Sr. Mary of St. Peter, a Discalced Carmelite nun, was born on October 4, 1816. Her mother died when she was 12 years old. At the age of 23, she entered the Carmelite Monastery in Tours, France, on November 13, 1839, professing her vows on June 8, 1841.
Throughout her life, Sr. Mary of St. Peter received divine revelations from our Lord concerning the Work of Reparation he was entrusting to her. The two main offenses that were repeatedly mentioned as causing our Lord so much pain included
1. Blasphemy
2. The profanation of the Holy Days of our Lord
In 1844 she had a vision in which Jesus told her: “Those who will contemplate the wounds on My Face here on earth, shall contemplate it radiant in heaven.” Our Lord spoke to Sr. Mary of St. Peter about the pain that blaspheming His Holy Name caused, and how even children wound Him in this way. He likened it to a poison arrow that pierces His Heart. In reparation for this particularly grievous sin, Jesus gave to Sr. Mary of St. Peter a means for wounding Him delightfully: The Golden Arrow Prayer.
The following is copied from Life of Sister Mary St. Peter: Carmelite of Tours, written by herself, and arranged and completed with the aid of her letters and the annals of her monastery, by M. L’Abbé Janvier, and translated from French, 1884 edition, E-Book pdf:
Promises made by Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sr. Mary of St. Peter in favor of those who honor his most Holy Face:
*By my Holy Face you will work marvels.
*You will obtain from my Holy Face the salvation of a multitude of sinners.
*If you could comprehend how agreeable the sight of my Holy Face is to my Heavenly Father!
*According to the care you take to repair my countenance disfigured by blasphemy, so shall I be animated in the same degree to transform your soul which has been disfigured by sin; I will imprint thereon my own image, and I will render it as beautiful as when it came forth from the baptismal font.
*My adorable Face is the seal of the Divinity, having the power to imprint itself on the souls of those who apply it to their persons.
*As in an earthly kingdom, the subjects can procure all they desire by being provided with a piece of money stamped with the effigy of the monarch, so also shall you be able to obtain all that you desire in the kingdom of heaven, on presenting the impress of my sacred humanity, which is my Holy Face.
It is through the revelations made to Sr. Mary of St. Peter that we understand the Holy Name is attached to His Holy Countenance. His Holy Face reflects all the glory contained in His Holy Name. Just as the name of a flower evokes a mental image of that flower, the Holy Name of Jesus elicits sacredness, love, and triumph, which in its visible form is His Holy Face.
Sr. Mary of St. Peter also helps us understand the connection between Jesus’ Sacred Heart and His Holy Face. In Sister’s own words she explains, “The Holy Face is a picture of the Divinity outraged by the opprobrium of blasphemies, as the Sacred Heart is a picture of the immense love of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.” It is the long cherished desire of His Heart that reparation be made to His Holy Face.
Although the Work of Reparation was entrusted to Sr. Mary of St. Peter, she was never able to propagate the devotion, due to her obedience towards her superiors. It was after her death (July 8, 1848), that her friend and supporter Leo DuPont was able to spread the devotion.