O Blessed Face, more lovely than the lilies and the roses of the spring, Thou art not hidden from us.  The tears which dim Thine Eyes are as precious pearls which we delight to gather, and, through their infinite value, to purchase the souls of our brethren.

From Thy Adorable Lips we have heard Thy loving plaint:  “I thirst.”  Since we know that this thirst which consumes Thee is a thirst for love, to quench it we would wish to possess an infinite love.

Dear Spouse of our souls, if we could love with the love of all hearts, that love would be Thine. . . .  Give us, O Lord, this love!  Then come to thy Spouses and satisfy Thy Thirst.

And give to us souls, dear Lord . . .  We thirst for souls!—­Above all for the souls of Apostles and Martyrs . . . that through them we may inflame all poor sinners with love of Thee.

O Adorable Face, we shall succeed in winning this grace from Thee!  Unmindful of our exile, “by the rivers of Babylon,” we will sing in Thine Ears the sweetest of melodies.  Since Thou art the true and only Home of our souls, our songs shall not be sung in a strange land.[6] O Beloved Face of Jesus, while we await the Eternal Day when we shall gaze upon Thine Infinite Glory, our only desire is to delight Thy Divine Eyes by keeping our faces hidden too, so that no one on earth may recognize us . . .  Dear Jesus, Heaven for us is Thy Hidden Face!

VARIOUS PRAYERS

"If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it you."—­ John 16:23.

O Eternal Father, Thy Only-Begotten Son, the dear Child Jesus, belongs to me since Thou hast given Him.  I offer Thee the infinite merits of His Divine Childhood, and I beseech Thee in His Name to open the gates of Heaven to a countless host of little ones who will for ever follow this Divine Lamb.

"Just as the King’s image is a talisman through which anything may be purchased in his Kingdom, so through My Adorable Face—­that priceless coin of my Humanity—­you will obtain all you desire."
        Our Lord to Sister Mary of St. Peter.[7]

Eternal Father, since Thou hast given me for my inheritance the Adorable Face of Thy Divine Son, I offer that Face to Thee, and I beg Thee, in exchange for this coin of infinite value, to forget the ingratitude of those souls who are consecrated to Thee, and to pardon all poor sinners.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY CHILD

O Jesus, dear Holy Child, my only treasure, I abandon myself to Thy every whim.  I seek no other joy than that of calling forth Thy sweet Smile.  Vouchsafe to me the graces and the virtues of Thy Holy Childhood, so that on the day of my birth into Heaven the Angels and Saints may recognise in Thy Spouse:  Teresa of the Child Jesus.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY FACE