OUR LADY OF THE LAMP

Day 247: January 14

Our Lady of the Lamp, Church of St John Calybite, Tiber Island,

Rome, Italy



This venerated image is a magnificent fresco of the thirteenth century. Formerly called "Santa Maria Cantu Fluminis", it was called "Madonna della Lampada" (Our Lady of the Lamp.

In 1557, on January 14th, in an extraordinary flood of the Tiber, the Image remained immersed in the waters for several days; when it reappeared, it was cooler than before, and the oil lamp, which always burned before it, still shone brightly.

Later it was detached and placed where it is now, inside the church of the San Giovanni Calibita Fatebenefratelli Hospital.


St Justin Russolillo Writes...

"We beg of your compassion, generosity and power, fullness of grace in this life, that we may be, in heaven, stars of glory in that crown of your sweet heart, O Mary."

(Justin Russolillo, Spirit of Prayer, trans. Louis Caputo, Vocationist Fathers, Newark, 1996, p. 153)

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