On the brght mountain

Today we bid farewell to Warsaw, and set our sights on perhaps the best known pilgrimage site in all of Poland. It is said that at Czestochowa, the heart of Poland beats, for there is found the Icon which is fondly referred to as the Black Madonna.

The ears of foreigners have heard tell of the great love that Poles have for Our Lady, and no son or daughter of this land would hesitate to tell of their attachment to the Madonna of Czestochowa, but you have to see this devotion to truly understand it. Pope John Paul II visited this shrine at least six times in his tenure as Pontiff, to say nothing of the number of times he may have set foot on this mount as a child, or during the earlier years of his priesthood, but he certainly wasn't alone.

Even today, from early morning until dusk, thousands upon thousands of pilgrims come to pray within the walls of the sanctuary. The Pauline priests who have been entrusted with the spiritual care of this site continue to welcome all who knock at their doors for this is a place of pilgrimage, of prayer, of conversion and of grace.

So it was that today we found ourselves surrounded by myriads of young children, each of whom had recently celebrated First Communion in their various local parishes, and who had now come to visit the Madonna. There were also a group of newly-ordained priests celebrating Mass at the altar under the Holy Icon. These Masses are apparently celebrated in groups and at designated times during the day. In addition, there happened to be an ordination ceremony taking place in the Basilica as well today, for 11 new deacons who will one day also be ordained priests. What a wonderful witness of hope for the young people to experience these priests at prayer. What a wonderful witness to the world of the power of faith and prayer to help the human soul overcome even the darkest of doubts.

Our little group celebrated Mass in the Chapel of Our Lady, away from the throngs, before sharing a meal together in one of the many cafeteria, and then being treated to a personalized tour of the shrine thanks to the courtesy of the Pauline Fathers.

One cannot but leave this place with renewed hope, with a renewed sense that we are not alone, and with the knowledge that it is the Mother of God who leads us always to the heart of that which is most essential in our faith: the Eucharist, Jesus Christ.