m she had adopted, by the hand; a large veil was likewise
hanging on her arm, and the little girl endeavoured to hide the jar of
wine when the procession approached. Those who were marching at the
head of the procession tried to push her back; but she made her way
through the mob, the soldiers, and the archers, reached Jesus, fell on
her knees before him, and presented the veil, saying at the same time,
'Permit me to wipe the face of my Lord.' Jesus took the veil in his left
hand, wiped his bleeding face, and returned it with thanks. Seraphia
kissed it, and put it under her cloak. The girl then timidly offered
the wine, but the brutal soldiers would not allow Jesus to drink it.
The suddenness of this courageous act of Seraphia had surprised the
guards, and caused a momentary although unintentional halt, of which
she had taken advantage to present the veil to her Divine Master. Both
the Pharisees and the guards were greatly exasperated, not only by the
sudden halt, but much more by the public testimony of veneration which
was thus paid to Jesus, and they revenged themselves by striking and
abusing him, while Seraphia returned in haste to her house.

No sooner did she reach her room than she placed the woollen veil on
a table, and fell almost senseless on her knees. A friend who entered
the room a short time after, found her thus kneeling, with the child
weeping by her side, and saw, to his astonishment, the bloody
countenance of our Lord imprinted upon the veil, a perfect likeness,
although heartrending and painful to look upon. He roused Seraphia, and
pointed to the veil. She again knelt down before it, and exclaimed
through her tears, 'Now I shall indeed leave all with a happy heart, for
my Lord has given me a remembrance of himself.' The texture of this veil
was a species of very fine wool; it was three times the length of its
width, and was generally worn on the shoulders. It was customary to
present these veil to persons who were in affliction, or overfatigued,
or ill, that they might wipe their faces with them, and it was done in
order to express sympathy or compassion. Veronica kept this veil until
her death, and hung it at the head of her bed; it was then given to the
Blessed Virgin, who left it to the Apostles and they afterwards passed
it on to the Church.

Seraphis and John the Baptist were cousins, her father and Zacharias
being brothers. When Joachim and Anna brought the Blessed Virgin, who
was then only fo