03rd May - OUR MOTHER OF JASNA GORA

 The Black Madonna is a painting of the Madonna and Christ Child which legend states was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist. St. Luke is believed to have used a tabletop 

    from a table built by the carpenter Jesus. It was while Luke was painting Mary that she told him about the events in the life of Jesus that he eventually used in his Gospel. 

    This same legend states that that when St. Helen went to Jerusalem to search for the true cross in 326 AD, she happened upon this portrait of Our Mother. 

    She gave it to her son, Constantine, who had a shrine built to house it. In a critical battle with the Saracens, the portrait was displayed from the walls of Constantinople 

    and the Saracens were subsequently routed. The portrait was credited with saving the city. The painting was eventually owned by Charlemagne who subsequently presented the 

    painting to Prince Leo of Ruthenia (northwest Hungary). In 1382, invading Tartars attacked the Prince's fortress at Belz. In this attack, one of the Tartar arrows hit the 

    painting and lodged in the throat of the Madonna. The Prince fled in the night finally stopping in the town of Czestochowa, 

    where the painting was installed in a small Church. The Prince subsequently had a Pauline monastery and Church built to ensure the painting's safety. 

    In 1430, the Hussites overran the monastery and attempted to take the portrait. One of the looters twice struck the painting with his sword but before he could strike another 

    blow he fell to the floor writhing in agony and died. Both the sword cuts and the arrow wound are still visible in the painting. 

    Later, in 1655, Poland was almost entirely overrun by the forces of Sweden's King. Only the area around the monastery remained unconquered. 

    Somehow, the monks of the monastery successfully defended the portrait against a forty-day siege and eventually all of Poland was able to drive out the invaders. 

    After this remarkable turn of events, the Lady of Czestochowa became the symbol of Polish national unity and was crowned Queen of Poland. in 1920. 

    Legend holds that the Russian army was massing on the banks of the Vistula river, threatening Warsaw, when an image of the Virgin was seen in the clouds over the city. 

    The troops withdrew on seeing the image. There have been reports for centuries of miraculous events such as spontaneous healings occurring to those who made a pilgrimage 

    to the portrait. It gets its name "Black Madonna" from the soot residue that discolors the painting. The soot is the result of centuries of votive lights and candles burning 

    in front of the painting. With the fall of communism in Poland, pilgrimages to the Black Madonna have increased dramatically.




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