The first priority in Archbishop Mark’s Apostolic Priorities for the Archdiocese of Brisbane, documented in With Lamps Ablaze, is Teaching Prayer. He says, “Often we urge people to pray but don’t really teach them how to pray… Now is the time to teach ways of prayer which are mature and all-embracing. Christian prayer begins not with speaking but with listening; and learning to pray is therefore learning to listen – to listen even to the silences of God. If all we do is speak, then in the words of Jesus we “babble like the pagans” (Matt 6:7). But if we speak after listening and in response to God who always has the first word, then we speak according to the mind of the Holy Spirit. That’s what we need to teach and learn. In the Gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus called the twelve apostles to himself, first of all, “that they might be with him” (3:14). This is where the mission starts: being with Jesus, which is what prayer is.”

Join us for our new weekly series, Let’s Pray, where we invite you to pray along with us. Each week we will invite you to pray a new prayer with us – maybe you don’t know what to pray, or want to pray along with someone, or want to practice your faith through prayer. Our Let’s Pray series is for everyone.

The Holy Face of Jesus refers to images or relics depicting Jesus’ face, particularly associated with the Veil of Veronica, which is said to bear his likeness after he wiped his face with a cloth on his way to Calvary for his crucifixion. This image symbolizes Jesus’ profound love, suffering, and divine presence, serving as a focal point for reflection and devotion in Christian faith. It is through the Holy Face of Jesus that we see the essence of unconditional love.

• Let's Pray - A Prayer to the Holy Face of Jesus transcript

  Let's Pray - A Prayer to the Holy Face of Jesus transcript

  Author: Archdiocese of Brisbane

  
  Hi. My name is Catherine Higgins. The Christian life, in many ways, is set in a pursuit of the Holy Face of Jesus. While Scripture gives us no clues to the shape or features of Jesus’ face, we do know he was beaten, spat on, and pierced with a crown of thorns. We know he was exhausted, thirsty and tortured, but through His Passion, we get a glimpse of how deep His love is for us. At the sixth Station of the Cross, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. You can imagine how the blood and sweat on his face would have left an imprint on the cloth she was holding. There are many loving faces that surround us, but none more than the Crucified and Risen Christ. It is this face, today, that I ask you to look upon and contemplate in prayer. Let’s pray.

  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
  Holy Face of my sweet Jesus,
  living and eternal expression
  of the love and of the divine martyrdom
  suffered for the redemption of mankind,
  I adore Thee and I love Thee.
  Today and for always
  I consecrate to Thee my whole being.
  By the most pure hands of the Immaculate Queen
  I offer Thee the prayers,
  actions, and works of this day,
  in expiation
  and reparation for the sins of poor creatures.
  Make me Thy true apostle.
  May your gentle gaze
  be ever present to me
  and, at the hour of my death,
  grow bright with mercy. Amen.
  Holy Face of Jesus, look with mercy upon me.
  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

  As we finish this moment of prayer, let us remember the Holy Face of Jesus, a symbol of His endless love and sacrifice for us. May this image inspire us to live with compassion, humility, and faith each day. May we always seek to see the face of Jesus in others spreading his love and mercy through our actions and words. Thank you for praying with us today. We hope to see you again soon. God bless.