This is the second painting I have commissioned to Małgosia Ujma. The first painting, of Lord Jesus with a baby, was so beautiful that I had no doubt that it was she who should paint another one in the same style. It’s an image of Holy Mother with an Eucharist on her chest, based on my vision which I had described in “The Heartfelt Gift” in the chapter “Sowers of Mercy”:
“I saw a ray of light reaching to me from the ceiling. After a while a saw a blurry white silhouette, very similar to the figure of the Holy Mother standing by the altar, and on Her heart there was Eucharistic Jesus in a golden outline. But I wasn’t sure if it really was the Hoy Mother, because I couldn’t see Her Face. I kept saying to myself: I can’t see the face, I can’t see the face… Suddenly, to my great surprise, the Holy Mother stood literally 40 cm from me. Face to face. I couldn’t see Her all , just the beautiful face of the Mother of God, like from the paining in Medjugorje. Mary looked deeply into my eyes with such a piercing look that I felt it went straight to my soul like an X-ray. Her eyes were amazing, sapphire, deep, somehow three-dimensional. She closed her lids and I saw a tear in Her left eye. It was a short vision. I will never forget these wonderful eyes! “
Małgosia accepted the commission in the spring and promised to complete it by July, but as it often happens with creating new images of holy people, there were many obstacles which delayed her work.
I finally received a photo of Holy Mother’s painting half a year later, while I was visiting Ewunia, my dear friend who was sick at that time. Our opinion was generally very positive. In the evening I contacted Małgosia and asked to make some changes, but she replied that she’d prefer if I was present when she applies them, after I see the painting in person.
I wanted to apply the following changes:
- To change the Mother’s eye colour to sapphire,
- To change Her features so She would resemble more the image of Holy Mother of Medjugorje,
- To add a tear in Her left eye,
- To change Her feet as they seemed soiled – I was wondering if it wouldn’t be better to cover them with garments,
- To add a halo around Her figure, to make it more similar to the painting of Lord Jesus with the baby,
- To change the outline around the Eucharist to a thicker and more golden one, with the name of Jesus written in the middle, in its Greek form (IHS).
- To make the floor more similar to one on the first painting and to highlight that both visions occurred in the same place – a church.
When I got to Warsaw, Małgosia applied changes very swiftly. The whole figure was great, especially the garments. The beautify, light blue cloak is impressive, it seems made of silk. The colour was chosen by the artist, as I initially intended the Holy Mother to be dressed all in white. Still, I’m not completely sure if the face and eyes are painted correctly.
When I sent a photo of the painting to Father Rafał, my spiritual guide, he said that the painting was beautiful.
The priest noticed that the painting represents two stages in Holy Mary’s life:
- The time of the Annunciation – in the young, girlish face, and
- The time of Resurrection – in the middle aged woman’s hands.
I noticed one more, the last period of Her life – in the elderly woman’s feet.
I must admit that we had struggled with finding on famous paintings the right hands to incorporate in the image. Małgosia suggested that I should put my own hands in the right position and she photographed them. It was a gesture I had seen in my short vision when I was praying in front of the painting of the Holy Mother of Czestochowa asking for Her support in creating this painting. After leaving the church I kept putting my hands in that gesture not to forget it. I am sure that Our Mother ‘s hands are much more beautiful, but Gosia said it was just right.
I took photos of Małgosia at her work and came back home. After a couple of days – in the morning of the 19th of October 2020 – I went with my husband to pick up the painting of the Holy Mother. In the end, it became wonderful. We brought it straight to our photographer to take a good quality photo. Later that day we brought it to be framed in the same frames as the painting of Lord Jesus with a baby.
I picked up the paining on the very next day, on the way to visit the graves of our relatives with my daughter and grandchildren, as it had been announced that the cemeteries would be closed from the following day onwards due to a lockdown. The painting was too big to fit in the boot. Wiki suggested she’d move closer to Nataś so I could place the painting next to her. She was minding the painting all the way so it would not get damaged. She was delighted. My granddaughter had been the only one in the family to have known for a week that the painting of Holy Mary was completed. It was our secret, which my nine year old darling kept very well. We brought the painting rom the cemetery in our own car, this time next to my Dad on the back seat. Even though he could not see the image, he made sure the painting did not get damaged. We hung it next to the painting of Lord Jesus with a baby. They match perfectly… although I’m strangely convinced that one day it will be a triptych.
Sitting in front of Holy Mother’s new image I asked God for the words which would made clear the purpose of painting it. I opened “The word of Advice” by Alicja Lenczewska randomly on page 283 and read: “Holy Mary is the One through Whom the renewal of My Church is channelled, so It would shine the full light of God’s grace. These times require from children a heroic Truth, they require faith, hope and love. Signs of the times must be recognised in the light of prayer and God’s Words, and calls from My Mother and from my beloved servant John Paul II must be heard; and there’s a need for prayer and atonement in the intention of saving lost children of Mine…”
The light of my bedroom lamps revealed a new effect: the Eucharist in its golden outline shines brighter, and the colour of Jesus’ garments takes on a similar shade. You can see that Lord Jesus is in the Eucharist – just the same.
My charismatic friend Bożenka said that she wishes this painting of Holy Mary was presented in a church to strengthen Her worship.
Edward Anioł wrote: “Holy Mother is beautiful. The artist has a remarkable gift and wonderful hands.”
On the 20th of October father Rafał, my spiritual guide, blessed the painting in my family’s presence. Five year old Nataś, our beloved grandson, imitated the priest making the Sign of the Cross. It was very sweet. He had many times before pointed with his finger at the wounds on Jesus’ feet, asking what had happened. Wikusia always explains to her brother that Lord Jesus had been on the Cross and that’s why He has these wounds. One day Nataś asked: “Grandma, is the holy priest alive?” I replied that yes, He walks beside us, just we cannot see Him. I also added that He lived in his heart a well as in the painting, just as in the painting Lord Jesus lives in His Mother’s heart.