Friday, 20 September 2024
Monday, 20 May 2024
Friday, 19 April 2024
Saturday, 11 February 2023
COMBAT COMMUNISM- Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus
Combat Communism!
Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus is the
Remedy!
Communism is nothing less
than an organised and carefully planned attack on Religion. Its aim is to erase
from every human heart the memory, love and worship of God, and to create a purely
material paradise here on earth. To achieve this goal, it has assumed many
different disguises and employed a wide variety of tactics which have led the
unwary to surrender their freedom in exchange for a false sense of security.
Communism is a widespread
evil, though few wish to recognise and acknowledge how great an influence it
has in modern society. For the few who have their eyes open – and we hope that
you are one – the situation appears hopeless. But do not lose heart: Heaven has
given us a remedy. That remedy is Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
This Devotion involves
much more than the recitation of a few prayers in honour of Our Lord’s Holy
Face and the veneration of His image. These pious practices are good and
helpful, but it is possible to make use of them without ever understanding the
true meaning of Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
In practice, this
Devotion demands little more of us than that which is already the basic duty of
every Christian: to strive for perfection; to live for eternity; to become like
Christ. It does, however, help us to perform that duty more faithfully and to
keep our focus on what life is really about.
Every one of us was
created in the image and likeness of God. Sin obscures that likeness. Grace and
virtue perfect it. The Holy Face Devotion inspires us to devote ourselves to
the work of perfecting the image of God within our own souls. It is evident we
cannot do this without amending our lives and striving to live according to His
Will.
While Communism attempts
to reduce everything to the natural level, promising happiness on earth without
God, the Holy Face Devotion does just the opposite. It makes us concentrate on
the supernatural life of our souls. It leads us to deny ourselves some of the
superfluous pleasures and comforts of this life in order to lay up a treasure
in Heaven. It makes us long for our true home where we hope to see God Face to
face in the Beatific Vision which is what Heaven is.
When we look at the image
of Holy Face of Jesus, we are reminded of the sufferings He endured in order to
redeem us and the love which prompted Him to endure so much to redeem our souls
from eternal damnation. This will inspire us to live for eternity. It will
prompt us to do something in return to show our love for God. It will lead us
to do more than we are strictly obliged to do.
Our Lord is seeking for
courageous “Veronicas” to wipe and honour His Holy Face. He is searching for
true Christians who will be His living images in the midst of a godless
society. He is calling you to play your part in this spiritual combat; to
sacrifice yourself on behalf of your country; to take His side in the struggle
against Communism. His Holy Face will be your shield and He Himself will
strengthen you.
If you cherish His image
and likeness within your own soul, you will be a sharer in His victory and will
shine with a special glory in Heaven. It will mean suffering and struggles,
yes; for this life is a time of warfare for anyone who is trying to save their
soul. But “The sufferings of the present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be
revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
No one can remain neutral
in this combat. If we do not take action to prevent the spread of Communism, by
that very fact we have become its allies. Fervent Christians who believe and
practice their Faith are the greatest opponents of Communism. They are the true
devotees of the Holy Face of Jesus. Not all are called to take an active part
in politics or to organise and participate in public protests against the
Communists. But all are called to seek the Face of God by living a virtuous
life and by using the things of this world with moderation, remembering that we
have a supernatural destiny to attain.
The Holy Face Devotion
rightly understood and practiced is the only way to make our fighting effective
and our triumph sure.
*****************************
Holy
Face Chaplet of Reparation
(composed by Sr. Mary of St. Peter
to battle against the enemies of God, especially Communists.)
Begin with the
Sign of the Cross.
On the Crucifix
say: Eternal
Father I offer Thee the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ and all the other
instruments of His Holy Passion, that Thou mayest put division in the camp of
Thy enemies; for as Thy Beloved Son has said, "A kingdom divided against
itself shall fall."
On the next five
beads say:
1) Let God arise
and let His enemies be scattered and let those who hate Him flee before His
Face!
2) May the thrice Holy Name of God overthrow all their
plans!
3) May the Holy Name
of the Living God split them up by disagreements!
4) May the terrible
Name of the God of Eternity stamp out all their godlessness!
5) Lord, I do not
desire the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live.
"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
Then say “the
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.
On the thirty
three small beads say: Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered, and let
those that hate Thee flee before Thy Face.
On each of the six
large beads say:
“My Jesus, mercy” and one “Glory Be..”
On the medal at
the end say:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Holy
Face of Jesus, covered with blood, sweat, dust and spittle, in reparation for
the crimes of communists, blasphemers, and for the profaners of the Holy Name
and of the Holy Day of Sunday. Amen.
Conclude with “the Golden Arrow
prayer”
To
Practice the Holy Face Devotion:
v First and foremost, keep in the state of grace with
the help of frequent Confession and perfect contrition.
v If possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament or honour the
Holy Face in some other way, especially on Tuesday.
v Pray the Golden Arrow prayer often in reparation for
blasphemy.
v Venerate an image of the Holy Face in your home.
v Recite some of the prayers of reparation, especially
on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation.
v Wear a blessed Holy Face medal or Holy Face scapular.
v Read “The Golden Arrow” – the autobiography of Sr.
Mary of St. Peter, who received many revelations concerning the Holy Face
Devotion.
v Observe the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus (Shrove
Tuesday).
