Brethren, Peace and Good to all of you in Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Yesterday was a very special day: it was exactly a year since I reported for active military duty in Afghanistan, and it was also the day in which I reported back to end my mission. My wife accompanied me to Washington, DC to complete the paperwork and then we spent the day together. We had lunch at a local TexMex/Cuban/Puerto Rican place (Banana Café and Piano Bar. I recommend it) and then spent the day together. Among the places we visited was the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where we attended Mass in thanksgiving for my safe return, and where I had the opportunity to thank the Blessed Mother’s special care for me in the chapel dedicate to her under the title of Our Lady of Częstochowa, patroness of Poland. The picture at right is of yours truly, confirming the visit.
The origins of the icon and the date of its composition are still hotly contested among scholars. The difficulty in dating the icon stems from the fact that the original image was painted over, after being badly damaged by Hussite raiders in 1430. Medieval restorers unfamiliar with the encaustic method found that the paints they applied to the damaged areas "simply sloughed off the image" according to the medieval chronicler Risinius, and their solution was to erase the original image and to repaint it on the original panel, which was believed to be holy because of its legendary origin as a table top from the home of the Holy Family. The painting displays a traditional composition well known in the icons of Eastern Orthodoxy. The Virgin Mary is shown as the "Hodegetria" ("One Who Shows the Way"). In it the Virgin directs attention away from herself, gesturing with her right hand toward Jesus as the source of salvation. In turn, the child extends his right hand toward the viewer in blessing while holding a book of gospels in his left hand. The icon shows the Madonna in fleur de lys robes. (Source: Wikipedia)
The icon played a primary role in the Marian devotion of one of my heroes: Blessed John Paul the Great.
This prayer, composed by the late Archbishop of Krákow, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, is taped to the pre-dieu I’m kneeling upon:
Holy Mother of Częstochowa, Thou art full of grace, goodness and mercy. I consecrate to Thee all my thoughts, words and actions, my soul and body. I beseech Thy blessings and especially prayers for my salvation. Today, I consecrate myself to Thee, Good Mother, totally, with body and soul amid joy and sufferings to obtain for myself and others Thy blessings on this earth and eternal life in Heaven.
Amen.