Prayer to The Holy Face

“The little flower transplanted to Mount Carmel was to expand under the shadow of the Cross. The tears and blood of Jesus were to be her dew, and her Sun was His adorable Face veiled with tears. Until my coming to Carmel, I had never fathomed the depths of the treasures hidden in the Holy Face.” - St. Therese of Lisieux, The Last Conversations

O Jesus, Who in Thy cruel Passion didst become the "Reproach of men and the Man of Sorrows", I worship Thy Divine Face.

Once it shone with the beauty and sweetness of Divinity; now for my sake It is become as the face of a "leper".

Yet in that disfigured Countenance I recognize Thy Infinite Love, and I am consumed with the desire of loving Thee and of making Thee loved by all mankind.

The tears that streamed in such abundance from Thine Eyes are to me as precious pearls which I delight to gather, that with their infinite worth I may ransom the souls of poor sinners.

O Jesus, Whose Face is the sole beauty that ravishes my heart, I may not behold here upon earth the sweetness of Thy Glance nor feel the ineffable tenderness of Thy Kiss.  Thereto I consent, but I pray Thee to imprint in me Thy Divine Likeness, and implore Thee to so inflame me with Thy Love that it may quickly consume me, and soon I may reach the vision of Thy Glorious Face in heaven!

Amen

Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

O Face Adorable de Jésus, seule Beauté qui ravit mon cœur, daigne imprimer en moi ta Divine Ressemblance, afin que tu ne puisses regarder l'âme de ta petite épouse sans te contempler Toi-Même.

O mon Bien-Aimé, pour ton amour, j'accepte de ne pas voir ici-bas la douceur de ton Regard, de ne pas sentir l'inexprimable baiser de ta Bouche, mais je te supplie de m'embraser de ton amour, afin qu'il me consume rapidement et fasse bientôt paraître devant toi.

Ainsi soit-il

Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus et de la Sainte Face

CANTICLE TO THE HOLY FACE

ENGLISH

These words of Isaiah, ” Who has believed our report?…There is no beauty in Him, no comliness…” have been the whole foundation of my devotion to the Holy Face, or, to express it better, the foundation of my whole piety. I also have desired to be without beauty, to tread the winepress alone, unknown to every creature. – St. Therese of Lisieux, The Last Conversations

Jesus! Thy dear and holy Face
Is the bright star that guides my way;
Thy gentle glance, so full of grace,
Is my true heaven on earth,  today.
My love finds out the holy charm
Of Thy dear eyes with tear-drops wet;
Through mine own tears I smile at Thee,
And in Thy griefs my pains forget.

Oh! I would gladly live unknown,
Thus to console Thy aching heart.
Thy veiled beauty, it is shown
To those who live from earth apart.
Fain would I fly to Thee alone! 

Thy Face it is my fatherland;
It is the sunshine of my days;
My realm of love, my sunlit land,
Where through the hours I sing Thy praise;
It is the lily of the vale,
Whose mystic perfume, freely given,
Brings comfort, when I faint and fail,
And makes me taste the peace of heaven.

Thy face, in its unearthly grace,
Is like the divinest myrrh to me,
That on my heart I gladly place;
It is my lyre of melody;
My rest - my comfort - is Thy Face. 
My only wealth, Lord! is thy Face;
Naught ask I more than this from Thee;
Hidden in the secret of Thy Face,
The more I shall resemble Thee!
Leave on me the divine impress 
Of Thy sweet, patient Face of love,
And soon I shall become a saint,
And draw men's hearts to Thee above.

So, in the secret of Thy Face,
Oh! hide me, hide me, Jesus blest!
There let me find its hidden grace,
Its holy fires, and, in heaven's rest,
Its rapturous kiss, in Thy embrace!

Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

FRENCH