The Litany of the Holy Face is a deeply moving devotion that draws the faithful into intimate contemplation of our Lord’s sacred countenance. Through beautiful invocations, we journey with Christ from the tender joy of His birth in Bethlehem to the anguish of His Passion, and finally to the glory of His Resurrection and Ascension. This litany is especially powerful as an act of reparation, allowing us to console the Face that was spat upon, struck, and crowned with thorns for love of us. It is a prayer that can profoundly transform the heart of anyone who prays it with devotion.
Litany of the Holy Face of Jesus
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us.
O adorable Face, which was adored with profound respect by Mary and Joseph when they saw Thee for the first time, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which in the Stable of Bethlehem did ravish with joy the angels, the shepherds, and the Magi, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which in the Temple did pierce with a dart of love the saintly old man Simeon and the prophetess Anna, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which was bathed in tears in Thy holy infancy, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which, when Thou appeared in the Temple at twelve years of age, did fill with admiration the Doctors of the law, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, white with purity and ruddy with charity, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, more beautiful than the sun, more lovely than the moon, more brilliant than the stars, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, fresher than the roses of spring, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, more precious than gold, silver, and diamonds, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose charms are so ravishing, and whose grace is so attractive, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose every feature is characterized by nobility, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, contemplated by angels, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, sweet delight of the Saints, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, masterpiece of the Holy Spirit, in which the Eternal Father is well pleased, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, delight of Mary and of Joseph, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, ineffable mirror of the Divine perfections, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose beauty is always ancient and always new, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which appeases the wrath of God, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which makes the devils tremble, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, treasure of graces and of blessings, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, exposed in the desert to the harshness of the weather, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, scorched with the heat of the sun and bathed with sweat in Thy journeys, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose expression is all divine, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose modesty and sweetness attracted both the just and sinners, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which gave a holy kiss to the little children, after having blessed them, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, troubled and weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, brilliant as the sun and radiant with glory on Mount Tabor, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, sorrowful at the sight of Jerusalem, and shedding tears on that ungrateful city, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, bowed to the earth in the Garden of Olives, and covered with confusion for our sins, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, bathed in a bloody sweat, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, kissed by the traitor Judas, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose sanctity and majesty smote the soldiers with fear and cast them to the ground, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, struck by a vile servant, shamefully blindfolded, and profaned by the sacrilegious hands of Thine enemies, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, defiled with spittle and bruised by innumerable buffets and blows, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose Divine look wounded the heart of Peter with a dart of sorrow and love, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, humbled for us at the tribunals of Jerusalem, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which preserved Thy serenity when Pilate pronounced the fatal sentence, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, covered with sweat and blood, and falling in the mire under the heavy weight of the Cross, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, worthy of all our respect, veneration, and worship, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, wiped with a veil by a pious woman on the road to Calvary, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, raised on the instrument of most shameful punishment, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose brow was crowned with thorns, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose eyes were filled with tears of blood, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, into whose mouth was poured gall and vinegar, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose hair and beard were plucked out by the executioners, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which was made like that of a leper, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, whose incomparable beauty was obscured under the dreadful cloud of the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, covered with the sad shades of death, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, washed and anointed by Mary and the holy women and wrapped in a shroud, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, enclosed in the sepulcher, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, all resplendent with glory and beauty on the day of the Resurrection, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, all dazzling with light at the moment of Thy Ascension, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, hidden in the Eucharist, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which will appear at the end of time in the clouds with great power and majesty, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which will cause sinners to tremble, have mercy on us.
O adorable Face, which will fill the just with joy for all eternity, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Let us pray:
O adorable Face of JESUS, so mercifully bowed down upon the tree of the cross on the day of Thy Passion for the salvation of men, now again, incline in Thy pity towards us poor sinners; cast upon us a look of compassion and receive us to the kiss of peace. Amen.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Sit nomen Domini benedictum! Amen.