Terrible as an Army Set in Array

A packed Westminster Cathedral of pilgrims venerated the Icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa in London today.

I prayed for a Polish man dying of cancer before the Icon of Our Lady. Please pray for him too. To learn more of Our Lady of Czestochowa and why she is so important in the battle against the culture of death that we face on every side, click here. As is usual at such occasions, I had not done my research and was informed by a Catholic blogger that the original, in Poland, was painted by St Luke, Evangelist. On the way home after visiting a Polish man dying of cancer (please pray for him), I sat on the train and discussed with them the beautiful icon I had venerated today. One of them was actually called Luke, coincidentally, so he was interested in learning about the icon.

The event in Westminster seems to have been organised by Edmund Adamus, who courted 'controversy' a while back by calling London the 'geopolitical epicentre of the culture of death'.  It is a shame that Archbishop Vincent Nichols was not there to greet Our Lady, but perhaps there was something more pressing on for His Grace today.

Bishop Alan Hopes celebrated Mass in the presence of Our Lady as the pro-life movement was entrusted to her care. I forgot to take my camera, but A Reluctant Sinner will be posting, I am sure, some images and James Preece seems to be covering the arrival of Our Lady well already.

To look upon her face brings penitence, fear, awe, love, reverence, humility and respect. It is all of these things that this country needs in order to become a culture of life. To see just how seriously she is taken in Poland, watch this. Blessed John Paul II had a deep devotion to Our Lady of Czestochowa. She is, in fact, the Queen of Poland, as well as Heaven and Earth. This country needs her so very much! Sadly, no trumpets at the Cathedral, though...

Maybe Our Lady, being as terrible as an army set in array, even has senior members of the Church's hierarchy a little hot under the collar. Pray for the success of her tour of these sad isles and the global effort to respect human life from conception to natural death.