Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant

Catholic Reflector Chronicle/Vol. 1, Issue 8/Dec 8, 2024

Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant. Why do Catholics call her that? To answer this important question, we must turn to “typology.” Typology is the study and interpretation of types and symbols, originally and especially in the Bible.

In a previous post, I mentioned that our non-Catholic Christian brothers and sisters largely ignore Mary, or downright disparage her. I think that one of those reasons is that they have not considered the typology of Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant as revealed in the Old and New Testament. Some time ago, I covered this topic in an apologetics course I was teaching, and a very studied protestant who was in the class (who knows scripture backwards and forwards) exclaimed, “I’ve never heard this!!” She had read everything that I am about to tell you, but had never made the connection. My friends, protestants are missing out, plain and simple.

I prefer to present this information in column form, but the Substack format is somewhat limiting in this regard, so bear with me as I try to present a side-by-side comparison of scriptural support for Mary as the Ark, the most important Ark. I will go back and forth, between OLD and NEW.

The Ark of the Old Covenant (OLD)

Mary: Ark of the New Covenant (NEW)

OLD: 1 Kings 8: 7,10: The Cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles…the cloud filled the temple of the Lord.

NEW: Luke 1:35: The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

OLD: 2 Sam. 6:1-11: The ark traveled to the house of Obed-edom (of the tribe of Levi) in the hill country of Judea.

NEW: Luke 1:39: Mary traveled to the house of Elizabeth (descended from the tribe of Levi) and Zechariah in the hill country of Judea.

OLD: 2 Sam. 6:14: In priestly attire, David danced and leapt in front of the ark.

NEW: Luke 1:41: At the approach of Mary, John the Baptist (of priestly lineage) leapt in his mother’s womb.

OLD: 2 Sam. 6:9: “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” -David

NEW: Luke 1:43: “Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” -Elizabeth

OLD: 2 Sam. 6:15: David shouts in the presence of the ark.

NEW: Luke 1:42: Elizabeth “exclaimed with a loud cry (shouts)” in the presence of Mary.

OLD: Sam. 6:11: The ark remained in the house of Obed-edom for 3 months.

NEW: Luke 1:56: Mary remained in the house of Elizabeth for 3 months.

OLD: 2 Sam. 6:11: The house of Obed-edom was blessed by the presence of the ark.

NEW: Luke 1:39-45: Surely the house was blessed by God.

OLD: 2 Sam. 6:12, 1 Kings 8:9-11: The ark returns to its home and ends up in Jerusalem, where the presence of God and God’s Glory is revealed in the temple.

NEW: Luke 1:56, 2:21-22: Mary returns home and ends up in Jerusalem, where she presents Jesus (God incarnate) in the temple.

So what was contained inside the Ark of the Old Covenant? 3 things. First, it contained a golden urn filled with manna from the wilderness, which was the miraculous bread come down from heaven. Second, the stone tablets of the law, literally the Word of God inscribed in stone. Third, the budded rod of Aaron, which proved and defended the true high priest (a symbol of the priesthood).

Now compare what was “contained” in Mary’s womb. Also 3 things. First, she contained the body of Jesus Christ, the Word of God in the flesh. Second, since Jesus is the bread of life come down from heaven (John 6:41,51), she contained the true manna/bread from heaven. Third, rather than a symbol, Mary contained in her womb the actual and eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ.

So what can all this reveal to us about Mary? Well, for starters, she was no mere “vessel, “surrogate,” or “oven” for Jesus Christ. She was the holiest of shelters for God incarnate. Her body nourished Our Lord. Jesus was formed as the new Adam, in a juxtaposition of sorts, from the flesh of Mary’s flesh, bone of her bones, revealing Mary as the new Eve.

Modern science has shown that a mother retains a small amount of her children's DNA throughout her life, due to a phenomenon called "microchimerism" where cells from the baby cross the placenta and become integrated into the mother's tissues during pregnancy, meaning she carries a trace of her child's genetic material even after birth; these cells can persist for decades, or possibly indefinitely. Think about that. Mary very likely ALWAYS contained Jesus, in a sense. If so, her purity, sinlessness and assumption make all the more sense. She was set apart, she was holy.

The Ark of Old was wrapped in gold (Exodus 25:11), inside and out, symbolizing purity and was to remain pure (Exodus 26:33). Mary was preserved from sin, made pure (immaculate) and remained pure (sinless). The Ark was not to be touched (1 Chronicles 13:10) as Mary was to remain a virgin. Finally, the Ark was lost and taken up into heaven (Revelation 11:19), just as Mary was bodily assumed into heaven.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church expounds upon this at 2676 when explaining the Hail Mary: "Rejoice ... O Daughter of Jerusalem ... the Lord your God is in your midst." ^{(Zeph 3:14, 17a.)} 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."^{(Rev 21:3)} 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.

Revelation 11:19-12:1: ¹⁹ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. 12 ^[a]And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;

So you see friends, The Ark of the Old and the Ark of the New are inextricably connected, and Mary, the Mother of our Lord, is worthy of our honor and of our respect, as was given to her son, Jesus Christ.

Scripture to read and consider:

Luke 1:28,30 Angel to Mary: “full of grace, you have found favor with God”

Luke 1:42 Elizabeth to Mary: “most blessed among women.”

Luke 1:48: Mary: “all generations will call me blessed.”

1 Chronicles 13:9,10: ⁹And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and he smote him because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.

Issue Quote: St. Hippolytus (c. 170-c.236 A.D.)

“At that time, the Savior coming from the Virgin, the Ark, brought forth His own Body into the world from that Ark, which was gilded with pure gold within by the Word, and without by the Holy Ghost; so that the truth was shown forth, and the Ark was manifested....And the Savior came into the world bearing the incorruptible Ark, that is to say His own body.”

Upcoming Topics:

Dec. 15: Adventus: Advent in the Nicene Creed

Dec. 22: Christmas is over on the 25th, right? (Wrong).

Dec. 29: Extraordinary Ministers should not be so ordinary

Jan. 5: Man Up: Reviving the Masculinity of Priests

Jan. 12: Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape." Communion in the hand or on the tongue?

Disclaimer from the Editor: I have done just about everything wrong that a Catholic can do. I was born a Catholic, and by the Grace of God, managed to remain one. I hope these writings educate and edify you. I will make mistakes, and I am likely to offend a few folks along the way. That is not my intention. If you wish to discuss anything written or expressed in this newsletter, please reach out to the email address below. Questions, comments and rude remarks are welcome, one and all. And remember, if you are a practicing Catholic, practice harder!

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