Opening June 3rd in select theaters, the new movie “The Face of Jesus” gives us a fascinating glimpse into the history of the images of the Face of Jesus…some of which are rather obscure. Possibly the most well-known image is on the Holy Shroud of Turin which, of course, not only shows the face of Jesus, but His full body as well. Then, there is Veronica’s Veil, which is normally on display in Manoppello, Italy.
But there other less well known images….and their history and significance are just now being made known (this movie being one of the means of helping spread this devotion).
Why the movie “The Face of Jesus” fascinated us:
The movie introduces us to some of the scientific basis for believing these images to be of supernatural origin. It also helps us to understand why the images are so treasured and also helps explain the history of several of these images as they were moved from one place to another throughout the ancient world.
But for those not just interested in the scientific evidence; but wanting more, what we found especially interesting in the movie were the testimonies of those who had prayed before the image of the Face of Jesus and the results they reported.
We have mentioned this ad-infinitum, but just to refresh: as Catholics we do not worship statues or images, but we do revere them: they are not the object of worship themselves, but rather a means of focusing their minds and hearts on the holy person or event they represent. They are used to assist in prayer and devotion….a distinction that many critics of the Catholic Church fail to make. Sadly, even some Catholic make the mistake of saying that we are worshipping an image, although it is a matter of symantics, not the real meaning of their statement.
Click here for the link for the trailer of “The Face of Jesus”