Spiritual hike in the Montezuma Well area, integrating Catholic reflections on the Face of Christ from the Shroud of Turin, the Sacred Heart, and the Precious Blood. This experience is meant to be contemplative, immersive, and deeply Christ-centered, drawing from the natural beauty of the land and the profound mysteries of our faith.
🥾 Pilgrimage of the Holy Face: A Spiritual Hike at Montezuma Well
Theme: Encountering the Face of Christ in Creation, Suffering, and Redemption
Location: Montezuma Well, Arizona (a sacred spring-fed limestone sinkhole in the Verde Valley)
Duration: 2–3 hours (approx. 1.5-mile loop with extended stops for prayer and reflection)
Best Time: Early morning or late afternoon for solitude and cooler temperatures
📍 Stop 1: Threshold of Silence — Trailhead
Scripture: “Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
Reflection: Begin in silence. As you step onto the trail, imagine entering the Garden of Gethsemane. Let the rustling cottonwoods and the sound of flowing water draw you inward. Offer this hike as a pilgrimage to contemplate the Holy Face of Christ.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as I begin this journey, I seek Your Face. Let every step draw me closer to the mystery of Your love revealed in suffering and glory.
📍 Stop 2: The Holy Face — Overlook of the Well
Scripture: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him… yet we esteemed Him not.” — Isaiah 53:2–3
Reflection: Gaze into the still waters of Montezuma Well. Imagine the Face of Christ as seen on the Shroud of Turin—bruised, bloodied, yet serene. The water reflects not only your image but invites you to see Christ in yourself and in all creation.
Meditation:
- Contemplate the wounds on His face: the bruises, the swelling, the blood from the crown of thorns.
- Ask: Where do I hide my face from Christ? Where do I fail to recognize Him in others?
Prayer:
O Holy Face of Jesus, disfigured by love, imprint Yourself upon my soul. May I never turn away from the suffering of others, for in them I see You.
📍 Stop 3: The Sacred Heart — Beneath the Sycamores
Scripture: “They will look on Him whom they have pierced.” — John 19:37
Reflection: Beneath the shade of the ancient Arizona sycamores, reflect on the Sacred Heart of Jesus—burning with love, pierced for our sins. The trees, with their white bark and spreading limbs, evoke the image of Christ’s arms outstretched on the Cross.
Meditation:
- Consider the love that led Christ to the Cross.
- Ask: Do I trust in the mercy of His Heart? Do I allow His love to transform my own?
Prayer:
Sacred Heart of Jesus, furnace of charity, consume my heart in Yours. Teach me to love with Your patience, Your passion, and Your purity.
📍 Stop 4: The Precious Blood — Near the Swallet (where the water disappears underground)
Scripture: “This is My Blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” — Mark 14:24
Reflection: Watch the water vanish into the earth—a hidden mystery. So too, the Blood of Christ was poured out, unseen by many, yet it sanctifies the world. The Precious Blood flows into the hidden places of our hearts, healing what is broken.
Meditation:
- Reflect on the Eucharist as the living stream of Christ’s Blood.
- Ask: Where do I need the healing power of His Blood in my life?
Prayer:
O Blood of Christ, price of our redemption, wash me clean. Flow into the dry places of my soul and make me new.
📍 Final Stop: Face to Face — Return to the Trailhead
Scripture: “Now we see dimly, as in a mirror… but then, face to face.” — 1 Corinthians 13:12
Reflection: As you return, consider how this hike has revealed the Face of Christ—in nature, in silence, in suffering, in love. Carry that vision into your daily life.
Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have sought Your Face in this sacred place. Let me now reflect Your image to the world. May Your Holy Face, Your Sacred Heart, and Your Precious Blood be my strength, my refuge, and my joy.
🕊️ Optional Additions
- Bring: A small icon of the Holy Face, a rosary, or a journal for reflections.
- Music: Consider listening to sacred chant or meditative hymns before or after the hike.
- Companion Reading: The Holy Face: The Devotion Approved by Pope Pius XII or The Sacred Heart and the Priesthood by Fr. Jean Croiset.
Candace’s Corner
· The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence didn't occur until July 8, 1776. It was sent to the printers on July 4th. Pray we now live it.
· 10 coolest summer getaways in Arizona: Mountains, lakes and a chilly cave trek
· Bucket List: Vineyard World Tour: White Raven Vineyard, Montana
· St. Anthony Novena 4-on thirteen consecutive Tuesdays.
· Pray Day 6 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
· Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Day 2
· Foodie: National Eggplant Month
· Spirit Hour: Rainha Santa Port
JULY 8 Tuesday
Colossians, Chapter
3, Verse 22
Slaves,
obey your human masters in everything, not only when being watched, as currying
favor, but in simplicity of heart, FEARING
the Lord.
Paul reminds the Colossians as he
did the Ephesians that we serve Christ not the rulers of this world but because
the rulers are also sons of God we should obey them.
One of my greatest challenges mentally and physically was when I was a member of a crew of engineers that finished the construction of the South Pole Station. I recorded my service there in a book entitled, “The Ice is Nice and Chee Chee is Peachy.”
Coffee
with Christ: Tuesdays Are Special
We seek friendship with God through
Christ, the Holy Spirit and His mother-Mary. There is no greater help in our
life’s journey in this world than through friendship with Jesus Christ and His
mother. Prayer is, in its purest sense, a personal journey or intimacy with Our
Lord. The imaginary premise of this article is to encourage having a “Coffee
Clutch” with Christ and gather for coffee and conversation through the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Ideally having a regular or daily set time or
appointment to meet and discuss with Him your hopes, dreams, plans and goals.
To bear your heart to Him. To just sit down with Christ and talk, laugh, and
enjoy each other’s company, over a cup of coffee. To make the common Holy and
grow in the love and likeness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
My Coffee Conversation with Christ
During a Coffee I apologize to
Christ as I hand Him a cup of micro waved coffee. I tell him that I could not sleep last night
and that I got up in the middle of the night and could not go back to sleep. He
states that when that happens it is a good time to pray. Pray and I will be
there with you. He mentions that the coffee is good, and he would have liked to
have had a micro wave back in Jerusalem. He also tells me that I should try and
make it to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel for a little “one on one” time. He
further reveals that Tuesdays are always trying for Him; for it was the day
that Judas went to the Sanhedrin to betray Him and that it comforts Him when
someone has a special devotion to him on that day. He further states that I
would grow in grace if I was careful to observe and make a Novena to His Holy
Face for the nine days preceding Ash Wednesday ending the Novena on Shrove (day
before Ash Wednesday) Tuesday.
(as dictated by Our Lord to Sister Marie of St. Peter)
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and
ineffable Name of God be forever 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. Eternal Father, I offer
Thee the adorable Face of Thy Beloved Son for the honour and glory of Thy Name,
for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of the dying. Amen.
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.
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.
By offering My Face to My Eternal
Father, nothing will be refused, and the conversion of many sinners will be
obtained.
By My Holy Face, they will work
wonders, appease the anger of God, and draw down mercy on sinners.
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.
Those who on earth contemplate the
wounds of My Face shall in Heaven behold it radiant with glory.
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.
I will defend them, I will preserve
them, and I assure them of Final Perseverance.[2]
Let
Freedom Ring-Day 2 “Freedom from Despair.”
(See Character is Destiny for opposing virtue: HOPE)
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at
a word from you the devil and his minions flee in terror. You are the source of
all truth. You are the source of all strength. By the power of your Cross and
Resurrection, we beseech you, O Lord. To extend your saving arm and to send
your holy angels. To defend us as we do battle with Satan and his demonic
forces. Exorcise, we pray, that which oppresses your Bride, The Church, So that
within ourselves, our families, our parishes, our dioceses, and our nation. We
may turn fully back to you in all fidelity and trust. Lord, we know if you will
it, it will be done. Give us the perseverance for this mission, we pray.
Amen
Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception ... pray for us
St. Joseph ... pray for us
St. Michael the Archangel ... pray
for us
(the patron of your parish) ...
pray for us
(your confirmation saint) ... pray
for us
"Freedom from Despair"
by
Fr. Rick Heilman
There is a stirring scene in the
6th chapter of John's Gospel, a chapter referred to as the "Bread of Life
Discourse." Jesus had just told the crowd, " Whoever eats
my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." The
response by nearly all was, "This
is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" Jesus returns
with, "The Spirit gives
life; the flesh counts for nothing." And then, in the
66th verse of chapter 6 of John's Gospel, or rather John 6:66, almost everyone
leaves: "From this time
many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
The crowd who abandoned Jesus had
abandoned hope. They despaired. So, what did they do? They "turned
back" to the emptiness of "merely existing" in the flesh. This
emptiness or "desolation" is the place the devil wants us to be. It
is Satan's kingdom.
I believe it is no accident that
the chapter and verse of this act of despair in John's Gospel is 666. We are
given free will. We can choose God or not. In the Book of Revelation, 666 is the number of the beast, or the
number of man. Once separated from God, Satan wants us to believe we are merely
one animal (beast) among many; just part of the herd. So, like animals, we are
left to scramble to fill this void with worldly wants and lusts; works of the
flesh.
Make no mistake about it, the
influencers of our culture (media, Hollywood, TV, universities, public schools,
etc.) are, by and large, godless propagandists who are determined to instill in
us the notion that we are "merely animals." Therefore, women are
objectified, men are just vulgar beasts, pre-born babies are a clump of cells,
and the nuclear family - the bedrock of civilization - is outdated. As the
Satanic bible proclaims: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the
law." Just be animals.
After the crowd abandoned Jesus in
despair, He then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter
answered him, "Master, to
whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
The Apostles were not buying the
lie of the devil. No, we are not just animals, we are precious children of God,
created in His image. Therefore, life in the Spirit is filled with the hope of a joyful
and amazing journey of striving to please God in every way, especially by
striving to become the very best version of ourselves we can possibly be. And,
just as Jesus demonstrated on the cross, we are called to a total selfless love
of neighbor.
The crowd abandoned Him in
despair, but the Apostles stayed with Him in hope. If we want the hope of all
meaning and purpose in life as a child of God, we simply must get near to Him,
because "the Spirit gives
life." We must combat the temptation of allowing our
faith to devolve into merely "punching the clock" by fulfilling
basic obligations. Many avoid an intimate relationship with the Lord because,
like the crowd, they believe, "This
is a hard teaching." In other words, if they "let
God in," He will ask "too much" from us. It's better to keep God
at arm's length, a manageable distance.
It's time to "make it personal." It's
time to "get near" to
Him before the Blessed Sacrament. Spend time Adoring Our Lord. This can be done
by scheduling an hour at a local Adoration Chapel, or you can simply come early
or stay after Mass. Be careful, though, because you may just find yourself
crying out, "My Lord and
my God!" ... and then everything will change. Your life,
filled with hope, will rise to new and exciting heights!
"Those
who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be
faint." - Isaiah 40:31
Prayer of Reparation
My Lord and my God, We have allowed the temptation of the devil to move our hearts to despair in Your Presence and Power.
We have kept ourselves distanced from You, so that we may be safe from Your
plan for our lives. We have been too fearful to trust in a personal
relationship that may ask too much from us. In our doubt and despair, we have
allowed the ancient foe to advance. We turn to You Lord, in our emptiness, and
beg Your forgiveness for our despairing lack of trust. We beg for the grace to
draw near to You, even as we watch, as did the Apostles, so many who abandon
You. We know, Lord, if You will it, it will be done. Trusting in You, we offer
our prayer to You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of Exorcism
Lord God of Heaven and Earth, in
your power and goodness, you created all things. You set a path for us to walk
on and a way to an eternal relationship. By the strength of your arm and Word
of your mouth Cast from your Holy Church every fearful deceit of the Devil. Drive
from us manifestations of the demonic that oppress us and beckon us from
faithlessness and fear. Still the lying tongue of the devil and his forces so
that we may act freely and faithfully to your will. Send your holy angels to
cast out all influence that the demonic entities in charge of fear have planted
in your church. Free us, our families, our parish, our diocese, and our country
from all trickery and deceit perpetrated by the Devil and his hellish legions. Trusting
in your goodness Lord, we know if you will it, it will be done in unity with
Your Son and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever. Amen.
Litany of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy,
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy,
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us,
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.
Response to the following: Pray for
us.
Heart of Mary
Heart of Mary, after God's own Heart
Heart of Mary, in union with the Heart of Jesus
Heart of Mary, the vessel of the Holy Spirit
Heart of Mary, shrine of the Trinity
Heart of Mary, home of the Word
Heart of Mary, immaculate in your creation
Heart of Mary, flooded with grace
Heart of Mary, blessed of all hearts
Heart of Mary, Throne of glory
Heart of Mary, Abyss of humbleness,
Heart of Mary, Victim of love
Heart of Mary, nailed to the cross
Heart of Mary, comfort of the sad
Heart of Mary, refuge of the sinner
Heart of Mary, hope of the dying
Heart of Mary, seat of mercy
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of
the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of
the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of
the world,
Have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of
heart.
Conform our hearts to the heart of Jesus.
Let us pray:
O most merciful God, who for the salvation of sinners and
the refuge of the wretched, has made the Immaculate Heart of Mary most like in
tenderness and pity to the Heart of Jesus, grant that we, who now commemorate
her most sweet and loving heart, may by her merits and intercession, ever live
in the fellowship of the hearts of both Mother and Son, through the same Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Source: Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman. Published in From Parochial and Plain Sermons. c 1997, San Francisco: Ignatius Press
Bible in a Year-Day 20
Fr. Mike talks about how God can bring great triumph from great brokenness as
we read the messy story of Judah and Tamar. Today's readings are Genesis 38,
Job 29-30, and Proverbs 3:28-32.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Protection
of Traditional Marriage
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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