Chaplet of the Holy Face
The purpose of the Chaplet of the Holy Face is to honour the Five Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to ask of God the Triumph of His Holy Church and the downfall of her enemies.
This Chaplet was composed by Sister Saint Pierre, a Carmelite of Tours.
Saint Ethanasius stated that the devils, when being asked what verse in the Holy Scripture they feared the most, they replied, "That with which the sixty-seventh Psalm commences." This passage states, "Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered. Let them that hate Him flee from before His Face." They added that this biblical passage always compelled them to take flight
How to pray the Chaplet of the Five Wounds
The Chaplet of the Holy Face is composed of a medal and 39 beads, 6 of them being large ones, 33 being small ones, with a medal of the Holy Face.
The chaplet of the Holy Face honours the 5 senses of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and entreats God for the triumph of His Church. It is recommended that the faithful pray the Chaplet of the Holy Face to obtain from God, by means of the Holy Face of the Lord Jesus, the downfall of His enemies.
The 33 small beads represent the 33 years of the mortal life of Our Divine Lord Jesus on earth. The first 30 beads call to mind the 30 years of His hidden life. These are divided into 5 groups, with the intention of honouring the 5 senses of touch, hearing, sight, smell, and the taste of Jesus. These senses have their seat, principally, in the Holy Face and render reparative homage for all the sufferings which Our Lord Jesus endured in His Face, through each of these senses.
The last 3 small beads remind us of the 3 years of public life of Our Saviour, and have as their object, to honour all the wounds of His Adorable Face.
Begin as follows:
Make the sign of the Cross, with the Cross, and say:
"O God, incline unto my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me."
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Before each group of beads, there is a large (b, c, d, e, f) bead.
On this bead, reflect on the sense of Jesus, or the wounds of His Face, and say 1
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
and the following prayer invocation:
"My Jesus, mercy."
On every small bead (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), say:
"Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Thee fly before Thy Face!"
At the end, say:
The Glory Be... 7 times, in honour of the last 7 Words that Jesus spoke on the Cross, and the 7 dolors of the Immaculate Virgin.
Upon completing the Chaplet, say on the medal:
"O God, our Protector, look down upon us and cast Thine eyes upon the Face of Thy Christ!"
