| In the first quarter of the 18th century
Father Giovanni Antonio Genovesi, a Jesuit priest in Palermo, wished to have
a special representation of the Virgin Mary painted to take with him and
display as he preached missions throughout the island of Sicily. He
turned to a devout lady in a neighboring village who had the reputation of
having frequent visitations from the Virgin Mary and asked her to request
guidance. The request was granted, and the Virgin described exactly
how she wished to be represented. She then said she wished to be
called by the name of Most Holy Mother of Light and repeated it three times
and said not to forget that.
The devout woman returned to the priest and recounted all
that the Virgin had said, and he quickly found a painter and gave him
instructions. Out of modesty the lady did not go to the painter's
studio, and the priest did not supervise the work, and the result was not
satisfactory. The choir of angels was lacking, there was a crescent
moon beneath her feet, and her robe was red rather than white. As a
result the Virgin did not give a promised sign of approval.
The priest asked the woman to go to the painter, but she
was extremely busy at some distance from Palermo and couldn't get away.
The Virgin, however, appeared to her again and said she needed her in
Palermo. The woman, in turn, protested that since the Virgin had all
the resources of Paradise how could such a vile worm as she carry out such
an important task, and, anyway, there was no way she could get away.
The Virgin responded that whether or not she felt she could go to Palermo
she would, in no uncertain terms. As a result the woman was hit with a
terrible pain in her chest and lost her voice. There seemed to be no
cure, and she was taken to Palermo where the air was more temperate and
healthy. In fact, after she arrived she was soon healed.
Once the woman was in Palermo, and healed, she was visited
again by the Virgin. The lady said that both she and the priest were
very disappointed that the painting didn't turn out right and asked if a new
one should be made. The Virgin responded in the affirmative, and this
notice was taken to the priest who arranged for a new painting to be done.
It was the custom of the Virgin to send a guardian angel to her "servant"
the evening before to warn that she would appear after the woman had
received communion. The woman, following instructions, then went to
the painter's studio where she found him ready to begin work. The
Virgin had said that she would meet her there, but only she would have the
vision. The woman was to instruct the painter, but the Virgin would
guide his brush. This in fact, happened, and the work was completed to
the Virgin's satisfaction. Although numerous copies were subsequently
made, none approached the perfection of the original. |
