Polish Christian Holy Figure: "Czarna Madonna"

This is a Polish Christian depiction of the Virgin Mary, called "Czarna Madonna", or "Matka Boska Czestochowska," Polish for The Black Madonna of Czestochowa. The image is a revered icon of the Virgin Mary housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Czestochowa, Poland.

The Virgin Mary directs attention away from herself, gesturing with her right hand toward Jesus as the source of salvation. In turn, the child extends his right hand toward the viewer in blessing while holding a book of gospels in his left hand. The painting is supposed to have been painted by St. Luke on a table owned by the Holy Family.

The legend concerning the two scars on the Black Madonna's right cheek is that thieves attempted to steal the icon. But when they put it in their wagon, their horses refused to move. They threw the portrait down to the ground and one of the thieves made two slashes on her cheek. He attempted to make a third, but fell to the ground and died. Depictions of the Czarna Madonna always show two slashes on her right cheek.

The Christian faith is based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus or Christ. Jesus, (7–2 BC/BCE – 30–36 AD/CE), is the central figure of Christianity. Most Christian denominations venerate him as God the Son.

The principal sources of information regarding Jesus are the four canonical gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The gospels declare that Jesus was a Jew born in Bethlehem, in the Roman province of Judea. At the age of 30, he began to preach throughout Palestine, which was then under Roman rule. The gospels describe miracles that Jesus performed such as raising the dead.

Most critical historians agree that Jesus was a Jew who was regarded as a teacher and healer. He was crucified in Jerusalem, on the orders of the Roman Prefect of Judaea, on the charge of sedition against the Roman Empire. Christians believe that Jesus then rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, from which he will return.
Source:
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition) "Jesus Christ." Children's Illustrated Encyclopedia. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2010. 297. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 1 July 2013. Document URL: http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lapl.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE|CX1796500200&v=2.1&u=lapl&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna_of_Częstochowa