When I was assigned to Holy Trinity.. I was asked by the pastor ‘Fr Carr started a Holy Hour to the Holy Face of Jesus. Do you know about it and the devotion.’ I knew a bit.. As my friend Pat who quite an advocate of the Holy Face Devotion.. and because of her it was our folder that I gave out at the hospital..
Also my devotion to St Therese. Her religious name is St Therese of the child Jesus of the Holy Face. So my devotion to the Holy Face logically leads to the devotion to the Holy Face.
So the second day I am here, I lead a Holy Hour that includes the chaplet to the Holy Face that I was learning, in fact that chaplet was the first one I had ever done.
To get myself up to speed. I read a book on the Holy Face devotion, by the world foremost expert.
Last Friday I had my second Holy Hour, third Friday of each week at 6pm.. and it seem to me that the Church when it was built was designed with the this devotion to mind.
My connection.. if a person can have a station of the cross that they have felt more inclined towards, for me it is the 6th station.. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. I have always been drawn to this station, having a affinity for St V. Why.. maybe it because St Veronica is a patron saint of this devotion, and the image that St Therese is holding is a artistic representation of V Veil that is keep at the Vatican.
St Therese got her inspiration for her devotion to the Holy Face from reading ‘The Golden Arrow.. ‘ the revelation of Sr Mary of St. Peter.
Last Friday while I lead the second Holy Hour to the Holy Face, I mentioned that there is a stain glass window of St Martin of Tours, and that St Martin is the first most Parton of the Holy Face, as it was St Martin that lead this sister to devotion to the Holy Face, and in the Church there is a statue of St Jude, and St Jude has on his chest an image of the Holy Face.. and as I was looking at the stain glass windows I noticed another image of St Jude, with the Holy Face on it..
This morning, I was looking to see if St Veronica was in a stain glass window, then it occurred to me. She is every Church with the station of the cross..
So I am almost finished with ‘The Golden Arrow.’ and I was googling the prayer.. I see Sr Mary of St. Peter holding an arrow with 3 circles on it.. The 3 circles represent the Trinity. Then I thought this parish is Holy Trinity, and on the front of the Church when you walk in, there are 3 circles representing the Trinity, and on every pew there is an engraving of 3 concentric circles, not only is this parish name ‘Holy Trinity ‘ but the image of the Golden Arrow is literally everywhere depicted in the Church.
What more will I find?
So glad to have you here in our parish, Father! Thank you for leading the Holy Face Holy Hours – my husband & I are also new to the devotion.
Love this post! Thank you!
I know what you’re doing, Father. You’re funny! Hmmm. St. Veronica, Jesus Holy Face, & the Golden Arrow Prayer? Holy Trinity for good measure? Maybe I’m wrong in this thought… but this always happens. You definitely know things…