Veronica said in mind
This fabric I weave is for my Lord-
Who mended the torn fabric of my life;
For the last fourteen years, worst was my sufferings
Much tears I shed and it soaked my apron always;
Afraid to look back that darkened past, where
I wept in silence, my sighs were only my companions;
I wished the nights would not have ended
And the day would not have broken out
Never I wanted to see anyone, and
Never had I wanted to live any more.
But death did not come as I wished
So I continued my life in complete misery.
Medicines I took much, treatments I had many
But all were in vain, my ailment continued the same.
I heard a prophet from Nazareth called Jesus
Is healing patients either by a touch or at a glance
Or by a word of command, all sound unbelievable!
Without a second thought I made my way to Nazareth
The sun was burning high, I was very weak,
Yet it did not turn me back, my lagging legs moved forward.
Huge was the mammoth, I saw an ocean of men,
In the midst I saw him, like a sun amidst dark clouds
I saw his merciful eyes, calm smiling face; at one glance
I made up my mind, he is a prophet, true son of God!
Very merciful and kind, I can tell my sorrows without fear
If I could reach him and go him near, who will help me?
I felt alas! Feeble was my body, strength was no more
The crowd was heavy, I stood away a while helplessly;
"God, helper of hopeless and the weak come for my rescue"
My mind prayed so in silence, for I was so tired,
Tears rolled down through my cheeks,
I wept a while, then a serene tranquility and stillness I felt-
I felt as if a cold breeze wrapping round my worn-out frame.
All fatigue vanished, I regained a juvenile vigor,
Heard someone say from inner self “God cannot act until
A sinner forsake his sins and the ways of sin he pursues;
If you have any grudge against anyone in your mind,
Forget it now and forgive him forever, for God forgives everyone.
To err is human, to forgive is divine, and you forgive
Your enemy unconditionally, and pray for his repentance
For heaven rejoices when a sinner repents, and
God does not want any one perish in his sins.
Everyone must leave his sins and must come back to God
That only God wishes to see, nothing other than this.
My blessings won`t work on you while your enmity
Stay fresh in your mind and while devil dwells in you
Hence, first go and compromise with the differed one
And then come to me seeking any help you want on earth.
Cure from diseases, money for sustenance,
Home for living, job, life mate, anything you ask;
It will be given; for I am the Lord and you are my child,
Give up all hatred from your mind and love one another,
For we are a family, I am your father, men are my children
How I will bear, when you fight each other; every father
Wishes his children live in unison and in great harmony-
I too wish the same, to win the world,
Be good to all and love one another,
This is the only covenant you are to keep in mind
The only covenant that brings you, all happiness on earth.
Cleanse your heart by giving up hatred and enmity
And make a clean platform for God to work;
Envy, enmity, hatred, grudge, jealousy and vengeance
Are the road blockers of divine grace?
Expel them from your life;
Then heaven will descend on you
And experience the sweetness
That God has kept alone for you.
No disease, no poverty, no problem will harass you,
Safe in the hands of God, you are forever!
Who loves me more, will obey my words and will become
Heirs of heavenly father and will inherit the treasures
That is heaped for you in heavenly cellars.
"Forgive, forget, compromise and pray for enemies"
All sound well and easy to preach-
If you were not ever offended, wounded and assaulted;
If ever you were once being a victim of
Any offence, assault, or harassment,
Would feel how impossible, and
IMPOSSIBLE this advice to obey.
My rebellious mind murmured in great protest.
-There was enough reason for her to keep
Vengeance ignited in her mind-
"Veronica, what you said is true,
It is impossible for everyone who is born of flesh
But is possible for every man who listens Jesus
And who wishes to follow him and accept
Him as his savior, master, leader and lord.
Hence you pray for His grace, he will give you strength-
To forgive all trespasses against you.
Fold your arms, close your eyes
See Jesus in your mind and tell him
"Jesus, I accept you as my savior
I wish to lead a life entirely pleasing for you
Help me Jesus, lead me Jesus on your way
I want to be with you always!
Give me grace to forgive and forget
Everyone who has done wrong against me"
My mind was not under my control
Ferociously I wept, no shame I felt'.
Abruptly I felt my past is taken away
And a new life is opened before me
In great ecstasy I stammered
"Father, I forgive, I forgive, I forgive
All trespasses against me, in thy name;
I only need your love, I only need your love
I don`t want to take revenge any more,
Fill me with your divine love
And take me as your child.
I lifted my sunken face to look at Jesus
Then I found him near passing by
Along with the flowing mob.
I stretched out my hand in an ecstasy
To touch him, the mob was flooding forward
Hardly my finger could touch his robe;
Yet he stopped there and asked the crowd
Who touched me now? Power went out from me,
In trembling voice I confessed
It was I, my lord, who touched your rob
I apologize you for my iniquity.
Jesus turned to me and smiled
Blessed me and said, “Peace be with you,
Your faith shall save you"
Sooner I felt relief all over my body
And found I am relieved of all my ailments
Which pestered me for years.
My Lord went with the mob,
I came back home in great peace and ease
My mind was full of happiness
And laughter was always coming out
Of my control, to that extend
To feel others I have gone mad.
My mind was so happy and was lifted to
A state of unending happiness;
I felt all tears disappeared from my life.
When I look back my miraculous cure
I realize a fundamental truth
As long as our mind is impure
We will not receive Gods` grace.
When my mind was full of vengeance and hatred
Jesus stood far away from me
But when I pardoned my foe I saw Jesus
Very near at my hand`s reach.
As a token of my love and thanks giving
I wanted to give something special to my Lord
Something very special, I affirmed in my mind;
After much thought I decided to make a veil
For it can be used to protect Jesus’ head
From the burning sun through which he always walk.
Sure he will like it and will remember me
Whenever he see it and wears it.
Veronica put all her mind and time
To make the veil more beautiful
Losing her meals she sat late at night
To finish the work at the earliest.
Today she woke up very early
To finish the last touching on it
She was sure, like every Jew
Her Lord will come to Jerusalem
On the Passover day to pray
In the twilight Veronica saw
People running helter-skelter,
From their whispering
She could make out something
Worst has already happened.
Every one feared that one day
Jesus will be assassinated
By the priests and the lawyers
For they had spite against Jesus
And His teachings they abhorred,
Veronica joined the crowd
With the veil in her hand
Quite a distance away she came across
Jesus, carrying a heavy cross on his shoulder
And wearing a crown of thorns on his head
Blood was flowing down through his forehead
And face, making a dreadful look.
Veronica drew out the veil she brought
And wiped Jesus' face as if a mother
Wipes her child with great affection.
The brokenhearted Veronica kept the veil with her
And when she opened it with great remorse
Mysteriously she found outlines of Jesus' face on it.
Jesus still imprints his holy face on those hearts
Who has forsaken their sins and forgiven others.
Let us be his best friends by pursuing a life
Totally void of selfish motives, and selfish interests;
A life full of service to our fellowmen.
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Once the writer of this verse had a similar experience in his life. One evening his mind was very perturbed, for solace he Prayed to Jesus. Thinking of Jesus he was scribbling on the ground carelessly. At the end when he came to senses he found his careless scribbling’s have gained the form of Christ lying on the cross. Beyond our expectation, Jesus stands nearer to us.
© 2014 Sebastian Thottunkal.
