The purpose of the Chaplet or Crown of the Holy face is to honor the Five Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to ask God the Triumph of His Holy Church. This chaplet is composed of a cross and thirty-nine beads; of these, six are large beads and thirty-three are small. To this chaplet is attached the Medal of the Holy Face.
On the Cross, which reminds us of the Mystery of Redemption,, we begin the chaplet by praying:
Incline unto my aid, O God! O Lord, make haste to help me!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it
was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. Amen.
The thirty-three small beads represent the 33 years of Our Lord's
life on earth. The first 30 recall to us the 30 years of His hidden life and are divided into 5 parts of 6 beads each, in honor of the senses of touch, hearing, sight, smell, and taste, as these senses were primarily in His Holy Face; we do this to render reparation for all the sufferings which Our Lord has endured in His Face through each of these senses.
EACH SIX BEADS ARE PRECEDED BY A LARGE BEAD, AFTER WHICH A GLORY BE IS SAID WHILE RECALLING THE SENSE WE ARE HONORING IN A PARTICULAR SECTION.
THE OTHER THREE BEADS MARK OUR LORD'S PUBLIC LIFE AND HAVE FOR THEIR INTENTION TO HONOR ALL THE WOUNDS OF HIS ADORABLE FACE; THESE ARE ALSO PRECEDED BY A LARGE BEAD, AFTER WHICH A GLORY BE IS ALSO SAID FOR THE SAME INTENTION.
ON EACH LARGE BEAD PRAY:
My Jesus, mercy!
ON THE SMALL BEADS:
Arise, O Lord, and let Thy enemies be scattered, and let them
that hate Thee fly before Thy Face!
The Glory Be is recited seven times in all, after the prayer of the large
bead in each section, in honor of the Seven Last Words of Jesus
on the Cross, and the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
The chaplet is concluded by praying on the Medal:
God, our Protector,, look down upon us and cast Thine
eyes upon the Face of Thy Christ!
