Thee here on earth
in appearances and in a dark manner by the means of faith,
we may come at last to contemplate Thee ,
in the perfect possession of Thee forever in paradise. Amen.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be


O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. Amen
(Three times)

Novena to the Holy Face of our Lord Jesus Christ ~ Day 8 ~

"I firmly wish that my Face reflecting the intimate pains of my Soul,
the suffering and love of my Heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer

"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 the depths of their souls,
so that in eternal glory the celestial court
shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)

Day 8 

(Consoling our Lord's Holy Face and the Daily Preparatory Prayer)
Psalm 51 : 15-16

O rescue me, God my helper,
and my tongue shall ring out Thy goodness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

Most merciful Holy Face of Jesus,
who in this vale of tears was so moved by our misfortunes
to call Thyself the healer of the sick,
and the good Shepherd of the souls gone astray,
allow not evil to draw us away from Thee,
but keep us always under Thy loving protection,
together with all souls who endeavor to console Thee. Amen.

Holy Immaculate Mary, our Mother and chaste Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen

Day 8 - Prayer to Saint Peter the Apostle

O glorious Saint Peter, who in return for thy lively and generous faith,
thy profound and sincere humility and thy burning love,
was honored by Lord Jesus Christ with singular privileges,
and in particular, with the leadership of the other Apostles
and the primacy of the whole church, of which thou was made the foundation stone,
do thou obtain for us the grace of a lively faith,
that shall not fear to profess itself openly in its entirety
and in all of its manifestations, even to the shedding of blood,
if occasion should demand it, and to the sacrifice of life itself in preference to surrender.
Obtain for us likewise a sincere loyalty to our Holy Mother the Church.
Grant that we may ever remain most closely and sincerely united to the Holy Father,
who is the Heir of thy faith and of thy authority,
the one true visible head of the Catholic Church.
Grant, moreover, that we may follow, in all humility and meekness,
the Church's teaching and counsels and may be obedient to all her precepts,
in order to be able here on earth to enjoy a peace
that is sure and undisturbed, and to attain one day in heaven to everlasting happiness. Amen.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be


O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. Amen
(Three times)

Novena to Holy Face of our Lord Jesus Christ ~ Day 7 ~

"I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul,
the suffering and love of my heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer

"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 the depths of their souls,
so that in eternal glory the celestial court
shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)

Day 7 

(Consoling our Lord's Holy Face and the Daily Preparatory Prayer)
Psalm 51 : 14-15
Give me again the joy of Thy help,
with a spirit of fervor sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors Thy ways
and sinners may return to Thee.

Lord Jesus! After contemplating Thy features, disfigured by grief,
after meditating upon Thy passion with compunction and love,
how can our hearts fail to be inflamed with a holy hatred of sin,
which even now outrages Thy Adorable Face!
Lord, suffer us not to be content with mere compassion,
but give us grace so closely to follow Thee in this Calvary,
so that the approbrium destined for Thee may fall on us, O Jesus,
that thus we may have a share, small though it may be, in expiation of sin. Amen.

Holy Immaculate Mary, our Mother and chaste Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen

Day 7 - Prayer in Honor of Mary , Holy Mother of God

Hail Mary, Daughter of God the Father!
Hail Mary, Mother of God the Son!
Hail Mary, Spouse of the Holy Ghost!
Hail Mary, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity!
Hail Mary, our cause of joy ,our wealth, our mystic rose.
Queen of our hearts, our Mother, our life, our sweetness and our dearest hope!
We are all Thine, and all we have is Thine.
O Virgin blessed above all things, may Thy soul be in us to magnify the Lord;
may Thy spirit be in us to rejoice in God.
Place Thyself, O faithful Virgin, as a seal upon our hearts,
that in Thee and through Thee we may be found faithful to God.
Grant, most gracious Virgin, that we may be numbered
among those whom Thou art pleased to love, to teach and to guide,
to favor and to protect as Thy children.
Grant that with the help of Thy love, we may despise all earthly consolation
and cling to heavenly things, until through the Holy Ghost,
Thy faithful spouse, and through Thee to our Lord Jesus Christ,
Thy Son, be formed within us for the glory of the Father.
Amen.


1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be


O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. Amen
(Three times)

Novena to Holy Face of our Lord Jesus ~ Day 6 ~

"I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul,
the suffering and love of my heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer

"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 the depths of their souls,
so that in eternal glory the celestial court
shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)

Day 6 

(Consoling our Lord's Holy Face and the Daily Preparatory Prayer)
Psalm 51 : 12 - 13
A pure heart create for us O God,
put a steadfast spirit within us.
Do not cast us away from your presence
nor deprive us of Thy Holy Ghost.

May our hearts be cleansed, O Lord, by the inpouring of the Holy Ghost,
and may He render them fruitful by watering them with His heavenly dew.
Through the merits of Thy Precious Blood and Thy Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition..
Holy Immaculate Mary, our Mother and chaste Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen

Day6 - Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

O Victorious Prince, Saint Michael the Archangel
most humble guardian of the Church of God and of faithful souls,
who with such charity and zeal took part in so many conflicts
and gained such great victories over the enemy,
for the conservation and protection of the honor and glory we all owe to God,
as well as for the promotion of our salvation;
come, we pray Thee, to our assistance.
for we are continually besieged with such great perils by our enemies,
the flesh, the world and the devil,
and as Thou wast a leader for the people of God through the desert,
so also be our faithful leader, and companion
through the desert of this world, until Thou conduct us
safely into the happy land of the living,
in that blessed fatherland from which we are all exiles. Amen.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be


O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. Amen
(Three times)

Seven Invocations to the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order

I. O glorious Patriarchs, even in the midst of the licentiousness of thy age, ye kept ever burning the divine fire of charity and a tender love for the Queen of Heaven, whereby ye were made worthy to be called by her to go apart from the world. We humbly entreat thee to intercede for us, that we too, being enkindled with the fire of divine love, may be enabled to please the Most High; and to imitate the charity and patience of our Lady of Sorrows; and even in the midst of adversity to conform ourselves to the dispositions of divine Providence.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

II. Ye shining examples of perfection, forsaking the world and all the prizes that it held out to thee, with generous hearts ye desired to withdraw from the eyes of men, so that the Blessed Virgin herself made known to thee in a dream the peace and quietude of Monte Senario. Obtain for us the grace to set at naught the deceitful and vain pleasures of earth and to devote ourselves to the practice of penance for our sins after your example; and if we are not worthy, as ye were, to serve the blessed Mother of Sorrows more especially in solitude, may we at least show our sorrow at having caused her to be so afflicted by our sins and thus renewing the bitter passion of her divine and only Son.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

III. Most humble dwellers in the rocky fastnesses of Monte Senario, how admirable is thy heroic humility! That ye might imitate more fully the lowly handmaid of the Lord, not only did ye forget the nobility and greatness of thy ancient families, but in thy generosity ye did not disdain to go begging from door to door in thine own country for thy scanty sustenance. Ah, obtain for us that when there is question of the service of God we may not be held back by human respect. Even as ye merited on this account in most miraculous wise to be called the Servants of Mary by the mouth of infants and sucklings, so may we too, by being a source of edification and light to our brethren on the road to heaven, show ourselves by our deeds to be the devoted servants of the august Mother of God.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

IV. Ye faithful Servants of the Queen of Heaven, who, when ye were bitterly weeping for the sorrows suffered by her in the life, passion and death of her dear Son, did make known to thee by the miraculous vine laden in the dead of winter with great clusters of grapes, that it was her will that the Order of Servites be extended in order to spread abroad in the Church compassion for her sufferings; ah, obtain for us by thine intercession an affectionate and tender compassion for our Lady of Sorrows, for in this manner even we shall be enabled to bring our brethren to groan with heartfelt sorrow for their sins, and thus become fruitful branches in her mystic vineyard.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

VI. Most glorious Founders of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin, with what joy thy hearts were flooded when ye were made worthy to behold visibly the Queen of Martyrs herself, who revealed to thee the rule ye should keep and the habit ye should wear in memory of her sorrows as well as the palm of victory ye should obtain as the crown of thy merits. We beseech thee to obtain for us of the Mother of fair love the grace to know in what manner we may best serve her divine Son, in order to come thus most easily into the possession of that blessed immortality which the mercy of God hath prepared for us in paradise.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

VI. Most austere penitents, by thy continuous and most severe mortifications, ye became every day more rich in merits and more pleasing unto the Lord. It is, therefore, no cause for wonder that heaven, in order to show how pleasing were thy merits, made of Monte Senario a place of marvels, now surrounding it with flames that made it resplendent with light, again covering it with roses and lilies never seen before, that were plucked by the Angels and offered to Mary. We beseech thee to intercede for us that our hearts may catch the flames of divine love and that our spirits may be cleansed from stain and become a garden rich in the flowers of virtue, worthy to be plucked by the most kind Queen of Heaven, as a lowly tribute of our devotion.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

VII. Angels of purity, Seraphim of love and martyrs of penance, ye blessed Patriarchs, privileged with a happy passing from this place of exile to thine own true native land, one breathing forth his spirit as the Child Jesus appeared, another called audibly by Mary to his eternal repose, this one rising to glory under the appearance of a flame, that one under the aspect of a lily of purest white; ah, grant, we beseech thee, that when we have come to our last hour, we may be protected by thine intercession with our Lady of Sorrows in that dread moment against the wiles of the ancient serpent, and may be made worthy to breathe forth our spirits into the loving hands of the august Queen of Sorrows, and be conducted by her to eternal bliss in God, the everlasting Fountain of glory and holiness. Amen

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

(Indulgence of 300 days)

Today Double Feast of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites ~ White Vestments ~

There were seven concilors of Florence who founded the Servants of Mary or Servites in 1233.

On the feast of the Assumption in 1233, seven of the members of a Florentine Confraternity devoted to the Holy Mother of God were gathered in prayer under the presidency of Alessio Falconieri. The Blessed Virgin appeared to the young men and exhorted them to devote themselves to her service, in retirement from the world. It was in 1240 that they decided to withdraw together from the city to a solitary place for prayer and the service of God. Their aim was to lead a life of penance and prayer, but they soon found themselves disturbed by increasing numbers of visitors.

They adopted the Rule of Saint Augustine, wore black cassocks and strove to emulate the mendicant friars like the Franciscans and Dominicans. They next retired to the deserted slopes of Monte Senario near Florence, where the Blessed Virgin appeared to them again. There the nucleus of a new Order was formed, called Servants of Mary, or Servites, in recognition of their special manner of venerating the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady.

One of the most remarkable features of the new foundation was its wonderful growth. Even in the fourteenth century, the Order had more than one hundred convents in several nations of Europe, as well as in India and on the Island of Crete. The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows is one of their regular devotions, as is also the Via Matris, or Way of the Cross of Mary.

The Seven Servite Founders were canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1888, establishing their feast to be celebrated in Church Liturgy on February 12th.

Novena to the Holy Face of our Lord Jesus ~ Day 5 ~

"I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul,
the suffering and love of my heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer

"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 the depths of their souls,
so that in eternal glory the celestial court
shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)

Day 5 

(Consoling our Lord's Holy Face and the Daily Preparatory Prayer)
Psalm 51 : 10 - 11
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
that the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your Face,
and blot out all my guilt.

Holy Face of Jesus, Sacred Countenance of God,
how great is Thy patience with humankind, how infinite Thy forgiveness.
We are sinners, yet you love us. This gives us courage.
For the glory of Thy Holy Face and of the Blessed Trinity, hear and answer us. Amen

Holy Immaculate Mary, our Mother and chaste Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen

Through the merits of Thy Precious Blood and Thy Holy Face,
O Jesus, grant us our petition...
O Jesus pardon and mercy for the merits of Thy Holy Face . Amen

Day 5 - Prayer to Saint Joseph

Dear Saint Joseph! Adopt us as thy children,
take charge of our salvation; watch over us day and night;
preserve us from occasions of sin;
obtain for us purity of body and soul,and the spirit of prayer,
through thy intercession with Lord Jesus,
grant us a spirit of sacrifice, of humility and self-denial;
obtain for us a burning love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,
and a sweet, tender love for Holy Mary, our Mother.
Saint Joseph, be with us in life, be with us in death and
obtain for us a favorable judgment from Jesus, our merciful Savior. Amen.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be


O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. Amen
(Three times)

Novena to Holy Face of our Lord Jesus ~ Day 4 ~

"I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul,
the suffering and love of my heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer

"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 the depths of their souls,
so that in eternal glory the celestial court
shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)

Day 4 

(Consoling our Lord's Holy Face and the Daily Preparatory Prayer)
Psalm 51 : 8-9
Indeed Thou love truth in the heart;
then in the secret of my heart teach me Wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me. I shall be whiter than snow.

O Lord Jesus, who has said, learn of me for I am meek and gentle of heart,
and who did manifest upon Thy Holy Face the sentiments of Thy divine Sacred Heart,
grant that we may love to come frequently and meditate upon Thy divine features.
We may read there Thy gentleness and Thy humility,
and learn how to form our hearts in the practice of these two virtues
which Thou desires to see shine in Thy servants.

Holy Immaculate Mary, our Mother and chaste Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen

Through the merits of Thy Precious Blood and Thy Holy Face,
O Jesus, grant us our petition...
O Jesus Pardon and mercy for the merits of Thy Holy Face . Amen

Prayer in Honor of the Dolours of the Blessed Virgin

O Most Holy and afflicted Virgin, Queen of Martyrs!
Who stood beneath the cross, witnessing the agony of thy dying Divine Son,
look down with a mother tenderness and pity on us
as we kneel before thee to venerate thy Dolours
and place our requests, with filial confidence,
in the sanctuary of thy wounded Immaculate Heart.
Present them on our behalf to Jesus, through the merits of His most sacred Passion and Death,
together with thy sufferings at the foot of the Cross,
and through the united efficacy of both, obtain the favor which we humbly ask..
To whom shall we go in our wants and miseries if not to thee O Mother of Mercy,
who having so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son,
graciously alleviate the sufferings of those who still sigh in this land of exile. Amen.


Prayer to the Holy Souls in Purgatory
My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou suffered in Thy agony in the garden,
in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns,
in the way to Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death,
have mercy on the souls in Purgatory,
and especially on those that are most forsaken.
Deliver them from the dire torments they endure.
Call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in Paradise. Amen.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be


O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. Amen
(Three times)

Novena to Holy Face of our Lord Jesus ~ Day 3 ~

"I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul,
the suffering and love of my heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer

"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 the depths of their souls,
so that in eternal glory the celestial court
shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)

Day 3 

(Consoling our Lord's Holy Face and the Daily Preparatory Prayer)
Psalm 51,6-7.
Thou are just when thou pass sentence on me,
blameless when thou give judgment.
Thou know I was born guilty,
a sinner from the moment of conception.

O Jesus! Cast upon us a look of mercy:
turn Thy Face towards each of us as you did to Veronica;
not that we may see it with our bodily eyes, for this we do not deserve,
but turn it towards our hearts, so that, remembering Thee,
we may ever draw from this fountain of strength
the vigor necessary to sustain the combats of life. Amen.
Holy Immaculate Mary, our Mother and chaste Saint Joseph, pray for us. Amen

Through the merits of Thy Precious Blood and Thy Holy Face,
O Jesus, grant us our petition...
O Jesus Pardon and mercy for the merits of Thy Holy Face . Amen

Prayer of Saint Francis 

All highest, glorious God, cast Thy light into the darkness of our hearts,
give us true faith, firm hope, perfect charity and profound humility,
so that with wisdom, courage and perception,
O Lord, we may do what is truly Thy Holy will.Amen.

Prayer to the Angels and Saints

We salute thee , through the Holy Face and Sacred Heart of Jesus,
O all you Holy Angels and Saints of God.
We rejoice in thy glory, and we give thanks to our Lord
for all the benefits which He has showered upon thee;
we praise Him, and glorify Him, and for an increase of thy joy and honor,
we offer Him the most Holy Face and gentle Heart of Jesus.
All Angels and Saints pray for us that we may become
formed according to the heart of God. Amen.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be


O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. Amen
(Three times)

Novena to the Holy Face of Jesus ~ Day 2 ~

"I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul,
the suffering and love of my heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer
"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 the depths of their souls, so that in eternal glory the celestial court shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)


Day 2 
(Consoling our Lord's Holy Face and the Daily Preparatory Prayer)

 Psalm 51:5-6

My offences truly I know them; My sin is always before me.
Against Thou, Thou alone, have I sinned;
What is evil in Thy sight I have done.

Most Holy Face of Jesus, we are truly sorry that we have hurt Thee
so much by constantly doing what is wrong; and for all the good works we have failed to do.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saint Joseph, intercede for us,
help us to console the Most Holy Face of Jesus.
Pray that we may share in the tremendous love
Thou hast for one another, and for the most Holy and Blessed Trinity. Amen.
Through the merits of Thy Precious Blood and Thy Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition..
O Jesus , pardon and mercy. Amen

Prayer to the Holy Ghost 

Come, Holy Ghost, Sanctifier, all powerful God of love,
Thou who didst fill the Virgin Mary with grace,
Thou who didst wonderfully transform the hearts of the Apostles.
Thou who didst endow all Thy Martyrs with a miraculous heroism,
come and sanctify us, illumine our minds, strengthen our wills,
purify our consciences, rectify our judgments, set our hearts on fire
and preserve us from the misfortune of resisting Thine inspirations.
We consecrate to Thee our understanding, our hearts and our will,
our whole being for time and for eternity.
May our understanding be always submissive to Thy heavenly inspirations
and to the teachings of Thy Holy Catholic Church, of which Thou art the infallible guide;
may our heart be ever inflamed with love of God and neighbor,
may our will be ever conformed to the Divine will,
and may our whole life be a faithful imitation of the life and virtues of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and Thee be honor and glory forever. Amen.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be. 

O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)

Novena to Saint Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes ( Feast February 18 )

O God, protector and lover of the humble, Thou bestowed on Thy servant, Saint Bernadette Soubirous , the favor of the vision of Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, and of speech with Her. Grant that we may deserve to behold Thee in Heaven.

Saint Bernadette through thy intercession give me the grace of praying in the occasions of sin.

Grant me a holy recollection, the grace of being aware of Mary’s Holy Presence, and the virtue of silence. Grant me from God the holy virtue of spiritual and bodily purity; as well as purity of conscience through humble, frequent, and sincere confession, for the greater glory of God. Obtain for me a heroic faith along with a loving-filled confidence in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

God our Father, Thou give joy to the world by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the prayers of His Holy Mother, the Virgin Mary, bring us to the happiness of eternal life. We ask this through Saint Bernadette and with the intercession of the Twin Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Amen.

Novena to Holy Face of Jesus ( February 8 to 18 ) - Day 1 ~

This Novena prayer may be said at any time, but especially starting two Sundays before the start of Lent , leading up to Shrove Tuesday, which is the Feast of the Holy Face.

"I firmly wish that my face reflecting the intimate pains of my soul,
the suffering and love of my heart, be more honored!
Whoever gazes upon me already consoles me."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister Pierina)

Daily Preparatory Prayer
"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 the depths of their souls, so that in eternal glory the celestial court shall marvel at the marked likeness of their features with my divine countenance."
(Our Lord Jesus Christ to St. Gertrude)


Day 1 

 (Consolation of the  Holy Face and Daily Preparatory Prayer ) 

Psalm 51,3-4. 

Have mercy on me, O God in your goodness,
in Thy great tenderness wipe away my faults:
wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sin.

O most Holy Face of Jesus, look with tenderness on us who are sinners.
Thou are a merciful God, full of love and compassion.
Keep us pure of heart, so that we may see Thee always.
Mary, our Mother, intercede for us; Saint Joseph. pray for us.
Through the merits of Thy Precious Blood and Thy Holy Face,
O Jesus, grant us our petition ..
O Jesus pardon and mercy.

Prayer to our Almighty Father 

Almighty Father, come into our hearts, and so fill us with Thy love
that forsaking all evil desires, we may embrace Thee, our only good.
Show us, O Lord our God, what Thou are to us.
Say to our souls, I am your salvation, speak so that we may hear.
Our hearts are before Thee; open our ears; let us hasten after Thy voice.
Hide not Thy Face from us, we beseech Thee, O Lord.
Open our hearts so that Thou may enter in.
Repair the ruined mansions, that Thou may dwell therein.
Hear us, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Thy only Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and forever. Amen.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's, 1 Glory Be. 
O Bleeding Face, O Face Divine, be every adoration Thine. (Three times)

Today First Friday Devotions

Fatima Prayers for First Friday

My God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love Thee;
and I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love Thee.
My God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love Thee;
and I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love Thee.
My God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love Thee;
and I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love Thee.

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost I adore Thee profoundly.
I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in tabernacles throughout the world, in reparation
for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference, by which He is offended.
By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.

O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee, My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
O my Jesus, it is for love of Thee, in reparation for the offenses committed
against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and for the conversion of poor sinners.
Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Most Sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us,
humbly prostrate before Thine altar. We are Thine and Thine we wish to be;
but, to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us
freely consecrates himself today to Thy Most Sacred Heart.
Many indeed have never known Thee; many, too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee.
Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart.
Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee,
but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee;
grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house,
lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.
Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions,
or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith,
so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.

Be thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry of or Islamism,
and refuse not to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God.
Turn Thine eyes of mercy toward the children of that race once Thy chosen people.
Of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior;
may It now descend upon them a laver of redemption and of life.

Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and honor forever. Amen.
Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Adorable Heart of Jesus, glowing with love for us and inflamed with zeal for our salvation,
O Heart ever sensible of our misery and the wretchedness to which our sins have reduced us,
infinitely rich in mercy to heal the wounds of our souls,
behold us humbly prostrate before Thee to express the sorrow
that fills our hearts for the coldness and indifference with which we have so long requited
the numberless benefits Thou has conferred upon us.
With a deep sense of the outrages heaped upon Thee by our sins and the sins of others,
we come to make a solemn reparation of honor to Thy most sacred majesty.
It was our sins that overwhelmed Thy Hear with bitterness;
it was the weight of our iniquities that pressed down Thy face to the earth in the Garden of Olives and caused Thee to expire in anguish and agony on the Cross.
But now repenting and sorrowful, we cast ourselves at Thy feet and implore forgiveness.

Adorable Heart of Jesus, source of true contrition and ever merciful to the penitent sinner,
impart to our hearts the spirit of penance, and give to our eyes a fountain of tears,
that we may sincerely bewail our sins now and for the rest of our days.
O would that we could blot them out even with our blood.
Pardon them, O Lord, in Thy mercy, and pardon and convert to Thee
all that have committed irreverences and sacrileges against Thee in the Sacrament of Thy love,
and thus give another proof that Thy mercy is above all Thy works.

Divine Jesus, with Thee there is mercy and plentiful redemption.
Deliver us from our sins. Accept the sincere desire we now entertain and our holy resolution,
relying on the assistance of Thy grace, henceforth to be faithful to Thee.
And in order to repair the sins and ingratitude by which we have grieved Thy most tender and loving Heart,
we are so resolved in the future ever to love and honor Thee in the most adorable Sacrament of the Altar,
where Thou art ever present to hear and grant our petitions
and to be and grant our petitions and to be the food and life of our souls.
Be Thou, O compassionate Jesus, our Mediator with Thy Heavenly Father,
Whom we have so grievously offended, strengthen our weakness;
confirm our resolutions of amendment.
And as Thy Sacred Heart is our refuge and our hope when we have sinned,
so may it be the strength and support of our repentance, that nothing in life or death may ever again separate us from Thee. Amen.

Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.
Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.
Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.


Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.
Amen

Today Double Feast of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr.

Red Vestments Missa "Gaudeamus omnes"

Saint Agatha gave herself without reserve to Jesus Christ; she followed Him in virginal purity, and then depended upon Him for protection. And to this day Christ has shown His tender regard for the very body of Saint Agatha. Again and again, during the eruptions of Mount Etna, the people of Catania have exposed her veil for public veneration, and found safety by this means. In modern times, on opening the tomb in which her body lies waiting for the resurrection, they beheld the skin still entire, and experienced the sweet fragrance which issued from this temple of the Holy Ghost.

 Oremus ~ Let us pray

God, who among other miracles of Thy power, hast granted even to the weaker sex the victory of martyrdom, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who celebrate the festival of blessed Agatha, Thy virgin and martyr, may walk to Thee by her example. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God Forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer in Honor of St. Agatha 

O Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ, source of all virtues, lover of virgins, most powerful conqueror of demons, most severe extirpator of vice! deign to cast Thine eyes upon my weakness, and through the intercession of Mary most blessed, Mother and Virgin, and of Thy beloved spouse St. Agatha, glorious virgin and martyr, grant me the aid of Thy heavenly grace, in order that I may learn to despise all earthly things, and to love what is heavenly; to oppose vice and to be proof against temptation; to walk firmly in the path of virtue, not to seek honors, to shun pleasures, to bewail my past offenses, to keep far from the occasions of evil, to keep free from bad habits, to seek the company of the good, and persevere in righteousness, so that, by the assistance of Thy grace, I may deserve the crown of eternal life, together with St. Agatha and all the saints, forever and ever, in Thy kingdom. Amen.

 (Indulgence 100 days, Pius IX, 1854)

Novena to Saint Valentine , Priest and Martyr ( February 5-13 )

Most Gracious Heavenly Father, Thou gave Saint Valentine the courage to witness to the Gospel of Christ, even to the point of giving his life for it.
Help us to endure all suffering for love of Thee, and to seek Thee with all our hearts;
for Thou alone are the source of life and love.
Grant that we may have the courage and love to be strong witnesses
of Thy truth to our friends and family and to the whole world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee and in the union with the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God, grant we beseech Thee,
 that we who celebrate the glorious martyrdom of Saint Valentine,
Thy servant, may by his intercession be filled with the love of God
and neighbor and be delivered from all the evils that threaten us.
Amen +

Introduction to the Feast of Saint Valentine , Priest and Martyr ( February 14 )

 (The Manual of the Holy Catholic Church, 1906) 

 Of St. Valentine few particulars are known. He was a holy priest of Rome, put to death about the year 270. One of the great Roman gates was built in his honor and called after him. It is now known as "del Popolo."

Saint Valentine is as much to say as containing valour that is perseverant in great holiness. Saint Valentine is said also as a valiant knight, for he was a right noble knight of God, and the knight is said valiant that fleeth not, and smiteth and defendeth valiantly and overcometh powerfully. And so Saint Valentine withdrew him not from his martyrdom in fleeing, he smote in destroying the idols, he defended the faith, he overcame in suffering.

Saint Valentine, friend of our Lord and priest of great authority, was at Rome. It happed that Claudius the emperor made him to come before him and said to him in demanding: What thing is that which I have heard of thee, Valentine? Why wilt thou not abide in our amity, and worship the idols and renounce the vain opinion of thy creance? Saint Valentine answered him: If thou hadst very knowledge of the grace of Jesus Christ thou shouldest not say this that thou sayest, but shouldest deny the idols and worship very God. Then said to Saint Valentine a prince which was of the council of the emperor: What wilt thou say of our gods and of their holy life?

And Saint Valentine answered: I say none other thing of them but that they were men mortal and mechant and full of all ordure and evil. Then said Claudius the emperor: If Jesus Christ be God verily, wherefore sayst thou not the truth? And Saint Valentine said: Certainly Jesus Christ is only very God, and if thou believe in him, verily thy soul shall be saved, thy realm shall multiply, and He shall give to thee alway victory of thine enemies. Then Claudius turned him unto all them that were there, and said to them: Lords, Romans, hear ye how wisely and reasonably this man speaketh? Anon the provost of the city said: The emperor is deceived and betrayed, how may we leave that which we have holden and been accustomed to hold since our infancy? With these words the emperor turned and changed his courage, and Saint Valentine was delivered in the keeping of the provost.

When Saint Valentine was brought in an house in prison, then he prayed to God, saying: Lord Jesus Christ very God, which art very light, illumine this house in such wise that they that dwell therein may know Thee to be very God. And the provost said: I marvel me that thou sayest that thy God is very light, and nevertheless, if He may make my daughter to hear and see, which long time hath been blind, I shall do all that thou commandest me, and shall believe in thy God. Saint Valentine anon put him in prayers, and by his prayers the daughter of the provost received again her sight, and anon all they of the the house were converted. After, the emperor did do smite off the head of Saint Valentine, the year of our Lord two hundred and eighty.

Saint Valentine , glorious Priest and Martyr , ora pro nobis !