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The Golden Arrow: The Revelations of Sr. Mary of St. Peter
The Life & Revelations of Sr. Mary of St. Peter (1816-1848) on Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus. At Tours, France, she received this devotion from Our Lord 1) to fight Communism, 2) to make reparation, 3) to be an unfailing tool of prayer. Approved worldwide. Impr. 246 pgs, PB
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First published May 1, 2009
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About the author
Marie of Saint Peter
100 books10 followersMarie of Saint Peter, O.C.D. (French: Marie de Saint Pierre) (1816–1848) was a Discalced Carmelite nun who lived in Tours, France. She is best known for starting the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus which is now one of the approved Catholic devotions and for the Golden Arrow Prayer. She also introduced the Little Sachet sacramental.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 7, 2024
July 6, 2024: In preparation for giving our community monthly meditation on the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus and for making the consecration to the Holy Face of Jesus, I re-listened to this. What an amazing book about a holy woman who is almost completely unknown! Sister Mary of St. Peter was given this devotion from Jesus during the four-year period from April 1843-April 1847, dying just a few months after her last revelation from Our LORD, having completed His last request to her. Since then, the Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus has undergone periods of favor and persecution, proving what He told her would happen. And now in our own day, there seems to be a renewal of interest in this vital and powerful devotion which could well do so much good for the church and the world. May it be so!
The Golden Arrow is part of a trilogy of linked books which include, The Holy Man of Tours: The Life of Leo Dupont (1797-1876), Apostle of the Holy Face Devotion and The Whole World Will Love Me about St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. I have read the second book, but not the first, however, I plan to read both as a part of my preparation for consecration to the Holy Face.
February 5, 2020, First Review: Sister Mary of St. Peter was an extremely pious Carmelite nun of the first half of the nineteenth century. She was favored—if you can call it that (many of us today might not think her life so ‘favored’ with all she suffered)—by numerous visits and associated revelations from Jesus, where He tasked her with the difficult mission of reparation for blasphemy and abuse of Sunday observance.
The first part of the book, approximately half, is Sister Mary’s autobiography, written in obedience to her Mother Superior. Her extreme humility takes some getting used to for twenty-first century readers but be assured she is the real deal. Although even her contemporaries have problems taking her seriously, she means every word. As soon as she starts quoting Jesus, this becomes increasingly obvious. Sister lived a simple live and from an early age desired to enter Carmel, but like other better known Carmelite saints, Thérèse de Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity, her desire was tested with adversity before she was able to enter. Most of what we learn about her life in Carmel in this first section is before the revelations begin. This portion of the text concludes on June 13, 1847, a little over a year before her rather sudden death.
The second part of the book, the Revelations on the Work of Reparation Given by Our LORD to Sr. Mary, is the collection of her accounts of each separate revelation from Our LORD and what He tasked her with at the time. She includes the date of the revelation; brief explanatory information on significant events since the last revelation; where, when and how Our LORD revealed Himself to her, what He said and/or tasked her with. In the beginning, He was preparing her for her mission by testing her obedience to her superiors, strengthening her through addition prayer practices and assignments which she found more repugnant to her spiritual sensibilities. As time went by, He began revealing her mission to her which was to remedy the insults to God’s Holy Name and the Abuse of Sunday, by the new devotion He gave her to His Holy Face.
Jesus explained to Sr. Mary that when a man—or woman, but Jesus said a ‘man’ so I will stick to his words—is insulted, called names, his whole countenance—his face—changes in appearance. No matter how he tries to hide it, if it happens enough, his face will begin to take on the look of defeat, pain, sorrow and remorse for the hatred shown to him by the insults to his good name. Likewise, the remedy for insults (called blasphemies) to God’s Name, are honor shown to His Holy Face. To that end, Jesus gave Sister a number of prayers, but especially recommended ‘The Golden Arrow’:
After her death, Reparation through the Devotion to the Holy Face was chiefly kept up through the fervor of a wealthy retired lawyer of Tours, a devoted friend of the Carmelite nun, Leo Dupont.
There are two other books* written by Dorothy Scallan, the sister of Fr. Scallan, the priest mentioned above, plus another book written by a woman in our local area, Veronica's Veil: Companion Prayer Book. There is much more to learn on this subject! However, I am sure Sister Mary would advocate for prayer and reparation over learning, or at least after it, and this book contains a number of other prayers in addition to The Golden Arrow above.
Sr. Mary tells us that Jesus, ‘warned her that she should not be disappointed if she did not feel any particular gratifying emotions while reciting the Prayers of Reparation. The demon would give me an aversion for this devotion, but not to worry about it, that the excellence of this devotion surpasses other devotions. It is pleasing to God, the Angels and Saints and beneficial to the Church. “Oh, if you only knew what great merit you acquire by saying even once, ‘Admirable in the Name of God,’ in the spirit of reparation for blasphemy!”’
EXCELLENT book!
January 25, 2020: Have had this for several months now but not had the chance to begin. The first few chapters were a bit difficult to get into. Pious nineteenth century nuns have a way of writing which takes a bit of getting used to. You have to peal away several layers of 21st century cynicism from your own eyes, much of which you do not even realize is there. The best analogy I can think of is when you get a cataract removed. You don't even know how dark your view until after the surgery.
That is why it is so good for me to read works like this. It helps me see that the way our Age views the world is not the way people from other ages have seen things. Granted, Sr. Mary of St. Peter was considered eccentric even by the standards of her own time, as can be seen by the way her superiors handle her conversations with Jesus. Their handling of her, however, only gives the book, the revelations, credibility. If I had been them, I should have been skeptical of her as well. And yet, I also admire her childlike simplicity, while I find it a bit hard to relate to. Maybe it would be different if I were to meet her. I wonder....
*Discovered there are two other books associated with these revelations: Holy Man of Tours and The Whole World Will Love Me which give background on Sr. Marie and her influence over the Little Flower.
The Golden Arrow is part of a trilogy of linked books which include, The Holy Man of Tours: The Life of Leo Dupont (1797-1876), Apostle of the Holy Face Devotion and The Whole World Will Love Me about St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. I have read the second book, but not the first, however, I plan to read both as a part of my preparation for consecration to the Holy Face.
February 5, 2020, First Review: Sister Mary of St. Peter was an extremely pious Carmelite nun of the first half of the nineteenth century. She was favored—if you can call it that (many of us today might not think her life so ‘favored’ with all she suffered)—by numerous visits and associated revelations from Jesus, where He tasked her with the difficult mission of reparation for blasphemy and abuse of Sunday observance.
The first part of the book, approximately half, is Sister Mary’s autobiography, written in obedience to her Mother Superior. Her extreme humility takes some getting used to for twenty-first century readers but be assured she is the real deal. Although even her contemporaries have problems taking her seriously, she means every word. As soon as she starts quoting Jesus, this becomes increasingly obvious. Sister lived a simple live and from an early age desired to enter Carmel, but like other better known Carmelite saints, Thérèse de Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity, her desire was tested with adversity before she was able to enter. Most of what we learn about her life in Carmel in this first section is before the revelations begin. This portion of the text concludes on June 13, 1847, a little over a year before her rather sudden death.
The second part of the book, the Revelations on the Work of Reparation Given by Our LORD to Sr. Mary, is the collection of her accounts of each separate revelation from Our LORD and what He tasked her with at the time. She includes the date of the revelation; brief explanatory information on significant events since the last revelation; where, when and how Our LORD revealed Himself to her, what He said and/or tasked her with. In the beginning, He was preparing her for her mission by testing her obedience to her superiors, strengthening her through addition prayer practices and assignments which she found more repugnant to her spiritual sensibilities. As time went by, He began revealing her mission to her which was to remedy the insults to God’s Holy Name and the Abuse of Sunday, by the new devotion He gave her to His Holy Face.
Jesus explained to Sr. Mary that when a man—or woman, but Jesus said a ‘man’ so I will stick to his words—is insulted, called names, his whole countenance—his face—changes in appearance. No matter how he tries to hide it, if it happens enough, his face will begin to take on the look of defeat, pain, sorrow and remorse for the hatred shown to him by the insults to his good name. Likewise, the remedy for insults (called blasphemies) to God’s Name, are honor shown to His Holy Face. To that end, Jesus gave Sister a number of prayers, but especially recommended ‘The Golden Arrow’:
May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable,The last revelation which Sister Mary relates is from April 1847. The rest of her story is taken from the Appendix written by Fr. Eric Scallan who tells us that she spoke valiantly to the bishop’s secretary to get canonical approval for Work of Reparation to the Holy Face and was turned down flat, although previously the bishop had been very encouraging, even saying he was quite sure she had not been deceived as to the authenticity of the revelations. Sister Mary accepted the decision peacefully yet never lost hope that they would one day be approved and promulgated. As she had always been obedient in spirit, so she was now. Not long afterwards, though she had been in excellent health, she was taken sick and died not four months later. She died in the odor of sanctity in the 33rd year of her life on July 8th 1948.
most incomprehensible and ineffable Name of God be forever praised, blessed, loved, adored
and glorified in Heaven, on earth,
and under the earth,
by all the creatures of God,
and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Amen.
After her death, Reparation through the Devotion to the Holy Face was chiefly kept up through the fervor of a wealthy retired lawyer of Tours, a devoted friend of the Carmelite nun, Leo Dupont.
There are two other books* written by Dorothy Scallan, the sister of Fr. Scallan, the priest mentioned above, plus another book written by a woman in our local area, Veronica's Veil: Companion Prayer Book. There is much more to learn on this subject! However, I am sure Sister Mary would advocate for prayer and reparation over learning, or at least after it, and this book contains a number of other prayers in addition to The Golden Arrow above.
Sr. Mary tells us that Jesus, ‘warned her that she should not be disappointed if she did not feel any particular gratifying emotions while reciting the Prayers of Reparation. The demon would give me an aversion for this devotion, but not to worry about it, that the excellence of this devotion surpasses other devotions. It is pleasing to God, the Angels and Saints and beneficial to the Church. “Oh, if you only knew what great merit you acquire by saying even once, ‘Admirable in the Name of God,’ in the spirit of reparation for blasphemy!”’
EXCELLENT book!
January 25, 2020: Have had this for several months now but not had the chance to begin. The first few chapters were a bit difficult to get into. Pious nineteenth century nuns have a way of writing which takes a bit of getting used to. You have to peal away several layers of 21st century cynicism from your own eyes, much of which you do not even realize is there. The best analogy I can think of is when you get a cataract removed. You don't even know how dark your view until after the surgery.
That is why it is so good for me to read works like this. It helps me see that the way our Age views the world is not the way people from other ages have seen things. Granted, Sr. Mary of St. Peter was considered eccentric even by the standards of her own time, as can be seen by the way her superiors handle her conversations with Jesus. Their handling of her, however, only gives the book, the revelations, credibility. If I had been them, I should have been skeptical of her as well. And yet, I also admire her childlike simplicity, while I find it a bit hard to relate to. Maybe it would be different if I were to meet her. I wonder....
*Discovered there are two other books associated with these revelations: Holy Man of Tours and The Whole World Will Love Me which give background on Sr. Marie and her influence over the Little Flower.
March 15, 2019
Simply a beautiful book on the Holy Face of Jesus.
February 22, 2018
A great mystical work which recalls one to the importance of observing the first three Commandments. Moderns often think nothing of blasphemy or not keeping holy the Sabbath, but these sins greatly harm our relationship with God. It is not for nothing that the Second Commandment warns: "The Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain." As such, it's a great thing that Pope Leo XIii approved the Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus to make reparations for blasphemies and for people not keeping holy the Sabbath.
Sister Mary of St. Peter writes her autobiography with many revelations she received from Our Lord while she was a Carmelite nun. This short book will help you in remaining fervent in your devotion to God.
Sister Mary of St. Peter writes her autobiography with many revelations she received from Our Lord while she was a Carmelite nun. This short book will help you in remaining fervent in your devotion to God.
August 4, 2010
Must read.
January 9, 2021
Insightful to the Holy Face Devotion, which everyone should take up!
January 1, 2025
I fairly quickly read Part 1, the Autobiography of Sister Mary of St. Peter and of the Holy Family. When I immediately started reading Part 2, Revelations on the Work of Reparation Given By Our Lord... it felt very repetitive. I set it aside for a while then read a few pages a day when I picked it up again.
Reading back through all the pages I dog-eared, I realized how many beautiful gems there are in this book in addition to the Golden Arrow prater such as the little plan of spiritual exercises intended to honor the twelve years of His Holy Childhood, and the Chaplet of Reparation.
"Arise, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those that hate You flee before Your Face."
Reading back through all the pages I dog-eared, I realized how many beautiful gems there are in this book in addition to the Golden Arrow prater such as the little plan of spiritual exercises intended to honor the twelve years of His Holy Childhood, and the Chaplet of Reparation.
"Arise, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered, and let those that hate You flee before Your Face."
Read
August 4, 2023Interesting book about the life of Sister Mary of St. Peter. Surprisingly the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus doesn't come until later in her life, and isn't really mentioned until the last quarter of the book.
I found it really interesting that her spiritual director had her wait several years before entering the convent since she wasn't spiritually ready yet, even though she seemed to be very holy and was living a holy life.
I found it really interesting that her spiritual director had her wait several years before entering the convent since she wasn't spiritually ready yet, even though she seemed to be very holy and was living a holy life.
November 25, 2021
Incredibly beautiful devotion that is so very needed in this day and age. I wish it was more well known and observed. Like this holy sister who received it from Jesus Himself and did all she could to spread its efficacy and power, we who know about it, must strive to do the same.
October 26, 2023
Very different from St. Faustina's revelation in that this private revelation is very specific in God's ask. It's a quick 6-hour read, so enjoy if you'd like another resource for diving into Jesus' personality as related via the dialogues with Sr. Mary of St. Peter.
August 13, 2025
Even as a rather conservative Catholic, I had difficulty believing parts of the autobiographical portion of the book. The fact that she is not being considered for canonization at this time is rather telling. I would like to follow this up with finding out about Leo Dupont who also had a devotion to The Holy Face and whose cause for canonization is being considered. The prayers that are included are lovely.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews