The Czestochow icon of the Mother of God is a miraculous icon of the Virgin. According to the surviving legend, it was written by the Evangelist Luke. It is noteworthy that a similar legend exists about several icons, including Vladimirskaya. It is considered the main shrine of Poland, one of the most revered shrines of Eastern and Central Europe. Due to the fact that the image has a dark face, it is also known as the "Black Madonna". Currently located in the Catholic monastery Yasnaya Gora in the Polish city of Czestochowa. This is one of the largest religious centers in the country where Paulines are based - a monastic order founded in the 13th century. In this article we will talk about the meaning of this icon, what they pray to it.
Veneration
Interestingly, the Czestochow icon of the Mother of God is revered by both Orthodox and Catholics. Moreover, in Poland it is considered the main shrine of the country. The Orthodox celebrate her holiday on March 6, and the Catholics on August 26.
In Poland, it is customary to hold large celebrations in honor of the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God. On the day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on August 15, large-scale pilgrimages are held, in which believers from many Catholic countries take part.
Polish peasants always give the pilgrims who go to the Czestochowa icon a shelter. This tradition has been around for centuries.
Appearance story
There is a legend according to which the icon was written by the Apostle Luke. According to legend, St. Helena of the Equal-to-the-Apostles, who was the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, visited Jerusalem to worship the holy places. It was there that she received this icon as a gift, she brought it to Constantinople.
Modern art historians believe that the Czestochow icon was created in the IX-XI centuries, and already in Byzantium.
The history of the icon can be reliably confirmed since the end of the 13th century. It was at this time that the Galician-Volyn prince Lev Danilovich brought her to the city of Belz, which is located in the territory of modern Lviv region, in Ukraine. It was here that the icon became famous for numerous miracles.
In Czestochowa
After the West Russian lands were conquered by Poland, among which was the Principality of Galicia-Volyn, the icon was transferred to Yasnaya Gora, located in the Czestochowa region. It was brought by the Silesian prince Vladislav Opoลczyk in 1382.
The icon was placed in the newly created Pauline Monastery. Since then, it bears its current name.
The monastery in the same year was founded by the monks of the Order of Pauline, invited by Vladislav from Hungary. The monastery became known as the place of storage of this relic; from the 15th century, mass pilgrimages begin to it.
It is known that in 1430 the monastery was attacked by a gang of Hussites from Moravia, Bohemia and Silesia. The monastery was looted, and the icon was divided into three parts. Bandits inflicted several blows on her face with sabers. There is a version that it is from them that scars remained on the icon.
The rescue
They managed to save the Czestochowa icon of the Virgin from complete destruction. At the court of the Polish king Vladislav Jagiello in Krakow, restoration was carried out.
At that time, the techniques were still imperfect. Therefore, although it was possible to unite the icon together, the scars from saber attacks after some time again appeared through the fresh paint on the face of the Virgin. She was returned to the monastery.
In 1466, the monastery was again under siege. This time the Czech army tried to capture her, but to no avail.
Siege by the Swedes
In the XV century, a new cathedral was built at the monastery, and in the XVII century, to protect the monastery from attacks that did not stop all this time, a powerful wall was built that turned the Clear Mountain into a real fortress.
Formed fortifications were very welcome. Soon they underwent serious tests. This happened during the so-called Swedish Flood - the invasion of the Swedes into the territory of the Commonwealth, which occurred in 1655-1660.
The offensive developed so rapidly and successfully for the attacking side that Warsaw, Poznan and Krakow were captured for several months. Polish aristocrats massively sided with the enemy, which significantly weakened the position of the king and his entourage. Soon, Jan Casimir completely fled the country.
Already in November 1655, the Swedish army, led by General Miller, was at the walls of Clear Mountain. The superiority of the Swedes in manpower was multiple at that time. The number of the Scandinavian army was about three thousand people. At that time, only 170 soldiers, 70 monks and 20 noblemen remained in the monastery itself. Despite this, the abbot of the monastery Augustine Kordetsky decided to keep the defense and fight to the last.
The heroic defense of the monastery became one of the glorious pages of Polish history, becoming a worthy example for the rest of the country. It is possible that it was then that Polish statehood was saved. They managed to reverse the course of the military confrontation, which ultimately led to the expulsion of the Swedes from Poland. This was regarded by many as a miracle created by the Virgin.
King Jan Casimir, after returning to his country, made "Lviv vows", choosing the Virgin Mary in a solemn atmosphere as the patroness of the whole kingdom.
Shrine Description
One of the oldest descriptions of the shrine, preserved to our time, refers to the end of the XVII century. He was left by the Moscow traveler Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy.
In the description of the monastery, he pays special attention to the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos, claiming that the icon was painted by the Evangelist Luke. At the same time, Tolstoy compares her with the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which is located in Moscow.
The traveler describes that the Czestochow icon is set in a church high above the altar. Icon quail made of walnut. Under the icon are two golden clubs with precious stones. In front of the image itself, on both sides there are six candlesticks and several icon lamps in which oil is constantly burning. The icon is opened during services, when people come to pray to her.
Napoleonic Wars
In 1813, the monastery was captured by Russian troops during the Napoleonic Wars. After the defeat in the Patriotic War of 1812, the French army rapidly retreated, surrendering the previously captured positions.
The abbot of the monastery, grateful to the Russian army for the liberation, presented the military leaders with a list of icons. It was brought to Russia, for a long time it was stored in the Kazan Cathedral of St. Petersburg.
When the communists came to power, the cathedral was closed. Since 1932, the list has been moved to the State Museum of the History of Religion.
The symbol of the fall of the iron curtain
The icon was in the spotlight in 1991. It was then that the celebrations dedicated to World Youth Day took place in Polish Czestochowa.
Pope John Paul II took part in them. On this occasion, a mass pilgrimage was organized for the icon. In total, about one million people took part in it. Among them were many young people from the Soviet Union.
This event became a vivid and symbolic evidence of the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Iconography
The icon belongs to the type of Hodegetria. This is one of the most common types of images of the Mother of God with baby Jesus in iconography.
The baby sits in the arms of the Virgin. In the left he holds a book, and in the right he blesses.
The icon itself is made on a wooden panel.
Akathist
The Akathist of the Czestochowa Icon of the Mother of God is read on all important religious holidays. Including the day of the Assumption of the Virgin.
This is a solemn hymn or song of praise. It is believed that the Akathist of the Czestochowa icon helps in resolving cases, and it is also read for consolation.
It is customary to read it, being face in front of the icon. It consists of ikos and kondak. Kondakas are small songs that briefly describe the actions and stories associated with the Virgin. Ikos are praise and solemn songs that reveal in more detail the event described in the previous kondak.
Prayers
This icon is also known as the "Invincible Victory". It is considered one of the main shrines in the entire Christian world. Prayers have been addressed to the Czestochowa icon for many centuries. It is believed that it helped a large number of people escape from severe forms of disease. They say that some even left crutches next to her, as they were no longer needed.
It is worth noting that the separation of prayer requests to different icons of the Mother of God is nothing more than a convention. In fact, a believer can get help by turning to any icon. At the same time, there are several reasons for which the Czestochowan icon of the Mother of God is most often prayed for. They turn to her with requests:
- about salvation;
- about peace between parties that are at war with each other;
- healing from incurable and serious diseases;
- about mercy;
- about a safe trip;
- about wisdom.
This is what the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa is praying for. It is believed that the miraculous image can help from many misfortunes. The most important thing is that the appeal really be sincere.
There is a special prayer of the Czestochowic icon of the Mother of God, which must be read in the temple before her image:
O All-merciful Lady, the Queen of the Virgin, chosen from all sorts and gratified by all the sorts of heaven and earth! Look mercifully at the people who are coming before Your holy icon, fervently praying to You, and making Thy intercession and intercession at Your Son and our God, and let no one leave his place of hope and be ashamed of his hope; but let him accept everything from you by the good will of his heart, according to his need and need, for the salvation of the soul and for the health of the body.
Moth, Merciful Lady, Godโs neglected one, and keep the church holy, with his blessing, he will strengthen our Orthodox bishops, he will protect the whole and sound, honest, long-lived and holy church with the blessing of his church, and he will give the right to rule the word of truth from all visible and invisible Christians will mercifully spare the enemies with all Orthodox Christians, and in Orthodoxy and a firmer faith, until the end of centuries, will relentlessly and invariably save.
Recognize with mercy, All-Merciful, and with the charity of Your mercy, intercession to our entire Russian kingdom, our reigning city, this city and this holy temple, and pour out Your rich mercy on you, You are the omnipotent Helper and Intercessor of us all. Bowing to the prayers of all Your servants, flowing here to the holy icon of Yours, hear the sighing and voices, with them Your servants pray in the holy temple of this.
Over the many centuries of its existence, the icon counts many perfect miracles. Moreover, they continue to occur so far. Each miracle is recorded in a special registry, which is stored in the monastery.
For example, it contains information about a married couple who for many years had been unsuccessfully treated for infertility until the doctors reached a final verdict: they could never conceive a child on their own. Friends advised them to go to this icon, seeing how the husband and wife suffer.
To the great surprise of the doctors, after returning from the monastery, the woman came for another examination, having already had several weeks of pregnancy. In early 2012, a couple was born to a girl.
There is a story about an American, whom doctors in 2010 predicted a quick death. According to them, she had no more than two weeks to live. Due to a serious illness, they stopped eating, even taking water. A miraculous cure took place in front of the icon of the Virgin. A year later, the woman came to the monastery again, already completely healthy and pregnant.
It is believed that all these and many other miracles in the monastery are performed by this particular icon. Therefore, the stream of pilgrims who come every year to worship her never runs dry. The Virgin helps those who truly believe in her.