The Black Madonna Journey of the Human Heart

Our Lady of Czestochowa, Poland

Please enjoy an excerpt from the soon to be published The Black Madonna Journey of the Human Heart by Stephanie Georgieff

The Phenomena of the Black Madonna

When I first heard of focused study of The Black Madonna, it was part of a masters program in culture and spirituality at Holy Names College. Before this, I really was unfamiliar with what “The Black Madonna” was either in culture or art. My orientation towards the Madonna was mainly through the pink cherubic Madonna’s tenderly caressing the Christ child on Christmas cards. As a protestant raised in an ecumenical household that recognized Eastern Orthodox traditions, I had a full spectrum exposure to images of Mary, but the Orthodox Icons were stiff and inhuman in my estimation. The color of the Mary’s was not in my consciousness, if pressed, I assumed that the original Mary was a Palestinian Jewess, who most likely had brown skin, dark eyes and hair.

One of my classmates in the masters program was doing her thesis on the subject of The Black Madonna, from a racial cultural perspective. We had the author China Galland speak to our class for one of the modules. Her book Longing for Darkness (2) was a biographical sketch of her encounters with the Black Madonna in the Americas, Europe and Asia. She brought slides of numerous Black Madonna’s from all over the world, as well as small cards for us to reflect upon. I chose the Virgin of Montserrat , and dutifully followed the directions for the class exercise to “hear what the image was telling me.” Aside from inviting me to get a snack, the only thing I could decipher from the black image before me, was “I am what I am, stop making me into something I am not.”

Part of my program required a response paper to each module presented. We were to read a list of books and go on to our own research to supplement the assigned texts. What I found in my research at that time was there is very little definitive scholarship of the Black Madonna’s. Much of what is written or discussed I felt was a projection of needs: A need to paganize Christianity, an need to assert feminist principles, a need for the goddess, a need to justify nationalism as a direct blessing from the divine. What is known objectively about the phenomenon of the Black Madonna’s is that they are statues, paintings, and stained glass windows purposefully colored Black or very dark brown. The bulk of these works of art appeared in areas where the only external racial expression was white at the time. The images rarely have an artist associated with them, and are often attributed to the handiwork of St Luke the Apostle. With no documented artist associated with their origins, the exact dates of creation are unknown. Many of the stories of their genesis are associated with their discoveries. Scholars do agree that the majority   of the works of art date from the 5^th  and 6^th centuries up to the 14^th century. Most of the images have legends and history associated with them that date between the 11^th and 13^th centuries. They are scattered through out Europe, with a great number of them in France. Another common theme is that many Black Madonna’s are found in churches along the pilgrim route Camino de Santiago de Compostela. There are a few in Russia, with the most famous image in Czestochowa, Poland. The original Black Madonna of the Americas is The Virgin of Guadalupe, in Mexico. This Virgin is considered to be “Black” because of her mestizo appearance.

Many theories abound as to why the Black Madonna’s are “Black.” One theory indicates that these dark images are blackened through age and candle smoke. Another theory states that the images are remnants of Goddess worship of the conquered local populations. So, what was the reason there are so many Black Madonna’s placed in a historically Caucasian geography during the early centuries of Christianity up to the age of the Crusades?

The Spiritual Significance of Art

Anthroposophists look at art from a deeper perspective.

Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian painter who lived from 1866 - 1944, states in an essay on The Problem of Form; “Thus behind Matter, within matter, the creative Spirit is concealed.” 

Austrian philosopher and founder of the Anthroposophical Movement Rudolf Steiner, 1861 – 1925, in the lecture cycle The Influence of Spiritual Beings on Man, states that “Art is the creation of organs through which the gods are able to speak to humanity.” 

I interpret from these statements and the works of these two authors, that Art is a medium where the Spiritual World, the Divine speaks to humanity. The reader is invited to keep these basic tenants of art as we delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding The Black Madonna.

You can hear a reading by Stephanie at http://hosts.blogtalkradio.com/blackstefka/2014/09/15/the-heart-of-the-black-madonna and make sure to "like" The Heart of the Black Madonna on Facebook where Stephanie posts beautiful and inspirational pictures of the Black Madonna https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Heart-of-the-Black-Madonna/452078264864169

The End and the Beginning of the Journey

Camino de Santiago de Compostela near Montserrat, Spain

It as been quite a journey these last several years, exploring, studying, speaking and writing about the Black Madonna. I have been all over the world, and explored the dawn of creation to the furthest reaches of the future to answer the questions the Black Madonna engendered in my own soul. The journey was accompanied by the greatest losses and pain imaginable, my soul got to examine all the sorrows of humanity. Such pain opens the heart if you let it, and the presence of the Divine can be felt in ways that are often difficult to achieve when modern conveniences and comforts cloud the view. To be honest, the journey started in the aftermath of the global upheavals after the terrorist attacks on the United States in September of 2001. I was, as many were, truly trying to grapple with why they occurred and what was the proper response. My greatest grief was coming to terms with what many of the world’s people already knew, that my government was not the benevolent idealistic structure I had always thought it was.

One of the positive movements inspired by those terrible events, was a realization that life was very temporary, so one should get busy and do things one had been postponing for one reason or another. For myself, it was to start studying theology. I sent in my application, and started my master’s program only weeks after the attack. One of the modules of the program was learning about the Black Madonna. While the module was interesting, I felt what I was being exposed to was inadequate, just scratching the surface. I decided to go further, and my personal faith journey since those chaotic days over a decade ago, have helped me put into the context the deeply difficult times we in the human community have been enduring these last years.

In many ways we are so weary. I sometimes long for the concerns of the 1980’s and 90’s. With the advent of modern technology, the exposure to the negative is much greater, and seems to be resulting in the numbing of the masses. What I hope to convey through The Black Madonna, Journey of the Human Heart, and the subsequent next book in the series, The Virgin of Guadalupe and the Destiny of the Americas is a way that we can make sense of the challenges we face in these turbulent times. In so many ways, I have come to discover that the Black Madonna’s were designed and placed throughout Europe to be messages from the Divine, for our time, our modern era. These are not arbitrary works of art by any stretch of the imagination. They are windows to the Divine, giving encouragement and direction for how we can not only endure the current dramas but actually thrive.

I am ever grateful to all those who helped me with this book, from helping me research, editing and design. But ultimately I am grateful to the artists that allowed their talents to convey loving messages through sculpture, painting, glass work and mosaics. They give me courage and solace during this time of deeply painful human development. I hope you will gain the same insights that I have, but are also not limited by my research. These insights are my own, and I urge you to follow your own hearts when it comes to the Black Madonna. As long as compassion is the outcome, your insights and conclusions are valid.

I am sharing the introduction to The Black Madonna Journey of the Human Heart, a sort of free sample chapter if you will. In the days to come, I will share other inserts from the book. Thank you again for your kind attention.

The Black Madonna of Czetochowa Poland

Introduction to The Black Madonna Journey of the Human Heart by Stephanie Georgieff

A Passionate Disclaimer

As Atheism is now a cottage industry for books, magazines, Internet chat groups and organizations; it is the belief system of those who claim to be the only sane educated ones on the planet. Atheists would say they adhere to facts, but I beg to differ, it really is a belief system, but it permeates all of modern culture. I am often deeply intrigued by how differently creation and the natural world is understood between those who have a relationship to the divine world and those who do not. When I see a magnificent mountain range or a work of art, I see the Divine manifest. The art and mountains, they are proof to me of the existence of the Love of God for humanity, messages from the spiritual world. An atheist sees mountains or art as atoms, various arrangements of chemicals held together by gravity and mathematical equations. The perception of the mountains, or a work of art, is reduced to hormonal and neurochemical synapses in the brain. My bias is complete, because I comprehend chemistry, gravity and the intricate workings of the brain as incredible mysteries originating and confirming the Divine, I guess I will always be this way, and to be honest it just “feels” good to me. I excuse myself as a hopeful romantic, from Southern California to boot.

Debating the existence of Spirit with a beloved cousin of mine who is an evangelical atheist, I asked him, “Well, what is love?” He immediately, with out any hesitation or consternation, replied, “Oxytocin.” (This is a hormone secreted by the pituitary Gland, involved with labor and lactation, apparently now called the cuddle hormone because rat studies show when mother rats are injected with large amounts of Oxytocin, they exhibit increased grooming behaviors towards their baby rats) My cousin is a Professor of Physiology at the University of Southern California Medical School, and by the way, a loving father. I reflected on his lifetime dedication to his family, his tender affection towards his wife, and I could not help thinking that his behavior was due to more than great pituitary response to stimuli. The conversation ended when dinner I had cooked was served, he of course enjoyed it with gusto.

Since I believe in the spiritual world, I see messages, proofs everywhere of love, of harmony, of relationships, of the Divine reaching out to me; my psyche needs meaning, needs context. I think there is something that inspires the release of Oxytocin beyond my pituitary when I weep for joy at the sight of pilgrims praying before an ancient Icon, I think there is more at work than Oxytocin when these pilgrims bow in prayer asking for a miracle to heal their loved ones. There was more than Pituitary glands at work when villagers came together to dismantle the windows at Chartres Cathedral and hide them in the country side during World War II for safe keeping, more than neurochemistry synapses that caused the Poles to flock to the shrine of their Black Madonna during Communist times, risking their lives so they could pray for redemption. When I see people rally to help disaster victims, restore the land, feed starving children, weep for their dead, rejoice in the birth of a new family member, I just think, I believe there is something deeper and more mysterious to life than the secretion of a hormone that alters brain chemistry, I feel it in my chest down to my tummy, and this orientation colors my experience of the Black Madonna. It is from this perspective that Love is beyond Oxytocin; I comprehend the mysteries that the Black Madonna reveals.

I invite you, the reader to keep this bias of mine, the bias that I see meaning and context inspired by a benevolent spiritual world beckoning humanity towards wholeness and union with God through the Christ, keep this in mind as we journey together with the Black Madonna. Keep this bias in mind that what I am about to share with you is my interpretation of the phenomena I encountered on this path. In no way is my interpretation the end of the story, it is my sincere hope that my experiences and reflections inspire your own journey, your own beginning of sorts, leading you to the peace that passes all understanding.

Tune in Monday, September 15 at 7 pm Pacific Daylight Time http://hosts.blogtalkradio.com/blackstefka to hear a reading from The Black Madonna; Journey of the Human Heart.

Why is the Black Madonna Important for Our Age?

Our Lady of Czestochowa, Poland

“Art is the creation of organs through which the gods are able to speak to humanity.” 

Rudolf Steiner, The Influence of Spiritual Beings on Man

The Black Madonna of Le Puy, France

With this quote in mind, I asked repeatedly, what are the images of the Black Madonna saying to us? 

Recently in Orange County California a replica of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa Poland was brought to a local parish.  The Priest accompanying the image across the continent spoke of the nature of Icons. Icons, he said, are windows into the Spiritual World. In the Byzantine Catholic tradition, confession is said kneeling before an Icon with a Priest present. 

The timing at which the Black Madonna's began appearing is significant in many ways. While the benevolent Spiritual World has granted and respects Humanity's freedom, The Divine knows our positive and negative capabilities. Many of the narratives of the major Black Madonna's come around the time when the organized Church negated the Human Spirit. In the Council of Constantinople of 869, it became heresy to teach or write of the nature of the Human Spirit. A dampening of the conscious connection with the Spiritual World happened after this event, as the schools and teachers that taught of a living connection with the Christ were silenced. Could the Black Madonna's of that age be countering this message of separation from the Divine, this clouding of consciousness? 

The Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico

The most famous of the so called Black Madonna's of the Americas is The Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico. Guadalupe is considered a Black Madonna because she is Mestizo in her presentation, she looks mixed European and Native and has brown skin. She appeared to a Nahuatl Native from December 9th through the 12th, 1531. Her final appearance was to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga and his entourage at his residence, when Juan Diego (the Native to whom the Virgin had been appearing the preceding days) came to the Bishop with her message, mid morning on the 12th of December, 1531. She left physical evidence of her apparition on the Tilma (a poncho like shawl of the Native style of the day.) This Tilma pictured above is still on display at the Basilica that bears her name, nearly 500 years later.

The Conquest of Mexico by Spain began in 1519. Spain had bankrolled Columbus's Journey in 1492, the same year she had expelled the Muslims and Jews from her land. These groups were given an option, to convert, to leave or to die. Many converted and were called "Conversos", many more left heart broken to have been expelled from their homes, and many were killed as a lesson to anyone who dared to challenge the authority of the Crown. For the first time in Western History there was a dawning of a organized, state sanctioned persecuting society. This cultural outlook was taken with the Conquistadors as they ventured to distant shores in search of riches and power the so called "New World" could offer them. Centuries of subjugation of the Spaniards to the Moors from the Arab and African worlds created a back lash towards anyone who had dark skin. One only has to read the history books to know what the consequences were for the brown skinned natives of the Americas.

It is significant, as with the Black Madonna's appearing in the 9th Century, that Guadalupe appeared when she did. Her main message was of cooperation between the Europeans and Natives. She announces her self as "The Mother of All Who Love Me." and urges the Natives to work with the Spanish to build a new civilization based on the universal principle of Love.

Bishop Juan de Zumaragga of New Spain, the First Archbishop of Mexico 1468-1548

What was also significant was that Bishop Zumaragga had his hand in a very important deed of the Church at that time. But the deed was half done, and our world, especially in the United States is still reverberating with the consequences. 

The Catholic Church at the time of Guadalupe was reeling from the Reformation. Nearly 7 million people left the Roman Church or Protestantism. The violence and wars from this split left deep wounds on the continent. With the prospect of new lands, the Catholic Church was anxious to start evangelization of the American continent. The secular leaders were vicious towards the Natives. The Nahuatls were imprisoned, enslaved, raped and killed through violence and exposure to the diseases the Europeans brought. So vile was the treatment of the natives, that the Church tried to intervene on their behalf. Interdicts, excommunications were rallied at the Spanish conquerors who violated the Natives. In turn, the clergy were persecuted and imprisoned, often violently, by the secular authorities. Before the apparition of Guadalupe, there was revolution in the air against the vastly outnumbered Europeans. Zumaragga wrote to Charles V, saying that if there was not a miracle, the entire continent would be lost.

After the Guadalupe event, the impression left on the natives was one of awe and desire to be part of the new civilization. Guadalupe spoke as a Codice of building a new kingdom of love on Earth. The Natives who felt abandoned by the Spiritual World, now had material proof of the love the Spiritual World had for them. In the decade following the Apparition, 9 million documented conversions through Baptisms were recorded. While the Natives voluntarily converted to Christianity because of Guadalupe, the Spaniards were not as amicable to the upset of their economic system. Slavery is very lucrative, because the cost of labor is quite low. So terrible was the treatment of the Natives that Zumaragga intervened. With several of his colleagues, Zumaragga drafted a letter to Pope Paul III. Until this time, Western Civilization only recognized three races of people, Europeans, Asians and Africans. Zumaragga argued that the Native Americans were people worthy of Evangelization and the Christ, and should not be enslaved. The Pope agreed and proclaimed through a Papal Bull called Sublimus Dei, that strictly forbade the enslavement of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. Unfortunately, the Africans did not receive such recognition of their humanity, and the slave trade flourished until the 19th Century with Imperial and Papal blessings. In many ways, in the America's this history of Slavery still haunts us to this day. 

It is profound that Guadalupe in her invitational and respectful presence implores different races of people to work together to build a temple for "all who love her." We often forget that Colonial Mexico was a multi racial community with African, European and Native peoples. Modern technology shows us the reflection of those who witnessed her last Apparition at the Bishops Residence. In magnified pictures of Guadalupe's eyes, we see a woman with an Afro Hair style. We know that Zumaragga had an African Woman as his house servant. 

The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to all of the races that were living in Mexico at the time. With her mixed racial expression, she shows that the Divine is present in all peoples. Guadalupe came right at the end of the Conquest of Mexico during the terrible genocide of the Natives. She also came at the beginning of the transatlantic Slave trade, and the Bishop who witnessed her tried and succeeded in a large part to have personhood recognized by secular and religious institutions alike. She came as a counter to the materialistic zeal that labeled some people as valuable and others not based on the color of their skin.

The Black Madonna of Dorres, France

While not glossing over the terrible injustices experienced by the Native Peoples of North America, in many ways the fate of the Africans forced onto the plantations was worse. They were captured and taken away from their homelands. Their families were torn apart through auction, the women endured rape and forced impregnation to create more workers on the farms. The savage beatings and poor labor conditions were often coupled with what we should call pogroms. Lynchings were common, even after slavery was abolished in 1863. While not as rampant as before, a type of lynching still exists through the unequal killing of Black Men by authorities and racist cults masquerading as political movements. 

The Black Madonna of Marsat, France

After each murder, the authorities excuse it through justification, as if the person asked for it in some way. 

Each and every time this happens, the message received by the community who was wronged is; your children are not as valuable as others, you are not part of the culture, your sorrows are not valid.

Juan Diego tried to pass off the task given to him by the Virgin, saying that he was unworthy. He felt this way because the culture of the day told him his life was nothing, his culture and ways were inferior and the God he was presented with looked alien to his people. Guadalupe spoke to him telling him he was a treasured child of God, that he was worthy and capable of great things. She was speaking to all those who feel abandoned and neglected, when she spoke to Juan.

In so many ways the Spiritual World, the Gods speak to humanity through art. When we ponder the Black Madonna's and the Virgin of Guadalupe, so many messages come to us from these 'Windows to the Spiritual World." If you visit the shrines to the Black Madonna's, it is profound to watch people with dark skin flock to the images. When the dominant culture harms and excludes people who are different, a deep wound results, a wound that can be carried for generations. Deep in our cells, we know we are connected, we long for communion with others. The Black Madonna's present Divinity in ways that include, that represent all of Humanity. The defining quality that the Virgin of Guadalupe proclaims that we must have to be part of the New Civilization her image symbolizes, is a love for the Divine. It is powerful to see how these images came into being as a healing counter influence to the damaging materialistic and racist zeal of which modern civilization is capable.

As Mary proclaimed in the Magnificat, the Divine through Christ was coming to tear apart worldly power.

Luke 1:46 - 53

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.

The trappings of Earthly power, wealth, class, race, gender, have no place in the universal equality of the Christ. The Black Madonna's speak to us of this fact. In these days of sorrow, of so many of God's Children feeling that they are unimportant, expendable and undesirable, let us reach out to one another, hear the stories of pain, and be inspired to remind those who have searing tragedy in their lives that they are wanted, they are loved, and their place in our human community is necessary in order to build the New Civilization of Love. 

Let those of us who's ancestors perpetrated oppression, who's peers benefit from oppression, ask to hear the perspective of those who have been harmed. Listen, and ask for forgiveness, even if the sin was not committed by you, for that is the first step in healing. The cycle can be broken, all it takes is for one person to break it. Will it be you? What is the Spiritual World saying to you through the Madonna's?

For me, they are saying: "You humans, all of you come from Divinity, you are made of the substance of the Stars, and to Divinity you will return. Until that time, create the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth with your thoughts, your feelings and your will, so all of God's creatures can feel part of the Beloved Community." 

This is the most important thing we can do for our current age.

Members of The Beloved Community of  Ferguson, Missouri working to heal the damage in the aftermath of the unrest in response to the shooting death of Michael Brown

What in the World is Happening?

Icon with the Virgin and Child, about A.D. 1175–1200, Kastoria, Greece;

It has been a very disconcerting time in the world these days. No corner on Earth is at peace. There is a website that lists all the conflict zones, aptly named "Wars in the World." http://www.warsintheworld.com/ According to the August updates, there are currently 62 nations on Earth involved in wars. The wars can be between nations or involve one or more of the 551 militias groups. The site is updated monthly. With social media, global exposure to ethnic and religious violence has multiplied exponentially, with major news networks often quoting facebook and twitter for insights on the ongoing tragedies.

Even in areas with no formal war or militia influence, violence is rampant. Violence within homes, in schools, malls and even movie theaters seems to be common place. Any attempt to address the issue is seen as infringing on someones rights. Apparently the right to kill is more important, and has a better lobby than the right to live.

This August marks the 100 year anniversary of World War One. In many ways, similar political and ethnic situations exist as they did in the Summer of 1914. That war unleashed a new kind of savagery upon the earth in terms of the mechanization of military actions. So severe and brutal was the experience of air and land machinery used to fight, so unique and horrifying was the war on soldiers and civilians alike, that humanity first started to experience post traumatic stress syndrome, and called the recurring nightmares and frayed nerves "shell shock."

As we witness modern brutality, a common thread of response is seen throughout the newspapers, web sites and internet comments. Somehow, according to popular opinion, certain groups deserve to be slaughtered and traumatized, while others do not. If one objects to or remarks on the violence towards one group, they must endure the ire of the opposing group. How are we to face this age of quickening of violence and strife? What is the answer to such suffering? 

The Icon above is of a genre that is typical of the geography and age from which it was made. On the back of the Icon is a picture of the crucified Christ.

Icon with the Man of Sorrows, about A.D. 1175–1200, Kastoria, Greece

The Madonna's in the above genre, as well as the Black Madonna's in general are portrayed as very sad. The Madonna above seems to be clutching her child in anticipation of what is to come, as if she can see the future pictured on the back of the Icon.

Violence and suffering can be as distracting as pleasure and entertainment. In Anthroposophical Christology, we are told about the reappearance of the Christ in the Etheric Realm. We are told that as Christ initiated his penetration of the Etheric at the same time as World War One. His main appearance was to commence in 1933. During each corresponding time of human history when the Christ was becoming manifest in the Etheric realm, major strife and horror disrupting all of civilization occurred on a global scale. Instead of witnessing the Christ in the Etheric, humanities gaze was focused on the Nazi's rise to power. What are we being distracted from at this time in human evolution?

The Black Madonna's became prominent during the era of the Crusades. This was also a time of great violence, social upheaval and seemingly endless warfare and religious strife. Rudolf Steiner tells us that the Crusades were a preparation for the age of Consciousness Soul, the age we are currently experiencing. The age of Consciousness Soul is when we are to purify our Astral bodies, the collective Astral plane of humanity, to allow pure thoughts to come from the Spiritual World to penetrate our minds and souls. We are to learn to think independantly and to choose morality, to choose the Divine in full freedom and from our own effort, In essence we are to be fully conscious in order to choose to allow the Christ into our hearts, minds and souls. All of the Black Madonna's have narratives of endurance through incredible odds. The Madonna at the top of this post, has also endured through many wars, cultural upheavals. While she seems anxious and upset at the future of her child, we know of the triumph ahead.

Our task in this age of great suffering is to stay focused on the Divine. Not only the Divine for the sake of the Divine, but to be aware of the spark of the Divine in each human we encounter. We can be in solidarity with those who suffer, and recognize the worth of each human regardless of externals. We can pray for those who are crossing the threshold at this time that their life forces be used for the good. We can consciously forgive those who perpetrate evil, in order to free ourselves, to purify our thoughts as preparation for the Cosmic Christ.

One of our community members lost his daughter to an insane murderer. As our community reeled with the shock of the incident, my Priest talked about a truth we often overlook in our sadness and anger at injustice. 

When a soul looks back on their death from an act of violence, it is remembered with great joy. Why? Because the death and resurrection which happens as a result of the violence is the ultimate triumph of life over death, of goodness over evil, of entering into communion with the Divine. We on this side of the threshold, grieve accordingly. But for those who have had their lives cut short by evil, they are released into the next phase of existence. We can work with them, pray with them and for them so that they can inspire the living to acts of love and brotherhood. We can celebrate their becoming part of the Mystic Body of Christ, the community of which we all are to become a treasured part.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. Romans 8:38

If you go to the prison in Rome where Paul wrote this verse, you will have a new appreciation for the transcendent joy that comes with the knowledge that there is more to life than what we can experience with our senses. While evil seems to swirl about, it is trying to distract us on a grand scale to the fact of our spiritual ascent to the Divine. We are preparing our hearts and souls for the Cosmic Christ, so that he can penetrate us and help us to be part of the Mystic Community of Light and Love. Nothing, not one thing in heaven and earth, not violence, not genocide, nothing can separate us from the power of the love of the Divine. The Divine understands betrayal, death through torture and violence and weeps for the pain of those who experience these traumas, but the Divine through the example of Christ shows us there is more, so much more.

I long for the days when the strife ends, but I welcome the transformation that is happening now, the great awakening of Humanity to her Divinity. Until then, I cling to the hope the Black Madonna inspires. Suffering, endurance, will, it is not all in vain. She has suffered, she has lost, she understands and she triumphed. Her son suffered injustice and a violent death, and overcame. So shall we, so shall we.

The Black Madonna of Montserrat, Spain