In the Autumn of 2008, I had the privilege of visiting Montserrat. It was in the middle of the last economic meltdown.
After spending a lovely night in Barcelona, I took a special train to Monistrol, the town at the foot of the Montserrat Mountain range. I arrived at the funicular station, and stepped into the very large passenger car. The car whisked us up to the shrine on a single cable. I marveled at how much the landscape looked like the Southern Californian San Bernardino Mountains. So this was the land of our conquerors, of St. John of the Cross? The campus of the shrine was nestled in the Saw Toothed Mountains, or as the locals call them, Montserrat. What unnerved me was I could not see the cable in front of the car. My very first pilgrim experience with the Black Madonna was an exercise of trust that I would actually be able to get up the mountain.
After the funicular docked at the top, I made my way into the hostel and got my room key. The room was open and airy, with a window that opened out to a breathtaking view of the mountains. Beneath my window was the main plaza leading into the cathedral. Tour busses filled with children came and went, leaving their giggling restless passengers to fill the air with noise. I was exhausted by my travels, took a shower and fell fast asleep. The next day I awoke early so I could attend mass.
The shrine housing the Black Madonna is a Romanesque church, with many ornate Gothic style carvings and paintings throughout the main sanctuary. The Black Madonna statue sits at the top of the apse of the cathedral above the main altar. Large windowed chapels are on each side of the sanctuary. After services, I went through the walkway to get a closer look at the Lady of Montserrat; you could barely see her from the pews. To go through the walk way and ascend the many stairs, pilgrims have to enter an elaborately decorated stairwell. The walk way becomes progressively smaller, until one is able to proceed to a final stair case leading up to the silver paneled chamber of the Madonna. She was seated behind a glass shield, except for her right hand holding an orb, which protrudes through the protective barrier. Her hand pokes through the rounded glass shield, so you can touch or kiss it. I marveled how people walked silently in single file, touching the orb and then crossing themselves. I did the same, I then descended on the other side through a series of staircases and corridors, which led outside where I lit several candles and said prayers for my family, my nation and myself.
The Black Virgin of Montserrat was so little, a cheerful Black Madonna compared to some of the others, but I expected something at least life sized. Amazing, an entire Cathedral with her as its focus, and she did not look more than two and a half feet tall. What does she think about all day, how many thousand, million people have passed by this tiny statue that inspired a nation? Each evening I was there, I sat through evensong, where a choir of young boys chanted the office. In the mornings, I walked the paved road, which is part of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, to the different shrines where the original churches were, and where the statue was first discovered in 9th Century. Barefoot pilgrims walked past me, as did people crawling on their knees. Could it be that simple, to change your life, change the course of history, simply walk barefoot to a shrine, kiss a hand and be on your way?
The Shrine of Montserrat is near Barcelona in the Catalonian region of Spain. The history of the origins of this statue varies. Legend places her genesis at the hands of St. Luke the Evangelist and has her carried to the European continent by St. Peter. Art historians claim the statue is from the eleventh century. Other accounts tell us that the statue was a native of Jerusalem, and given to St. Etereo, who was a disciple of St. James. St. James is the martyr that inspired the formation of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. His bones are entombed in a great cathedral in the coastal city of Santiago de Compostela. St. Entero is thought to have brought the statue to Barcelona in the first Christian century. Some accounts place the statue as being placed in a cave the heart of Montserrat in 718, as the locals feared for her safety during the Saracen invasion at the time. The image seemed to disappear from the history books, but not from the imagination of the locals.
The next part of the narrative states that some time in the decades of the 800’s, a miracle occurred. Some sources say it happened in 808, others 888 and still others say 890. The legend states that a group of shepherds from the village of Monistrol were tending their flock at night in the foothills of Montserrat. The shepherds saw lights and heard singing coming from the mountains. This was witnessed for several nights in a row, prompting the shepherds to alert a local priest, who joined them on the following nights. He witnessed the same lights and sounds and reported the phenomena to the bishop of Barcelona, who later witnessed the miracle in person. A search party was launched, which found the statue of Our Lady of Montserrat in a cave on the side of the mountain.
The statue currently on view for the public may have been introduced in the twelfth or thirteenth century, and it’s Romanesque style is consistent with this theory. Some historians think this statue is of Byzantine origins, but the shrine and her faithful proclaim the St. Luke/St. Entero version
One interpretation of the statue is that she and the child are black due to the candle smoke from centuries of pilgrim devotion. If this were so, why is the color so even, and the rest of the statue, which is mostly covered with gilt, not darkened as well? I personally think the artists intent for the color was black, and there are no citations that I could find that said she was painted on a regular basis to get the current color. My favorite theory from scholars is that “perhaps the image was created black to represent some esoteric religious symbolism.” Ean Begg in The Cult of the Black Virgin states that Montserrat is among the top three best candidates (along with Montsegur, and Glastonbury) for the former sanctuaries for the Holy Grail.
What cannot be theorized in any way is the level of devotion this shine engenders. It is the site of a famous school of music that contributes to the daily offices and masses with uplifting choir performances. The vistas and trails are magnificent, and offer delights to all of the senses. A deep peace surrounds the entire complex with numerous chapels and locations for quiet reflection. While obviously catering to tourists, the managing Benedictines have created a place presenting fine Catalonian hospitality mixed in with ample opportunity for the nurturance of the soul. The shrine is an absolute epitome of simplicity and elegance nestled with a harmonious partnership with the natural world.
I was brimming with questions. What about the Grail Castle? There were so many threads weaving about my mind, the Grail, the Cult of Mary, the ages of Anael to Raphael, to Samael, how do they all relate, especially here at 4000 feet, literally on the razors edge of the “saw mountain?” As with the enigma of the Black Madonna, and the conflicting stories of origin, the mystery only seemed to deepen. Montserrat was the Madonna I was contemplating in 2005 during a weekend retreat. She said to me then, “I am what I am, stop making me into something I am not.” Then whom are you dear Lady, where do you come from and what are you saying?
Excerpt form The Black Madonna, Mysterious Soul Companion by Stephanie Georgieff
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