Collection: Our Lady of Light: Help of the Addicted

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, stands as a towering figure of light in the darkness. She is a timeless reminder of God’s abiding and gentle love for each of us, no matter who we are, what we do, or how many times we stumble on our journey. Her hair is streaked with gray to signify the wisdom that comes with age and experience.

The painting is filled with age-old symbols and some newer, more personal ones as well. Mary is dressed in blue, a traditional color of the inner peace and serenity which she inspires in us. Surrounding her head are twelve stars, another very traditional symbol of Mary in art, but here they also serve as a reminder of the twelve steps of recovery, the main source of spiritual, emotional, and physical healing for people seeking sobriety and health.

Mary holds a broken cocktail glass in her hands, to remind us that our most life-changing lessons come from our deepest pains and trials. As Saint Paul said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” Three flowers grow from the soil in the glass, each with a symbolic purpose: the lotus is an ancient symbol of enlightenment and beauty; the gold rose reminds us of the glorious mysteries of the rosary which are all about life transformed; and the lily stands for the hope of Easter and its promise of starting over again each and every day. Because the lily is shaped like a cup, it is seen as a vessel “filled with grace.”