Shrove Tuesday Prayers [The Holy Face]

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In Rome and elsewhere, Shrove Tuesday is observed as the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus.

The Collects for the Feast of the Holy Face of Jesus

O God, who willed that your only–begotten Son

should become man,

and show us in his human nature 

a perfect image of your divinity,

grant, we beseech you,

that by venerating the image of his Holy Face

we may be united with him

in the mysteries of his Passion and Death,

and so come to contemplate forever 

his glorious Face

in the joy of the resurrection.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you 

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect at the General Intercessions

Almighty and ever-living God, whose splendour on Sinai was such that Moses was obliged to veil his face made radiant by the brightness of your holiness; remove the veil from our faces, and open our eyes to the knowledge of your glory shining in the face of Christ, that we, with the gaze of our hearts fixed on him, may, by the power of the Holy Spirit, be changed into his likeness and so praise you forever in the company of the saints in light. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Or:

O Lord Jesus Christ, 

beauty of the heavenly Father and light of souls, 

we beseech you with confidence that, 

as we advance in the darkness of this world, 

the splendour of your Face 

may shine upon us and that,

 in the light of your Countenance, 

we may one day merit

to contemplate the eternal light 

in which you live and reign 

with God the Father 

in the unity of the Holy Spirit

forever and ever.

Prayer Over the Offerings

O God, the Father of lights,

look upon us, we beseech you,

and beholding the Face of Christ your Son

who offered himself for us 

as a victim of reconciliation,

grant that we, like him, 

may offer ourselves to you

as a spiritual sacrifice 

to the praise of your glory.

Through Christ our Lord.

Excellent Translations by Vultus Christi

Last Prayer added to Compline on Shrove Tuesday

Lord, give us grace to inaugurate with holy fasting, the defenses of Christian warfare, so that we who are to fight against spiritual wickedness, may be helped and strengthened by self-denial. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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