Devotion to Jesus: the Holy Face and the venerable Pierina de Micheli
VENERABLE PIERINA DE MICHELI AND THE «HOLY FACE»
In Mother Pierina's life many things happened that know of the incredible; if on the one hand there is a usual, intense and demanding activity, on the other the mystical phenomena recounted in his Diary lead us to a climate that overcoming normality documents facts that are beyond control.
In summary, under the appearance of normal life and practice there is a soul that gives itself to Christ in the heroic participation in his passion and agony.
I would now like to recall Mother Pierina's devotion to the Holy Face of Christ. She said that in her early youth, being in church for the "three hours of agony", when the faithful approached the altar to kiss the feet of the dead Christ, she heard a voice saying "kiss me on the face". It did so by arousing the wonder of those present. Years later, when she was already a nun in the Institute of the Sisters Daughters of the Immaculate Conception of BA, always guided by an inner force, she decided to propagate this devotion. It was precisely the Madonna who in an interior vision showed her a double image: on one side the "Holy Face", on the other a circle with the letters "IHS" inscribed inside; unable to resist this mysterious force, he decided to put the suggestion into practice by imprinting the double image on a medal. In the early months of 1939 he made the design and sent it to the Curia of Milan for approval. It was thought of resistance from the Officer: she was a nun without titles and without presentations. Instead everything went well.
In the months between the summer and autumn of 1940, agreements were also made in Milan with the Johnson company for the minting of the medal. In the meantime two things happened: the Venerable, without the money, found on the bedside table of her room an envelope with all the sum due to the foundry; when the medals arrived in the monastery, loud noises were heard in the night which woke and alarmed the nuns; in the morning the medals were found scattered around the room and the corridor. Mother Pierina was not discouraged by this, but when she came to Rome in the late 1940s, she prayed and thought about how to affirm and propagate devotion.
The Lord rescued her by bringing her to meet qualified people who helped her in the enterprise, Pius XII and Abbot Ildebrando Gregori. Through the valid presentation of Mons. Spirito Chiapetta, Pius XII several times received it in private audience, encouraged and blessed the initiative.
Nor can we forget the manifold help she encountered in the person of Ildebrando Gregori. This religious Silvestrino who died in the concept of holiness in November 1985 was for her not only a confessor and spiritual father but guide and support in this initiative of devotion and apostolate. Our mother Pierina put the direction of her soul in his hands, always asking for advice for all conventual, scholastic and religious initiatives. Even in the toughest and most painful tests under the guidance of such a teacher, De Micheli felt safe and reassured. Evidently, as happens in similar cases, Fr. Ildebrando in turn remained influenced by the high spirituality of the Mother and in particular treasured this devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus Christ, when in fact he started a new congregation of consecrated souls, he named her Sisters "Repairers of the Holy Face of NSGC".
When Mother Pierina worked and suffered to affirm and propagate devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus it is documented in this booklet; the ardor of his heart is evidenced by the chronicles he wrote on 25111941: «Tuesday of quinquagesima. The Holy Face was celebrated in the prayer of reparation before the exposed Jesus, in silence and in gathering! It was hours of sweet union with Jesus in the complexion of His Holy Face, a reflection of the love and pain of His Heart for men who reject His graces ... Oh, Jesus looks for souls who console him, generous souls who give him freedom to act , souls who share his pains! ... may find one of these souls in each of us! ... erase our miseries with love and transform us into Him!
May the Holy Face be honored, that souls be saved! "
In June 1945 Pierina De Micheli from Rome went to Milan and then to Centonara d Artò to see her spiritual daughters, who remained separated for the war. At the beginning of July he became seriously ill and on the 15th he could not attend the profession of the young novices. Evil advances inexorably and on the morning of the 26th he blesses with his eyes the Sisters who rushed to his bedside, then fixed his eyes on the image of the Holy Face, hanging on the wall and calmly breathing.
Thus the promise reserved to the devotees of the Holy Face is fulfilled "they will have a serene death under the gaze of Jesus". P. Germano Ceratogli
MOTHER PIERINA'S LETTER TO PIUS XII
The Venerable was able to personally deliver this letter to the Holy Father in a private audience, procured by Msgr. Spirito M. Chiapetta. In his Diary on the date 3151943 he speaks of it: On May 14 I had an audience with the Holy Father. What moments I spent, only Jesus knows.
Speak to the Vicar of Christ! never as at that moment did I feel all the greatness and sublimity of the priesthood.
I presented the spiritual offering for the Institute on the occasion of his jubilee, then I spoke to him about the devotion of the Holy Face and left a reminder, which he said I will read very willingly I love the Pope so much and I would gladly give my life for him.
It should be noted that as early as November 1940 the Mother had sent a shorter writing to Pius XII on the same subject.
Here is the text of the memo letter: Blessed Father,
Prostrate to the kiss of the Sacred Foot, as a humble daughter who entrusts everything to the Vicar of Christ, I allow myself to expose the following: Humbly I confess to feeling a strong devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus, a devotion that seems to me given to me by Jesus himself. I was twelve when on Good Friday, I waited in my Parish for my turn to kiss the Crucified One, when a distinct voice says: Nobody gives me a kiss of love in the Face, to repair the kiss of Judas? I believed in my innocence as a child, that the voice was heard by everyone and I felt great pain seeing that the kiss to the wounds continued, and nobody thought kissing him in the Face. I praise you, Jesus the kiss of love, have patience, and the moment has come I printed him a strong kiss on the Face with all the ardor of my heart. I was happy, believing that now happy Jesus would no longer have that pain. From that day the first kiss to the Crucifix was at His Holy Face and several times the lips had difficulty detaching because it held me back. Over the years, this devotion grew in me and I felt powerfully attracted in various ways and with many graces. In the night from Thursday to Good Friday in 1915, while I prayed before the Crucifix, in the Chapel of my Novitiate, I heard myself say: kiss me. I did it and my lips instead of resting on a plaster face, they felt the contact of Jesus. What passed! it is impossible for me to say. When the Superior called me it was morning, the heart full of the pains and desires of Jesus; to repair the offenses that received His Most Holy Face in His Passion, and received in the Most Holy Sacrament.
In 1920, on April 12, I was at the Mother House in Buenos Aires. I had a great bitterness in my heart. I went to church and broke into tears, complaining about my pain with Jesus. He introduced himself to me with his face in blood and with such an expression of pain that it moved anyone. With a tenderness that I will never forget, he said to me: What did I do? Including ... and from that day the Face of Jesus became my meditation book, the entrance door of His Heart. His gaze was all for me. We always looked at each other and did love competitions. I said to him: Jesus, today I looked at you more, and He, try it if you can. I made him remember the many times that I looked at him without hearing him, but he always won. From time to time in the years that followed he appeared to me to be sad, or bleeding, communicating his pains and asking for reparation and suffering and calling me to sacrifice myself in hiding for the salvation of souls.
DEVOTION
In 1936 Jesus began to show me the desire for His Face to be more honored. In the night adoration of the first Friday of Lent, after having participated in the pains of His spiritual agony of Getzemani, with the Face veiled by deep sadness he said to me: I want my Face, which reflects the intimate pains of my soul, the pain, and the love of my Heart be more honored. Those who contemplate me console me.
Tuesday of Passion: Every time I contemplate my face, I will pour my love into the hearts. Through my Holy Face I will obtain the salvation of many souls.
On the first Tuesday of the year 1937 while praying in my little chapel, after instructing me on devotion to His Holy Face, he said: It could be that some souls fear that devotion and worship to my Holy Face will diminish that of my heart; of them that will be an increase, a complement. Contemplating my Face they will participate in my pains and will feel the need to love and repair, and this is perhaps not the true devotion to my heart!
These manifestations by Jesus became more pressing. I said everything to the Jesuit Father who then directed my soul and in obedience, in prayer, in sacrifice I offered myself to suffer in hiding, for the fulfillment of the Divine Will.
THE SCAPULAR
On May 31, 1938 while praying in the chapel of my novitiate, a beautiful lady presented herself to me: she was holding a scapular made up of two white flannels, joined by a cord. One flannel bore the image of the Holy Face of Jesus, the other a Host surrounded by sunburst. He came close and said to me: Listen carefully and report everything exactly to the Father. This scapular is an arm of defense, a shield of fortitude, a pledge of love and mercy that Jesus wants to give to the world in these times of sensuality and hatred against God and the Church. Devilish nets are being stretched, to tear faith from hearts, evil is rampant, the true Apostles are few, a divine remedy is needed, and this remedy is the Holy Face of Jesus. All those who will wear a scapular like this and will be able to every Tuesday a visit to the Blessed Sacrament to repair the outrages that received His Holy Face during His Passion, and receives every day in the Eucharistic Sacrament, will be fortified in faith, ready to defend it and overcome all internal and external difficulties, the more they will do a serene death under the amiable gaze of my Divine Son.
The command of Our Lady made itself felt strongly in my heart, but it was not in my power to carry it out. Meanwhile the Father was working to spread this devotion in pious souls, who in turn worked for this purpose.
THE MEDAL
On November 21 of that same year 1938, in the nocturnal Adoration I presented Jesus with the Face dripping blood and as exhausted of strength: See how I suffer, he told me, and yet by very few I am understood, how much ingratitude even by those who say they love me . I have given my heart as a sensitive object of my great love for men and my Face I give it, as a sensitive object of my pain for the sins of men and I want to be honored with a special feast on Tuesday of Quinquagesima, feast preceded by a novena in which all the faithful united in sharing in my pain with Me repair.
The party
On Tuesday of Quinquagesima in 1939 the feast of S. Volto was held for the first time in our little chapel, preceded by a novena of prayer and penance. The same Father of the Society of Jesus blessed the picture and made a speech on the Holy Face, and began to spread devotion more and more, especially on Tuesday according to the desire of Our Lord. The need was felt then to have a medal minted, a copy of the scapular presented by the Madonna. Obedience granted willingly, but the means were lacking. One day, driven by an internal impulse, I said to the Jesuit Father: If Our Lady really wants this, providence will think about it. The Father said to me decisively: Yes, go ahead.
I wrote to photographer Bruner for permission to use the image of the S. Face reproduced by him and I obtained it. I presented the application for the permit in the Curia of Milan, which was granted to me on August 9, 1940.
I hired the Johnson firm for the job, which was long, because Bruner wanted to check all the evidence. A few days before the delivery of the medals on the table in my room I find an envelope, I observe and I see 11.200 lire. The bill in fact amounted to that precise sum. The medals were all distributed free of charge, and the same providence was repeated several times for other orders, and the medal was spread by operating signaled graces. Transferred to Rome, I found providentially in a moment of great need, because without help being new to the place and not knowing anyone, the Reverend Father General of the Silvestrini Benedictines, true Apostle of the Holy Face, who still awaits my soul , and through him this devotion spreads more and more. The enemy is angry about this and has disturbed and disturbs in so many ways. Several times during the night he threw the medals on the floor for the runners and the stairs, torn up images, threatening and trampling. One day in the month of February of this year, on the 7th addressing the Madonna I said to her: See, I am always in pain, because you have shown me a scapular and your promises are for those who wear it scapular, not the medal, and It me she replied: My daughter, don't worry, that the scapulary is supplied by the Medal, with the same promises and favors, there is only to spread it more and more. Now the feast of the Face of my Divine Son is close to my heart. Tell the Pope that I care so much. He blessed me and left Heaven in my heart. Most Blessed Father, I briefly told you what Jesus suggested to me. Triumph this Divine Face in an awakening of living faith and healthy customs, bring peace to Humanity. Holy Father, allow this poor daughter prostrate at your feet to ask you with all the ardor with which she is capable, but with unconditional obedience to all the provisions of Your Holiness, to give the world this gift of Divine Mercy, a pledge of thanks and of blessing. Bless me, Holy Father, and your blessing will make me less unworthy of sacrificing myself for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, while I protest my filial attachment that would like to be translated into works, happy if the Lord accepted my poor life for the Pope. Very humble and most devoted daughter Sister Maria Pierina De Micheli.