Brezje

PRED MARIJO

Anton Vovk je že od rane mladosti zaupno zrl v Marijino podobo bodisi doma, še večkrat pa na Brezjah. Kadar je bila priložnost, vselej se je veselil, ko je z materjo obiskal to svetišče. V času življenjskih preizkušenj, dvomov in skrbi se je že kot mlad fant zatekal pod Marijin plašč in jo prosil pomoči: »Moji edini izleti so bili v dijaških letih ob nedeljah zjutraj na Brezje, vedno peš in navadno s čevlji v rokah. Pridružil sem se tudi rad vsaki procesiji za dež ali lepo vreme na Brezje ali na Blejski otok«. Tolažbe in svéta je pred Marijino podobo iskal tudi pozneje, ko je prevzemal različne službe v Cerkvi. Prav pred brezjansko Marijo Pomagaj se je zatekel v času, ko so mu zaupali, da bo postal pomožni škof v Ljubljani. Pred njo je kleče sprejel to pomembno poslanstvo: »Izrekel sem z Marijo, naj se zgodi volja Božja in volja Cerkve!«

Prav na tem kraju je 1. septembra 1957 izrekel eno svojih znamenitejših pridig ob 50-letnici kronanja podobe Marije Pomagaj:

»Ko pravi sv. Pavel Filipljanom, da so njegovo veselje in njegova krona, jih v istem stavku poziva, naj stojijo v Gospodu, na več drugih mestih v svojih pismih pa naroča: Stojte v veri! – Isto, predragi v Gospodu, nam pravi in naroča Marija. Da bomo njeno veselje in njena krona: Stojmo trdno v veri! Svoji Cerkvi je Kristus izročil posebej ves nauk, ves zaklad Božjega razodetja, postavil ji je poglavarja, poslal ji je Svetega Duha, da jo razsvetljuje in varuje vsake zmote, da Božje resnice nepopačeno in čisto uči in jih izroča iz roda v rod do konca dni.
V tej veri, po besedi sv. Pavla in po Marijini želji: STOJTE! Ne kakor otrok na majavih nogah, ki pri vsakem koraku lahko pade; ne kakor bolnik, ki le s težavo prestavlja noge, v katerih ni moči. Stojte s trdnimi nogami kakor hrasti, pripravljeni na sunke vetra od vseh strani! Stojte, kadar Bog dopušča, da se vaša vera boleče preizkuša! Stojte, da v neveri grešnega sveta ne utonete in z zgledom vernega življenja pokažite, kako je treba svetne dobrine uporabljati, da gotovo večne dosežemo! Stojte v veri v vseh preizkušnjah življenja, kakor je stala Marija v uri najtežje preizkušnje pod križem, na katerem je umiral njen Sin v naše odrešenje!« (odlomek iz pridige)

Neka še živeča gospa se iz svoje mladosti spominja, da je Vovkov mogočni glas slišala z Brezij, ko je tam pridigal, na Pretrško polje pri Radovljici (3 km zračne razdalje), kjer se je takrat nahajala.

SLIKA: Anton Vovk na Brezjah 1. septembra 1957 ob 50. obletnici kronanja podobe Marije Pomagaj.

dr. Miha Šimac, Jure Sovinc

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PRAYING TO THE VIRGIN MARY

From an early age, Anton Vovk confided in the image of Virgin Mary, either at home or at Brezje, his favourite pilgrimage site. Whenever he had the opportunity, he looked forward to visiting this shrine with his mother. Even as a young boy he found refuge under Virgin Mary’s mantle, asking her for help at times of life’s trials, doubts and worries: ‘My only trips during my high school years were to Brezje on Sunday mornings, always on foot, usually holding my shoes in my hands. I also liked to join every procession with prayers for rain or fine weather, to Brezje or to Bled Island’. He also sought consolation and counsel before the image of Virgin Mary later, when he took on various positions in the Church. It was at Mary Help of Christians at Brezje that he sought guidance when he was informed he was about to become the auxiliary bishop in Ljubljana. Kneeling before her, he accepted this important mission: ‘In the company of Mary, I uttered, let the will of God and the will of the Church be done.’
It was at this very place he delivered one of his most famous sermons on 1 September 1957, on the 50^th anniversary of the coronation of the holy painting of Mary Help of Christians:

‘When St. Paul tells the Philippians they are his joy and his crown, he also in the same sentence calls upon them to stand firm in the Lord, and in several other places in his letters he bids them: Stand firm in the faith! Dearly beloved in the Lord, Mary tells us the same. Let us stand firm in the faith so that we may be her joy and her crown! Christ entrusted his Church with all his teachings, the whole treasure of divine revelation, he appointed her head, he sent her the Holy Spirit to enlighten and protect her from all errors, to reveal God’s truths in an undistorted and pure manner and to hand them down from generation to generation until the end of days.
In this belief, according to the words of St. Paul and according to Mary’s desire: STAND FIRM! Do not stand like a child on wobbly legs, who can fall at every step; do not stand like a sick man moving his legs with difficulty and with no strength. Stand with your legs firm like oaks, ready for gusts of wind blowing from all sides! Stand firm when God allows your faith to be trialled painfully! Stand firm so that you do not drown in the unbelief of this sinful world, and show by the example of a faithful life how earthly goods should be used, so that we can be certain to attain eternity! Stand firm in faith in all the trials of life, as Mary stood firm in the hour of the most difficult trial under the cross, upon which her Son died for our salvation!’ (excerpt from the sermon)

A witness still alive today recalls how in her youth she could, when Vovk was preaching at Brezje, hear his booming voice all the way to the Pretrško Polje near Radovljica (3 km away as the crow flies), where she happened to be at the time.

FIGURE: Anton Vovk at Brezje on 1 September 1957, on the 50th anniversary of the coronation of the holy painting of Mary Help of Christians.

Prevod/translation: Katarina Ropret, Gregor Timothy Čeh