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 The
celebrated picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa, according to tradition,
is the work of St. Luke the Evangelist painted on a table top of cypress
wood - the very table used by the Holy Family at Nazareth. This tradition
seems to be borne out by the fact that the very thing missing from
the holy House of Loretto is the table. Because of the veneration
that the early Christians accorded it, the picture was secreted out
of Jerusalem at the time of its destruction in the year 70 and preserved
throughout the early Roman persecutions. In the IV century St. Helena,
the mother of Constantine the Great, in searching for the True Cross,
came across this picture and had it brought to Constantinople along
with the other relics. There it remained for five centuries, held
in esteem and noted for miracles.
In the IX century
Emperor Nicephorus I of Constantinople in gratitude for assistance
presented to Charlemagne, who in turn gave it to Prince Leo of Ruthenia.
The Prince placed it in his castle at Belz near the city of Lwow
where it remained enshrined for over 500 years.
In the mid
XIII century, the nations of Europe followed with fear the encroachment
of the Tartars from the East. Ladislaus from Opole was named the
Prince of Belz in the year 1349. He had barely established himself
in the town of Belz when a Tartar invasion threatened the town.
In fact, during a Tartar foray, an arrow shattered the Chapel window
and imbedded itself in the features of Our Lady. To prevent further
damage to the miraculous picture Prince Ladislaus decided to transfer
it to the town of Opole in Upper Salesia. Our Lady, however, had
other plans. Prince Ladislaus got no further than the city of Czestochowa
for it was there that Our Lady gave him a sign that it was Her wish
to have the picture erected in Jasna Gora. He brought in from Hungary
the Pauline Fathers as guardians of the shrine. Then, on August
9, 1382, he had the picture enshrined in Czestochowa in the Church
of the Assumption of the B.V.M.
In the year
1430 a group of Hussites invaded the monastery, and after slaying
five Pauline Fathers, plundered the monastery of its treasures and
even attempted to steal the picture. Tradition tells us their attempt
failed with the horses would not budge the wagon containing the
picture. With a curse the raiders hurled the picture to the ground
with such force that it broke into three pieces leaving intact only
the face of the Madonna and Child. One of them struck the face of
the Madonna twice with his sabre, but when he attempted a third
time, he fell dead. The other lawless raiders then fled in terror.
These two cuts can be seen on the right cheek.
When the court
artists failed to recognize the painting technique, Grecian artists
had to be summoned by Jagiello and Queen Jadwiga to restore the
picture. With great solemnity it was returned to Czestochowa for
public veneration, which continues to be accorded it even to our
days.
Noteworthy
is the fact that of all the Marian Shrines in the world, Czestochowa
alone has captured and holds captive the hearts and dedication of
an entire nation. It was through the intervention of Our Lady of
Czestochowa that on December 26th, 1655 a miraculous victory was
won by a handful of Poles over the formidable Swedish army at the
very walls of the besieged Monastery. After the enemy was completely
routed, the King returned to pay homage to Mary. On April 1, 1656
King John Casimir proclaimed her Queen of Poland and uttered his
celebrated vows of Jasna Gora. The senators, the Army, the entire
nation with one accord repeated the vows. In the intervening years
the nation came frequently to the Shrine to rededicate itself. On
September 3rd, 1717 the Apostolic Delegate led the nation in the
coronation of Our Lady of Czestochowa.
Feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa is celebrated
on August 26th.
Our
Lady Of Czestochowa's Monastery
- Jasna Góra
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