Station six: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
 
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome.
Matthew 25:35
 
Tradition has it that St. Veronica reached out to wipe Jesus’s face with a cloth, offering some compassion and respite from the agony of His journey to Calvary and his crucifixion. In response to this act of loving kindness in the midst of the anger of the crowd, Jesus leaves His image upon Veronica’s cloth.
 
What do I see when I look at the face of a vulnerable refugee or asylum seeker? Do I see a threat, an inconvenience? Or do I see the face of Christ my saviour? Veronica’s small but courageous act is an example for us in how we can serve Christ in others. The power of even the smallest acts of kindness and welcome cannot be underestimated. They are often what reminds the most vulnerable that they are loved.
 
We pray for the grace to see your face Lord in the faces of all those we encounter. May we live lives of loving service for others, taking courage to act like Veronica did in the face of injustice.
 
I love you, Jesus, my love above all things,
And I repent with my whole heart of having offended you.
Never permit me to separate myself from you again,
Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will.