“Mother Mary comes to me”…
Just like the Beatles song says, Mary came to me, when I needed her most. When my daughter Lauren died, I became angry with God. I felt as though I had been slapped in the face, and chastised for something I did wrong. During the aftermath, I received a piece of advice from my Uncle Curtis, reminding me to turn to Mary, as a grieving mother. When I thought of what Mary experienced, and how in addition to losing her child, she had to watch him suffer, I felt a tiny bit blessed, and I opened my broken heart to her, and to healing. I felt like Mary was the only one who could possibly understand, and experience my pain, the way that I did. Although I remained angry with God, I still prayed the rosary, almost every day. I felt peace, and comfort when I prayed the rosary, and I learned to turn to it when I became overwhelmed with grief. But Mary had more in mind.
On my first Mother’s day after Lauren’s death, I received a special gift. A friend, Mary Ann, arrived at my house early that Sunday, and blew her horn in the driveway. I walked on to the porch to see her dragging a huge, tapestry style suitcase across the yard. She lugged it all the way inside the house, and unzipped it. She told me that she knew I needed this on Mother’s day. I couldn’t imagine what she had in there, all wrapped up in an egg crate mattress topper. Mary Ann’s face beamed as she pulled out a 3 foot Our Lady of Fatima statue. She was beautiful! Mary Ann explained that she called the statue her “Traveling Mary”. She brings it to people who are in need of prayer, and she leaves it with them for a while, “for them to gain strength and peace from the Blessed Mother.” Mary Ann told me to put her somewhere in the house, with a picture of the sacred heart of Jesus, and pray the rosary with her. She said that Mary would “keep me company.” I didn’t understand what Mary Ann meant, but soon I would.
I found a place for Mary in the office, on a coffee table, next to the sofa. I liked to keep a holy candle burning, and a fresh rose from my garden, next to the Blessed Mother. I prayed the rosary at least once a day, sometimes more, while I had my turn with the statue. I had also received a special rosary on that Mother’s day. I was given a rosary made from the funeral roses of my beautiful friend Peggy. I enjoyed the aroma of roses as I prayed, and I soon came to understand what Mary Ann meant. Mary became company for me. I knew my time with her would eventually come to an end, and it would be someone elses turn. So, I found myself sitting with her all the time, whether I was praying the rosary or not. I would go to her for comfort, and company, all throughout the day. Eventually, Mary Ann called to tell me that she would be coming for the statue, and I was saddened at the thought of losing her.
On my last afternoon with Mary, I prayed the rosary, and I contemplated what I could do to keep Mary’s presence with me. I was going to look into getting my own statue. I was literally in the middle of saying a Hail Mary, when I heard a knock at the door. It was Jill, my new friend. We had met the night before, at St Joes Class Night celebration. She said that she had a gift for me, and she needed help getting it out of the car. She pulled out a large, wooden, box from her backseat. I could see an “M” painted on the front, and a small glass window. I looked into the window, and there was a beautiful Mary statue exactly like the one Mary Ann had loaned me. I was flabbergasted! I explained to Jill that I had been praying the rosary, and lamenting over returning the statue, when she pulled up in the driveway, to give me her Mary statue! Jill and I were both bewildered, and we tried to ascertain what had just happened, to both of us.
Jill told me her amazing side of the story. She had owned this Our Lady of Fatima statue of Mary for 18 years. She said that Mary had been with her during some of the most trying times of her life. Jill said that Mary provided her with company during the times when she felt alone. She said that lately, Mary had been speaking to her heart, and letting her know that she was needed elsewhere. This particular day, Jill said that she had started a normal day at work, and that Mary began telling her that she needed to go to someone. Jill listened to the urgings, to leave work at lunch, and pack up her Mary statue at home, and bring her to someone in need. Jill asked, but Mary would not reveal who needed her, until Jill had loaded her in the car. After she was all packed up, Jill asked the Blessed Mother where she wanted to go, and Mary directed her to my house! Jill told me that I could keep her as long as I wanted, even forever. She told me that she had Mary in her heart now, and didn’t need the statue anymore. My heart was so full, and my prayer had been answered. I didn’t have to give up the Mary I had grown so attached to. I returned Mary Ann’s statue that day, and told her what had happened. She smiled, and winked, and said “Do you see how it works?”
At some point, I was compelled to return the statue to Jill. My heart knew that the statue belonged with her, and I knew that Jill had selflessly given her to me when I needed her most. But, the time came to give her back. Like Jill, I had come to realize that Mary was in my heart. A few days before I returned Jills statue, Mary knocked on my door a third time. This time, it was the Schoenstatt Shrine of Mary. As I took the shrine in to our home, I noticed that Mary had brought Jesus with her. The shrine is a wooden framed picture of Mary holding the infant Jesus. I still receive the shrine for three days, each month, and I look forward to my special time with Mary and Jesus.
I do not believe that it is a coincidence that the two statues of Mary were Our Lady of Fatima statues, or that Jill gave me her statue on May 13th, which is the feast day of Fatima. May 13, 2009, was also Lauren’s high school graduation. Lauren received a post humus diploma that night. Her classmates each brought a rose up to the altar, in honor of Lauren, and they created a beautiful bouquet of red and white roses. The bouquet was placed at the foot of the Our Lady of Fatima statue in St Joseph’s church. The bouquet stayed at Mary’s feet for a week. When the roses were taken off the altar, my mom retrieved them. We sent them off to be made into rosaries, and chaplets, and key chains, for the family.
Several months after receiving our rosaries, chaplets, and key chains made from Lauren’s roses, something amazing happened. My family and I attended a healing mass, at the Immaculate Conception Church in Washington, Louisiana. At the start of the rosary, my mom noticed that the silver casings, which encased Lauren’s roses, on her rosary had turned a gold color. At the same time, I received a text from my cousin Kim, saying that the color of her key chain casings had changed from silver to gold. Kim was stuck at work, and couldn’t attend the healing mass with us that night, but in solidarity, pulled out her rosary key chain to say a quick prayer. When she saw her key chain, she was shocked because the silver casings had turned gold!
We have had the rosary and key chain tested by a jeweler. Although the properties of the metal have not changed from silver to gold, the color has. In the jeweler’s opinion, it is a “remarkable” tarnishing. It is uniform throughout, and does not come off when cleaned. He remarked that he had never seen such an even tarnish before. He was also able to confirm that the color change was not due to the rose petals, or the oil used to soak them. We have spoken to the lady who made the rosary and key chains, and in all her 30 years of experience, she has never heard of one of her pieces turning gold in color. The rosary and key chains turning a gold color are gift of faith to us. We know that the timing of the color change, and the origin of the roses, make it an undeniable sign from the Blessed Mother.
All of these experiences in the past two
years have helped me to find my faith. I have also created a loving, trusting,
bond with the Blessed Mother. I turn to
her because she is comfort, and company for me.
Through her intercession, and example, I have opened my heart to God
again. She still comes to me when I need
her. In fact, I just received my own 3
foot Mary statue at Christmas! She is a lovely Our Lady of Guadelupe statue, a
gift from my parents. I love her, and we are becoming very fast friends. I had forgotten about getting myself a
statue, but I guess the Blessed Mother didn’t forget. She continues to let herself into my front
door, and into my heart.
T.Rodney
1/24/11