Our Lady of Czestochowa
Whom should I turn to,
if not the One whose darkness
is darker than night,
the only one who keeps
vigil with no candle,
and is not afraid --
the Deep One, whose
being I trust ... (Rilke)
This Black Madonna of Czestochowa, enshrined in the monastery of Jasna Gora in Poland for over 600 years is the Patroness of Poland and of our community.
On a trip to the monastery of Jasna Gora over ten years ago, we participated in the daily unveiling of her image to the sound of trumpets and drums, announcing the return of her presence in our world.
Pilgrims journey with bare feet walking for days to Jasna Gora and once arriving approach this Black Madonna on their knees, embodied all the way through.
The Black Madonna has to do with the holiness of all matter in the cosmos, as she carries the Christ Child in her sacred flesh.
One day as the story goes, the sword of an invader cut her face as her image protected the people of Poland from an invasion. This fearless Black Madonna stands up to injustice and is the great protectress of our Sacred Earth Community.
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