The Rozprza Mother of Life
Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ
The coronation of the picture of Our Lady in the parish church dedicated to the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rozprza in the Archdiocese of Czestochowa will be held on 14 November 2009. A coronation is an important event in the life of the Church. Basically, there are two kinds of coronation: with bishop’s crowns – the bishop takes the decision, and with papal crowns – the Apostolic See decides about the coronation. In Rozprza the picture will be crowned with the bishop’s crowns. This is a sign of special acknowledgement of the holy Picture and an expression of gratitude for the received graces. The picture to be crowned depicts Our Lady watching over the Child sleeping on her lap. Can we have a more beautiful picture than the Child sleeping on her Mother’s lap, the Child that smiles while sleeping, full of peace and feeling of security? And the Mother leaning over him, tenderly watching over the Child’s sleep, reflecting on his future... This is what the picture looks like. It is the picture before which the women from Rozprza and the vicinity knelt for ages (the picture dates back to 1676), looking at the beloved Holy Figures and asking for God’s graces. They knew that the sleeping Child was God himself who also found himself in the situation of a child filled with confidence. Children need tenderness, love and care. Jesus who shows himself to us in the picture in Rozprza finds all of this in his Mother and that’s why his sleep is quiet and trusting. And the tender and hearty eyes of Mary express wakefulness and at the same time happiness of a mother who delights in her child.
Informing about the coronation of this extremely meaningful picture of the Mother and the Child – a celebration that is basically supra-regional – we would like to focus on every Polish mother, child and family. Since every mother must watch and if needed she should give up her carrier or perhaps more attractive lifestyle and stand by her child. The Mother of God in the Rozprza picture contemplates on her sleeping Son with a holy look. And she is happy. How good would it be if all mothers in our country were mothers who looked at their children in a similar way, full of tenderness, reflecting over their future. It is something unspeakably important when a woman looks at her child, something that must give great happiness...The coronation of the picture of Our Lady of Rozprza carries a deep theology of mission: here God gives himself to man. But this event includes an extremely important role of man – mother, father, family. A child that is born is a great strength that blows up the crust of events, what has existed so far, and it introduces new things. It sets free great dynamics of development that is in every man, in his genes, in his humanity. The picture of the Mother with the Child, called the Rozprza Mother of Life, is for us an impulse to do all things, following Mary who co-creates new reality with Lord God, opening us for new perspectives that come from him. Looking at the picture of Mary and the Child we have no doubts that every child should be loved in such a way; that every child should find a place in its parents’ hearts. No one can close his heart to a child! A child by its nature inspires us to love and care. We should welcome all children, showing our best feelings and enjoying their presence. No matter whether it is a baby or a small child, whether it can say several words or it is a teenager, it should always be embraced with the love of family members, growing and experiencing their loving and caring gestures, feeling secure so that it can give this love to others some day. Since the love we experience from our closest ones grows to love for people, local community, country and even all mankind. We exceptionally rejoice over the coronation in the Church of Czestochowa. We are happy to have that image of Mary watching over the Child. May the Child be for us a symbol of love for life. May people never have thoughts to eliminate others. Let our hearts be open to the gift of life from conception to natural death since every man has the right to life, to acceptance of his existence, first of all by his closest family. As we venerate and love the Mother of God and the Child in the image in Rozprza we want, through that worship and love, to express our adherence to God and our love for all that is called life.
"Niedziela" 46/2009