New Ark of the Covenant
One
The Visitation
Luke 1, “Gabriel the Archangel said to Mary, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you….’ Then Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ And Mary remained with her for three months.”
Two
Luke describes the Visitation in such a way as to teach us that Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant. He draws a parallel between:
Mary coming to Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-56 and the Ark of the Covenant coming to David in 2 Sam 6:2-16.
David arose and went to the hill country of Judah (2 Sam 6:2) Mary arose and went to the hill country of Judah (Lk 1:39)
David says, “How can the ark of the covenant of the Lord come to me? (2 Sam 6:9) Elizabeth says, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me? “ (Lk 1:43)
The ark goes to the house of Obededom (2 Sam 6:10) Mary goes to the house of Zechariah (Lk 1:40) The Ark was there for three months (2 Sam 6:11) Mary stayed there three months (Lk 1:56) David and all Israel were rejoicing (2 Sam 6:12) Mary rejoices in the Magnificat (Lk 1:47) David shouting (2 Sam 6:15) Elizabeth loud cry (Lk 1:42) David leaping and dancing (2 Sam 6:17) John the Baptist leaps in the womb of Elizabeth (Lk 1:41)
Three
In the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant did four things:
The Ark was the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit
The Ark was the visible physical sign that brought God to the people
The Ark led them through the wilderness to the promised land
The Ark gave them victory in battle, as in the victory at Jericho (Joshua 6)
But what happened to the Ark? Before Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC, Jeremiah the Prophet hid the Ark and lost it. Where is it now? In a warehouse in Washington D.C. — No, the Ark is in heaven.
Revelation 11-12, “Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple... And a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars… she brought forth a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne.”
Mary is the New and Everlasting Ark of the Covenant. The first Ark was never found because it was only a temporary sign that prepared for the Everlasting Ark of the Covenant, Mary, the Mother of God. That is why, in the book of Revelation, when John is given a vision of God’s temple in heaven he sees the Ark of the Covenant as a woman clothed with the Sun who is the mother of the male child who will rule all the nations, Jesus, and her children are those who keep the commandments of Christ, all the Christians.
Four
“Blessed are you among women.”
In the Bible, it is said of only three women, “Blessed are you among women,” and these same three women crush the head of their enemy: Mary, Judith, and Jael
In the book of Judges chapter four, the Canaanites were attacking Israel at Mt. Tabor. Their General went into the tent looking for food and drink. When he fell asleep, Jael drove a tent spike through his head, saving her people. This is the woman my daughter Grace chose as her confirmation saint – that should give you some insight into my daughter.
Then there is Judith. When the Assyrians were attacking Israel, Judith seduced their general Holofernes, he became drunk and passed out and Judith took his sword and loped off his head with his own sword saving Israel. And the Scriptures proclaim, “The Lord has struck him down by the hand of a woman.” Judith 13
In Genesis 3:15, speaking to Satan, God said, “I will make you enemies of each other, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head while you strike at her heel.” Mary is the one who crushes the head of Satan by her heel, her children who take up the Rosary and spread it!
Five
The Cosmic Battle and the Victory
There is a cosmic battle going on in the world, but the real danger is not Russia or China or Iran. The real danger in the world is sin, yours and mine. The solution is conversion. But conversion only comes by way of turning to Jesus in prayer and an honest reflection on one’s life.
Our Lady comes as the Queen of Peace to call us to conversion by praying the Rosary and by gathering family and friends around her in prayer.