Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

      O Most Loving Jesus, I offer Thee the acts of adoration, of praise, of union and of supplication which Thy Holy Mother offered Thee in this Station.

      A holy woman makes her way through the crowd and wipes the sacred Face of our Redeemer. O love of Jesus, generous beyond all measure! He does not wait till the day of final recompense, but even in the midst of His sufferings and humiliations, He rewards the valor of this pious woman.

      What a consolation for Mary to witness this act of charity rendered to Her Divine Son! Do you wish to give Her the same joy? You will do so, if you guard jealously the purity of your soul in which Jesus dwells by His grace. If you should unfortunately commit sin, lose no time in wiping away that stain from your soul by a humble and sincere act of contrition, while you wait for the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Confession. But what grief you will cause your Blessed Mother if, through lukewarmness and affection for sin, you allow your soul to remain more sullied than was the Face of Jesus during His Passion.

      O my Sovereign, let Thy mercy triumph over my rebellious and craven nature! Let Thy tender Hand wipe away from my soul not only the stains of sin, but its effects and consequences also, which would paralyze the effects of Thy reign in my heart. Restore to the soul of Thy children the image of Jesus in all its beauty. Obtain for us great purity of heart, body and mind, that we may be made worthy to contemplate the Face of God forever in Heaven.

      Holy Mother, pierce me through,In my heart each wound renew, Of my Saviour Crucified!