A Dark Winter Night

CHAPTER VII: The Priest's Story - The Child's true Mother

The boy also was a very talented child, he wrote prayers, poems and sketched drawings of saints whenever he had free time.

But, he had a most profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he would always exclaim how beautiful the Blessed Mother was and how grateful we, her children, should be because God gave us a perfect mother like her and what even touched me more is that he would always say:

"I am not an orphan or never was, because the Lord is my Father and Mother Mary is my Mother"

This was much more exemplified and manifested in one certain occasion, I asked him to buy bread from the store just across the entrance to the church, after a few minutes, I was shocked to see him empty handed.

"Where is the bread?" I asked curiously

he nervously and shamefully uttered "Father, I know it is a sin to disobey you but I just could not leave the beggar beside the store without any help or aid so I gave him the money you gave me"

I was touched by his charity but nevertheless, still a bit offended because he disobeyed my order so I said calmly:

"My son, you must know when to give and when to obey your superiors"

"What pushed me to do it Father was because I saw the Blessed Virgin carrying Jesus beside the poor beggar, she was crying while looking pitifully upon the poor and homeless man" he replied

I was amazed, could the Virgin herself have appeared to the boy? So I further asked him:

"Really? And what did the Holy Mother wore and what did she looked like? What was Jesus doing?"

He replied "Oh Father, she was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! She had brown flowing hair and was wearing a cerulean blue mantle, she wore a crimson red dress and she had a yellowish glow on the crown above her head.

The Holy Child also had a crown, He was also glowing, He wore a blue dress and had a red shawl hanging from his shoulders and flowing freely. He also wore sandals, one sandal was tightly strapped while the other simply hung, the Holy Mother and the child Jesus were lovingly holding hands, while His mother carried him the Child Jesus rested His head on His mother's shoulder.

But Mother Mary was crying, Jesus was also crying, their tears were very painful to watch and I could not anymore help it and just gave all the money to the beggar and at once, she then disappeared

I was amazed, he was actually and accurately describing the image of the Mother of Perpetual Help, a byzantine painting rumored to be painted by St. Luke, himself. I had a picture also of the image on my breviary, but I think he never have even seen the image on his whole life. I told him everything I knew about the image of the Mother of Perpetual Help, he was surprised with what I said to him, I then took the image from my breviary, I handed him the image and surprisingly he cried loudly.

"What? Isn't that the Holy Mother that you saw?" I asked shocked still why he cried

He then said "Oh, Father, the image is beautiful and it is what she exactly wore but the beauty of our Holy Mother and the beauty of our Lord falls too short for this image. They never look near to this image!"

I was more dumbfounded at what he said, it is true that the images we have are not really exactly what Mary and Jesus look like, but I never had the thought that they were much more beautiful than what we see at churches and altars. His great devotion was more manifested to me, when the following month, May, he became more busy and occupied with something that he kept a secret.

May is the Month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and as usual, he would be very active in the preparation of the May Crowning and setting up of the altar of the Blessed Mother, but it was very unusual, he did not appear whenever we would put the beautiful flowers and erected the statue of Mother Mary.

I asked him one night "Son, why are you not attending any of the activities dedicated in preparing for our crowning of the Virgin Mary next week? You did not even go to yesterday's procession."

He replied with a smile: "Father, pardon me but I must not yet impart unto you what I am currently doing. I only can assure you one thing, you will find out during the May Crowning of the Virgin Mary"

I replied "Very well my child, if you wish so". He became more busy and occupied the next few days, the entrance to his room became much more untidy, many paint splatters were found in his room which intrigued me much more on what he was doing.

The May Crowning of the Virgin Mary came, it still worried me what he was planning for the event. The procession started and he was still not there, the choir began to sing "Immaculate Mother" the song used during the crowning.

But when the last "Ave Maria" was sang, the church doors suddenly opened, he was standing there holding a frame covered in silk blue cloth with the insignia of the name of Mary sown on the front. Everyone was watching him already, he walked confidently slowly to the altar and placed the frame besides the statue of the Holy Mother. He said loudly:

"As a gift and offering to the Blessed Virgin, I have made this"

And with that he took the veil and there laid a beautiful and exquisitely detailed painting of the Mother of Perpetual Help.

But, to everyone's greater astonishment she was crying and also the Holy Child Jesus, both of them were looking with mercy upon a thin and malnourished beggar. It was just as he had narrated to me, everyone was asking one another:

"Why is Jesus and Mary crying?" or

"Why did you painted a beggar too?"

but he all answered them with:

"There is no need for a long explanation, I may not be the most well versed in theology nor Mariology but one thing I do know, the Holy Mother and the Lord loves us all and cries with each of our sufferings, even the most ignored and marginalized of our society."

I unknowingly shed a tear at his interpretation and at once the choir sang almost immediately "Salve Regina, Mater Miserecordiae..". After the prayer, everyone was coming near him and praising his work of art.

Today, the painting is hung beside the altar of our basilica, it always reminds me of the boy who surpassed even the holiest of society in his piety."

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I was already back with reality, I was so immersed with the priest's story that I lost that I was only in the church with him and with curiosity I asked:

"Father, where is the boy now?"

He replied with a stroke of deep sorrow in his voice:"My child, after he finished his studies he became successful and married, had a beautiful family. But most sorrowfully, he died because of a terrible sickness, at least that is what I remember, I even presided over his funeral. It was very sad occasion for his family and also for me. My own son's body laid there in front of me, in a coffin only awaiting the resurrection of the dead"

At these words, I lost hope of meeting the boy. His extraordinary holy life intrigued me deeply. I noticed the time, it was already 11:30 P.M and I said good bye to the priest also thanking him for the inspirational statement of the life of a saintly boy I knew I would never meet. As I walked on the Basilica's aisle, I thought "These were the walls and pews that witnessed the extraordinary life of that mysterious child" I do not know but I found his life very interesting.

"My child, it is bitter cold outside, I have a spare scarf for you." The priests suddenly offered me before I could even step outside

"Alright Father, thank you very much. You have done so much already for me." I gratefully replied. He went to church convent, and after several minutes, returned with a warm-looking scarf knitted with a checkered pattern, he said:

"This was once owned by the boy before he left the convent and had his own family. Here, use this, just return it tomorrow okay?"

I replied with a large smile "Thank You so much Father"

He replied "No problem, my child."

After which, I ventured forth to the unknown and which only God know's what will beset me.