Novena
Novena to the Most Holy Face of Jesus
Nine-day novena · begins Any time of need; traditionally prayed in the days before Lent
A nine-day novena of reparation to the Holy Face of Jesus. Each day takes the next verses of Psalm 51, the Miserere, adds its own prayer to the Holy Face, and closes with the aspiration: O Jesus, through the merits of your Holy Face, have pity on us and on the whole world.
Background
Devotion to the Holy Face grew from meditation on the disfigured face of the suffering Christ described in Isaiah 53 and on the veil of Veronica. It was promoted in the nineteenth century by the Carmelite Sr. Mary of St. Peter of Tours and by the layman Ven. Leo Dupont, the holy man of Tours, through whose piety the Archconfraternity of the Holy Face was established at Tours about 1851 as a work of reparation; Bl. Maria Pierina De Micheli spread the devotion again in the twentieth century. The prayer said on the third day of this novena is that of Blessed Pius IX. It is a devotion of reparation: the faithful seek to console Christ for the offences of sin. Each day is preceded by the daily preparatory prayer and followed by an Our Father, three Hail Marys and a Glory Be.
Days
Intention
reparation to the suffering Face of Christ and mercy for the whole world
Usually begun
Any time of need; traditionally prayed in the days before Lent
Structure
nine_days
Duration
9 days
Content subtype
full_novena