Obsidian is a rock that forms when lava comes into contact with water and cools very quickly. Depending on the composition of the lava, it can have a variety of qualities and additional colors beyond its characteristic black.

 

Quartz is very likely the stone referred to as “crystal” in the Bible. It was prized for its transparent quality and was used to make both gems and lenses. Both Old and New Testaments use it in metaphors to describe things as shining, clear, and smooth. Even in Biblical times it was a common mineral, and it is often used when describing expansive things, like the firmament or the sea.

 

Our Lady of Fatima appeared to three children every month between May and October of 1917. In addition to prophecies and the Miracle of the Sun at her last appearance, she request the children and others pray the rosary every day, adding the prayer “Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of thy mercy.” at the end of each decade.

 

Roses have been associated with Mary even before the devotion of the rosary, the prayer which represents the garlands of roses she wears in Heaven. They accompany her in several of her apparitions, most famously at La Salette and in the Miracle of the Roses of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady is often referred to as the Rose Without Thorns.