Introduction

Every Tuesday, the Church invites us to contemplate the Holy Face of Jesus—the Face that bore the weight of suffering, the radiance of love, and the mystery of redemption. This devotion, revealed to Sister Marie de Saint‑Pierre in the 19th century and approved by Pope Leo XIII, calls us to make reparation for blasphemy, atheism, and sins against the dignity of Christ’s Face.

Traditionally prayed as a novena leading up to Shrove Tuesday, the devotion has blossomed into a weekly rhythm of prayer and reparation. By dedicating each Tuesday to the Holy Face, we anchor our week in mercy, trust, and renewal.

To gaze upon the Holy Face is to be reminded that love is not earned—it is freely given. Each prayer becomes a step closer to purity of heart, a deeper trust in Christ’s compassion, and a communal act of hospitality that extends His mercy into our homes and gatherings.

This series, Holy Face Tuesdays, offers prayers, reflections, and simple acts of hospitality to help us live the devotion not only in words but in daily rhythms. May each Tuesday become a small pilgrimage into the heart of Christ’s love.

Absolutely — here is Week 4, crafted to flow directly from the tone, cadence, and theological movement you’ve already established. This continues the arc from Revelation → Strength in Suffering → Reparation into the next natural movement:

Consolation.

I’ve written it so it feels like the gentle exhale after the hidden labor of Week 3 — the warmth that follows the mending.

January 20-Week 3 – Reparation: Returning the World to Love

🙏 Opening Prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“O Holy Face of Jesus, wounded by our sins yet radiant with mercy, draw us into the work of reparation.
Heal what is broken in us, restore what has been lost in others, and make our lives instruments of Your peace.”
📖 Hosea 6:1
“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for He has torn, that He may heal us;
He has struck down, and He will bind us up.”
🌿 Reflection
If Week 2 teaches us to endure suffering with Christ, Week 3 teaches us to repair the world with Him.
Reparation is not about guilt — it is about returning love to the places where love has been withdrawn.
It is the quiet, hidden labor of those who have looked upon the bruised Face and understood that mercy is not passive. Mercy moves. Mercy rebuilds. Mercy restores.
Reparation begins small:
speaking truth where falsehood has taken root
offering gentleness where harshness has wounded
choosing patience where anger has frayed communion
giving attention where someone has been forgotten
These are not grand gestures. They are the daily stitches that mend the torn fabric of the world.
Christ’s Holy Face teaches us that every act of reparation — no matter how small — participates in His own healing work. We do not fix the world; we join the One who is already healing it.
🍯 Hospitality Cue
Share a small taste of honey or honeycomb.
Let the sweetness rest on the tongue.
Let it remind you that God restores sweetness where bitterness once ruled.
Reparation is not merely duty — it is the rediscovery of sweetness, the return of joy where sorrow once lived.
✨ Closing Invocation
“O Jesus, through the sorrow of Thy Holy Face, repair in us what sin has damaged.
Make our hearts places of restoration, our homes places of mercy, and our lives reflections of Your healing love.”
O Mary, Refuge of Sinners, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, Restorer of the Domestic Church, pray for us.

All holy confessors, pray for us

January 13-Week 2 – Strength in Suffering

🙏 Opening Prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“O Most Holy Face of Jesus, bruised and disfigured by suffering, look upon us with mercy.
Grant us courage to endure trials with steadfast faith, and strength to unite our wounds to Yours.”

📖 Isaiah 53 (excerpt)
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.
Yet it was our infirmities He bore,
our sufferings He endured.

🌹 Reflection
The second week calls us to see Christ’s Face in suffering. His wounds are not signs of defeat but of love carried to the end. To gaze upon the bruised Face is to learn endurance: that pain can be transformed into testimony, and weakness into strength. In our own trials, we are not abandoned—His Face meets us in rejection, reminding us that dignity is never erased by suffering.

🍞 Hospitality Cue
Mark this devotion with a shared cup of bitter herbs steeped in warm water. The taste is sharp, but it reminds us that suffering, when united to Christ, becomes strength. This simple act anchors the reflection in the body, teaching endurance through the senses.

✨ Closing Invocation
Through the merits of Thy precious blood and Thy Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition: Strength and Mercy.
O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, pray for us.
Saint Veronica, pray for us.
All holy martyrs, pray for us.

January 6 Week 1 – Purity of Heart

🙏 Opening Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“O Most Holy Face of Jesus, look with tenderness on us who are sinners.
Thou art a merciful God, full of love and compassion.
Keep us pure of heart, so that we may see Thee always.”

📖 Psalm 51 (excerpt)

Have mercy on me, O God, in Thy goodness;
In Thy great tenderness wipe away my faults.
Wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sin.

🌹 Reflection

Today we begin our weekly rhythm of reparation and trust. The Holy Face devotion calls us to purity of heart—not perfection, but openness. To gaze upon Christ’s Face is to let His mercy wash away the masks we wear and the burdens we carry. Purity is not about being flawless; it is about being transparent before God, allowing His love to shine through us.

🍞 Hospitality Cue

Anchor this prayer in your home or community with a simple act: share bread and olive oil at the table. This humble meal symbolizes purity and simplicity, reminding us that God’s love is not earned but freely given.

✨ Closing Invocation

Through the merits of Thy precious blood and Thy Holy Face, O Jesus, grant us our petition: Pardon and Mercy.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.

January 27-Week 4 – Consolation: Resting in the Tenderness of His Face

🙏 Opening Prayer

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“O Holy Face of Jesus, radiant with quiet tenderness, draw us into the consolation of Your presence.
Let Your gaze calm our fears, soothe our wounds, and teach our hearts to rest in Your love.”

📖 Isaiah 66:13
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.”

🌼 Reflection

If Week 3 teaches us to join Christ in repairing the world, Week 4 teaches us to let Christ repair us.

Consolation is not sentimentality.
It is the deep, steadying truth that God does not merely command us to love —
He comforts us into the capacity to love.

The Holy Face is not only bruised; it is also gentle.
It is the Face that looked upon Peter after his denial — not with reproach, but with mercy that restored him.
It is the Face that turned toward the weeping, the frightened, the ashamed, and gave them courage simply by being near.

Consolation is the moment when God’s nearness becomes unmistakable:

when peace rises where anxiety once ruled
when clarity comes after confusion
when a burden suddenly feels lighter
when the heart knows, without explanation, “I am held”

This week is not about doing.
It is about receiving.

Let the Holy Face console you in the places where you have grown tired from the work of reparation.
Let Him speak tenderness into the wounds you still carry.
Let Him remind you that you are not merely His servant — you are His beloved.

🍇 Hospitality Cue

Share a small handful of grapes or a sip of sweet wine.

Let the softness and sweetness remind you of the gentleness of God’s consolation —
not overpowering, not dramatic, but steady, nourishing, and quietly joyful.

Consolation is God’s way of saying:
“You are safe with Me. Rest here.”

✨ Closing Invocation

“O Jesus, through the light of Thy Holy Face, console our weary hearts.
Let Your tenderness restore our courage, Your nearness renew our hope,
and Your love teach us to rest in the Father’s embrace.”

O Mary, Comfort of the Afflicted, pray for us.
Saint John, beloved disciple, pray for us.
All holy contemplatives, pray for us.