Sixth Station

The Sixth Station — 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.

Reading: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” —Matt 25:40

Reflection: Envision the scene. The crowds mock Jesus and the soldiers laugh as they continuously whip his blood-stained body. With courage fueled by the desire to bring hope to a moment of darkness, Veronica pushes her way through the crowd. Unsure of what might happen to her, she gently touches Jesus’ face. What remains from her compassionate act is the imprint of Jesus’ face — the face of love.

The weight of injustice may see unredeemable. Sometimes problems are so vast that we don’t know where to begin. Sometimes we turn away from doing what we can because we believe it won’t make a difference. No matter how small the action, we are called to do what we can to make this world a better place. In doing so, we reflect God’s love.

Jesus, help us realize that with every kind deed and gesture of authentic love, we participate in your love for our world. For the times we have failed to reach out with compassion, forgive us.