The Stuff Of Legend - Veronica

As Jesus was paraded through Jerusalem on the way to his crucifixion, Luke says that a crowd of people followed him. In that crowd, legend says, was a woman named Veronica.

As the story goes, Veronica took pity on Jesus and wiped his dirty, bloody, sweating face with her veil as he struggled on his way. She kept the veil and discovered that the image of Jesus’ face was imprinted on the cloth.

Don’t look for Veronica’s story in the Bible—you won’t find it. It’s a legend that didn’t surface until hundreds of years after Christ’s death. There’s no evidence that the veil with the image of Christ on it has ever been found or that Veronica ever existed. Some ancient writers connected Veronica with another woman who met Jesus in a crowd—the woman with the issue of blood—but this has no biblical or historical backing.

Yet the story of Veronica has been told for centuries. This gutsy woman who pushed her way through the Roman soldiers to give Jesus a little comfort is memorialized in the stations of the cross that Christians reflect on during Passion Week, and many people look to her story for strength.

If her story actually happened, she was an incredibly brave woman. To be seen as Jesus’ supporter at that moment was dangerous—so dangerous, in fact, that one of Jesus’ closest friends, Peter, denied even knowing Christ, because he feared for his own life. Maybe the legend of Veronica is made more powerful because of the real story of Peter. She didn’t fear for her life, but she showed love and compassion toward Jesus. Her loyalty in the face of danger is something for Christians to admire. Saint Veronica and her veil may be a legend, but we can still be inspired by it. It can be scary to speak up and say you know Christ. You don’t know how people will react when you declare your faith in a classroom, the workplace, or even a social situation. But when you’re hesitant to associate yourself with Christ, think of Veronica, and push through your fears to identify with the Savior who died for you.

Pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan.

Ephesians 6:19