A terrible fire occurred in Colorado, January of 2022, destroying 1000 homes. When Tom and Kat Greany returned home, they found it completely destroyed. Yet a statue of the Virgin Mary was unharmed.
Tom said, "When we arrived at our home... all but five of 55 homes in our neighborhood were completely destroyed. When we climbed down into the smoldering rubble of what had been our home, almost nothing was recognizable. A few pots and pans. Twisted steel I-beams, disconnected from the foundation, had fallen onto the ash. On our front porch we could see the crumbled concrete of the foundation, bricks strewn about. And the beautiful designer front doors themselves melted into a twisted ball. But Mary remained. Covered by black soot on the right half of the statue’s body, the Marian image was unscathed. Bricks appeared to have fallen all around; some probably even hit the statue. But it didn’t even fall over. At the feet of the statue, beneath the debris, are many heart-shaped stones that Kat and I have collected on our many hikes, reminding us that we have consecrated our lives to Jesus through Mary and that her Immaculate Heart and his Sacred Heart will protect and sustain us through anything. The statue is a symbol. Amid the smoldering ruins that hours earlier had been an inferno, Mary remained — as she will in our lives, interceding for us through the darkest of times, praying for us to Jesus Christ, her Son, Our Lord and Savior. It stings to look at our home, all of its contents lost. The Christmas giving we had celebrated with our sons went up in smoke, along with everything else they and we owned."
Tom said, "But through the loss of the home, He gave us an opportunity to experience His comfort through the intercession of His Mother — our mother, Mary. We were blessed to be together, safely away; and to get our cars safely out. And no one can take the faith that is rooted deeply within us, fed by signs such as this, that the Holy Family is not only with us, they’re looking out for us. They love us, and they care. They pray for us. And they pray for the world in these dark times we live in. I had asked for only one thing for Christmas: that the Lord would make my family holy. Maybe that starts with stripping away our possessions and becoming fully reliant on him."
My friends, the statue that was unharmed in Colorado is Our Lady of Grace, which depicts the Virgin Mary standing on the earth with her foot on the head of the serpent. The statue represents the woman in Genesis, who will crush the head of the serpent. Mary is the predicted woman, who will be at enmity with the devil because She is sinless. Just as the Virgin Mary was untouched by sin, the statue of Mary was untouched by fire.
Why was Mary conceived without original sin? If you could create your Mother, wouldn't you make Her perfect, and so, Jesus made His Mother, preserved Her from sin. Our Lord also wanted to enter the world in a pure and sinless womb. And just as Eve was sinless, when She was created, so Mary is created sinless to be the new Eve, as the woman foretold in Genesis. Mary was created sinless and never sinned in Her life, so as to be a Mother most pure, spotless and advocate who will pray for us, Her children. At all times, She stands with us, especially in our distress and dark times. As a mother, Mary comforts us and guides us to Her Son Jesus.
Let us have confidence in our sweet Mother and ask Her to intercede for us and give us the graces we need to live a life of holiness and purity of heart, in imitation of Her Immaculate Heart. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us, who have recourse to thee.
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