PENUEL - Our Lord’s Face

On October 23rd ult. was opened, in a hall adjoining the Sanctuary of  the Holy Face, a permanent  exibition entitled:

“PENUEL, 
Our Lord’s Face.
The Holy Shroud of 
Turin and the Veil 
of Manoppello: 
THE SAME FACE"

There are 27 panels describing the scientific experience of Sister Blandina Paschalis Schlömer, German trappist nun, expert in this field, who through superimposition demonstrates that the Holy Shroud of Turin and the Veil of Manoppello fit together perfectly. The title originates from the fight of Jacob against a mysterious personage. The narration of Genesis (32:30) finishes: “Jacob called the name of the place PENUEL, saying: For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved". 
The explanation accompanying the panels, besides to present a scientific course, wants to delineate also a spiritual route Sister Blandina suggests to the visitor.  
The first 9 panels present the images she used to arrive to the superimposition, but she also points out that in the various attempts done to obtain a living image from the face the Holy Shroud presents in death, shows up a very human handsomeness, as a “star”; but as Jesus Christ is “the fairest of the sons of men (Psalm 45:2)”, his handsomeness is quite different from what we superficially imagine and the image showing this beauty is, in Sister Blandina’s opinion, the Face imprinted in the Veil of Manoppello. From panel X to XIII are presented the various details she used, with a minute work of comparison, to reach the perfect overlap.

Panels XIV – XXII  represent several shots of the superimposed image full size to observe that the more is shown the Shroud, the more the Face appears painful in the Passion and Death; on the contrary, the more is shown the Holy Face, the more appears evidently the Face of Living Christ. The last panels are overlaps of enlarged photographs and negative films showing the Image of Christ, syntheses of the two Relics . This is Sister Blandina’s conclusive meditation: the Face of 

Christ Crucified and the Face of Christ Risen are the same thing! The images of Turin and Manoppello are the same thing! Jesus of Nazareth appears in the Holy Shroud tortured and crucified, while in the Veil of Manoppello is He who won death and his look is questioning but also loving. 
In the light of this Face every single word of Gospel obtains a new meaning. If we will stop a little observing silence inwardly and outwardly, we too, maybe, as Jacob, will name this place “PENUEL” our Lord's Face and, as heart sees farther than the head, we can trust: 

IT IS THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST!