In 1517, a Polish child named Samuel died. He was the sonof Stanislaw and Anna Wadzic of the town of Husiatyn in thecounty of Kamienicki. The child's body had been twisted by theexcruciating pain he suffered. He died on a Saturday, the day dedicated to Mary, so his mother Anna fell on her knees in tears, offered the cold corpse to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and made a solemn promise to make a pilgrimage to Jasna Gora.After a night of sorrowing by the casket, Stanislaw went tothe church on Sunday morning to make the necessary funeral arrangements, while Anna continued to pray. When the father returned home he learned that the deathly pallor had suddenly left the corpse, rigor mortis had given way to normal reflex action, the boy had opened his eyes and, smiling, had reached out his arms from the casket. Stanislaw beheld his healthy son in his wife's arms! In thanksgiving, the happy family made the pilgrimage the next day to Jasna Gora. They brought with them two candles the size of their resurrected son, to be burnt before the miraculous image of the Madonna of Czestochowa.
In the history of the Church there have been many miracles involving the raising of the dead even of three or more persons raised at one time. But seldom has one encountered revival from the dead that began so tragically and ended so joyously as the following miracle of Our Lady of Czestochowa.
In 1540 a really gruesome event left a lasting memory among the inhabitants of Lublin, a few miles from Jasna Gora.Marcin Lanio, operator of a large slaughterhouse, went totown on a shopping tour. His wife, Malgorzata, left her kitchen momentarily to borrow some yeast from a neighbor.
She needed it for the batter she was about to bake in her large oven.Malgorzata left her two youngsters at home; Poitrus, only four, who had often watched the butchers slaughter the livestock in the yard, decided to imitate them. In his childish mind the nearest and most convenient victim would be his little brother Kazio, age two, sleeping peacefully in a nearby crib.
Without realizing the consequences of such an action,Poitrus took a sharp knife and slashed the throat of his oblivious innocent brother. Seeing the blood gush out, Poitrus realized that something bad had happened, and overcome with fear and dread of punishment, he hid inside the largebaker's oven left open by his mother.Within a few moments the unsuspecting mother returned,and not hearing the children, assumed they were both asleep.
She finished preparing the batter and started the log fire in the oven in which Poitrus lay hidden. Poitrus, poor child, suddenly realizing his terrible predicament, began to scream in agony.The poor mother's blood froze: Realizing where the boy was, she finally managed to pull him out, but the boy had already suffocated in the smoke-filled oven; he lay lifeless inher arms. As the mother looked about, paralyzed at this sudden tragedy, her eyes fell upon her other son, lying slain and blood-soaked in his crib.The double shock was too much for the poor woman. She became demented, struck her head against the wall, pulled ather hair, tore her clothes to shreds, and became like a madwoman
Her unsuspecting husband, Marcin, walked in on this dreadful sight. When he saw his wife in that condition between the two corpses of his sons, he did not pause to think, but in great emotion, and apparently thinking she had killed them both, he grabbed a nearby axe and crushed her skull with one blow.After a little while Marcin's mind cleared. He realized wha the had done, and dreadful fear and remorse seized him.
In themeantime neighbors and friends were gathering with mixed emotions, and some with pious advice. Marcin seemed to have a heavenly inspiration, and he turned from despair to hope in Our Lady of Czestochowa, to whom he had always been devoted.By now all the neighbors had arrived, standing in shock andamazement at the triple tragedy. Their astonishment grew as Marcin silently and determinedly loaded the three corpses onto a wagon, made the Sign of the Cross, and turned the horses toward Jasna Gora. Some watched in fear, others in tears.Marcin journeyed on silently toward Jasna Gora, with people assembling along the roadside as they saw or heard of the strange sight of a man with three dead persons, apparently his own wife and sons, in an open wagon. As Marcin came to the shrine, several kind persons improvised three caskets and carried them into the chapel.
Marcin remained at the door,prostrate, pleading with the entering faithful to pray to the Madonna for his family. Perhaps he felt too guilty to go inside.Inside the shrine, Blessed Stanislaw Oporowski, a devout priest, was conducting Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The portrait of the Black Madonna, high above the main altar, seemed to glow with heavenly splendor. Blessed Stanislaw and all the congregation joined in supplications forthe poor husband and his family. The three dead persons laid out before all the mother and two little boys were a piteous sight. All the congregation sang the Blessed Mother's hymn, the Magnificat .
A supernatural feeling penetrated the chapel. At the words, "Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name," a shock came over the congregation.The three lifeless corpses came to life and slowly rose from their places.For a moment there was a seemingly age-long silence. Then came a spontaneous outburst, and all joined in a thanksgiving hymn to the Madonna. Husband, wife, and children had a marvelous reunion.
Soon the fame of this tremendous miracle spreadworldwide. The Emperor ordered a truecopy of the miraculous portrait of Our Lady of Czestochowa to be made and placed in the Cathedral of Vienna.Copies of this portrait should also be placed in many home shrines and in public places. Just as the Poles (many in America) love Our Lady of Jasna Gora, so should everyone love her.If the faith of the Poles were imitated by others, there might well be many more miracles like those which gave splendor to Jasna Gora, the Bright Hill sanctuary of Our Lady of Czestochowa.