Isaiah 53: 2-3
2… He had no majestic bearing to catch our eye, no beauty to draw us to him. 3 He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, knowing pain, Like one from whom you turn your face, spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Meditation
Here is a man who has been trodden down by the cross, beatings, mockery and all. He is sweaty, teary, bloody: clearly not a sight to behold. Then comes a woman who has pity on him and offers to wipe off the blood, tears and sweat. what amazing act of love!
We should reach out to our friends and family that have no form of beauty left in them because of the suffering they have endured and be the veronica in their life: that one stitch that saves nine.This is a lesson that Jesus Christ’s face is the face we should seek and emulate through out this journey.
Reflection
I realize that a wounded, hurting, rejected, abused, mocked…person loses neither value nor worth. They may just be the person representing Jesus’ hidden face beneath the pain and suffering. I wonder, can we recognize Jesus in the ‘not-so-beautiful’ person and not turn my face away?
I learn that when we seek the face of Jesus in truth and love we will be able to find/ see it behind the disguise it may be in, just as Veronica did. We can embrace others in their worst moments by performing simple acts of love. simplicity to me is excellence and goes a long way. In our showing of love to Jesus, he impresses his face on us and whatever circumstance we maybe in. He shows his face in all our situations and all the storms are calmed. If by touching his gown, the bleeding woman woman was healed (Luke 8: 42-48) what about the presence of his face?
Fact
Psalms 27: 8-9
8″come,” says my heart, “seek his face”
your face , Lord, do I seek!
9 Do not hide your face from me;
do not repel your servant in anger.
You are my salvation; do not cast me off;
do not forsake me, God my saviour
Resolve
Lord Jesus, we may fail to see you beneath the pain and suffering, not because you have changed but because we do not seek you with all our hearts. Like Veronica we desire to seek your face in all truth, in every least of our brothers and sisters so that we can share our love in the best way we know how. amen
heart to heart for Jesus 