During the Triduum, we might pause for a moment to consider a figure we know only from the Stations of the Cross, who may well be no more than a legend, but who nevertheless has a special message to convey to us, yes, a message for today as well.
While Simon of Cyrene had to be compelled to help Jesus carry His cross, Veronica leaves the crowd spontaneously and of her own free will to offer Him some comfort. In doing so, she has become an icon of pure love, marked precisely by what is gratuitous, unconditional and spontaneous, and by a total lack of desire for reciprocity. Such love becomes a rare and precious pearl in a time when everything we do is expected to be compensated. We have even reached a point where extras are expected and demanded for tasks that have not been performed. Today, people speak of holiday pay, a thirteenth month’s salary and an extra tip at Christmas. Recently, there was discussion in the media about whether one should give cleaning help an extra tip at the end of the year. I do not presume to question these legal entitlements, but there is a certain lack of logic here. It makes sense that people should be properly compensated for the work they do. But when the “extra” reward they receive becomes a demand, it casts a shadow over the gratuitous and spontaneous character that such an “extra” reward is supposed to embody. When everything must be laid down in laws and follow strict procedures, we are increasingly deprived of the space to do anything spontaneously and on a voluntary basis. In many places, even voluntary work becomes subject to all sorts of conditions. Sometimes it can be difficult to do anything on a purely voluntary basis. It would be difficult for a Veronica today to reach Jesus without first meeting a series of legal requirements.
