Station 6 – Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

"You have said, 'Seek my face.' My heart says to you, 'Your face, Lord, do I seek.' Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Cast me not off, forsake me not, O God of my salvation." -Psalm 27:8-9

Veronica, or Bernice in the Greek tradition, performs an act of kindness on a day when so many have turned against or humiliated Jesus. She reaches out and offers to wipe his face. It won’t heal the whipped skin or lift the burden of the cross, but it offers a slight relief and a glimmer of dignity. She did not let the hate and chaos around her stop her from an act of charity. How often do I truly step out of my way or out of the crowd to perform an act of charity?

Under the sweat and blood, Veronica could see the face of God. Am I truly seeking the face of God, or am I hiding away in the crowd? Is fear and shame preventing me from searching for him, from looking up, from wiping away the sweat and blood of my hurting neighbors?