Not only do we want our treasures to be safe from thieves; our souls are also at risk of being lost due to sin. Our Lady has often been likened to an ark. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it states:

Mary is full of grace because the Lord is with her Mary, in whom the Lord Himself has just made His dwelling, is the daughter of Zion in person, the Ark of the Covenant, the place where the glory of the Lord dwells. She is “the dwelling of  God with men.” Full of grace, Mary is wholly given over to Him Who has come to dwell in her and Whom she is about to give to the world. (Catechism 2676)

     Indeed, Mary is the Ark of the Covenant—carrying Jesus in her virginal womb. Likewise, she can be an ark to each of us as well. She is a Noah’s Ark: a place of refuge for our souls. We have only to run to her and put ourselves under her protection. She gladly opens the door to each of us. But we must go to her and ask for such protection as a little child goes to his mother and asks for help.