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Mary, Ark of the Convenant
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"O noble Virgin... O dwelling place of God the
Word.. You are greater than them all, O Covenant, clothed with purity instead of gold! You are the Ark
in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which divinity
resides.""
~ St. Athanasius
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This is a massive rosary! The 10mm Aves, lampwork over
foil, glow softly gold. In the sterling-capped 25mm Paters, roses swirl over silver foil,
encased in royal amethyst. The rosary is joined with a sterling Loreto centerpiece --- a Via
Rosa exclusive: Our Lady of Loreto on on side, and the
House of Loreto
(shown) on the obverse. The rosary is completed with substantial, richly-detailed, 3" sterling
crucifix, cast from an antique.
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Litany of Loreto Rosaries
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Mary's portrait is partially contained in the
representation of the Ark of the Covenant. It is surrounded by religious Jewish
symbols. Mary's image bears elegant features, the gestures of her hands seem to point to
her womb, the true Ark of the Covenant. The inscription in the margin reads, "Arise
Lord, come to your resting place, you and your majestic ark" (Psalm 132:8).
The Marian interpretation of the Ark of the Covenant is
known since the Council of Ephesus (see: Proclus of Constantinople, 446).
Several analogies can be established between Mary and the Ark of the Covenant: the Ark was the
throne of God, Mary is the true "Christophora;" the Ark contained the tables of the
law, Mary's womb bore the one who is the law of the new covenant; the Ark was precious and
beautiful, made in gold, Mary's soul is adorned with the beauty of her virtues; the Ark was a
warranty for victory, Mary has been victorious in the battles of God (Pius XII); the Ark found a
place in the inner "sanctum" of the Temple, Mary was assumed into heaven.
"What God has made clean, you are not to call
unclean (profane)" (Acts 10:15).
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The Ark of the Covenant
by John O'Connell
It is recorded in the Old Testament that Moses and the Israelites built the Ark of the Covenant to
house the tablets of the Decalogue (Ex. 25:8-16). The Lord instructed His People to also place manna
that He had given them in the desert on the Ark (Ex.16:32-35). Centuries later, when King Solomon
built the Temple of Jerusalem, the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple and placed it
inside the Holy of Holies (3 Kgs. 8:3-7) (cf. Heb. 9:1-5).
The Fathers of the Church, who were steeped in the Bible, after prayerfully reflecting on the role of
the Blessed Virgin Mary in salvation history, acclaimed her as the Ark of the Covenant. They saw the
Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament as a type of the Blessed Mother. The first Ark contained the
Law of the Old Covenant, while Our Lady conceived, carried in her womb for nine months, and gave birth
to her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who established in His Person the New Covenant.
Pope Pius XII in Munificentissimus Deus, speaking of the Fathers, wrote:
... some have employed the words of the Psalmist: "Arise, O Lord, and go into Thy resting place,
Thou and the ark of Thy might" and have looked upon the Ark of the Covenant, built of
incorruptible wood and places in the Lord's temple, as a type of the most pure body of the Virgin
Mary, preserved and exempted from all corruption of the tomb and raised up to such glory in heaven.
Just as the New Covenant surpasses the Old, so the new Ark of the Covenant (Our Lady) is superior to
the old. The old Ark contained the word of God inscribed on stone tablets, but the new Ark contained
the Incarnate Word of God. The old Ark held the Law that could not justify, but the new Ark held Jesus
Christ Who Himself is the eternal New Covenant with God; He Who justifies and saves. Moses placed the
manna from the desert before the Tablets in the old Ark of the Covenant, but the new Ark was the
repository of the true Manna, the Bread come down from heaven, Jesus Christ the Son of God. The old
Ark was made of inanimate materials, but the new Ark is the greatest human person whoever has or ever
will live - she whose soul has been adorned by God with a superabundance of the choicest graces.
The Israelites had a great reverential fear for the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. Only the
priests were allowed to touch it. The Lord struck down Oza for touching the Ark when the Israelites
were moving it to Jerusalem (2 Kings 6:6-7). And the Ark of the Covenant proved to be a blessing for
Obededom and all his household when it stayed in his house for three months (2 Kings 6:10-11). How
much more then is loving respect and honor due to the new Ark of the Covenant - the Magnificent Mother
of God. For it is through Mary's fiat that we have received such a glorious Savior Who redeemed us by
His Holy Cross and nourishes us with His Body and Blood.
In a Coptic sermon, attributed to St. Anthanasius, the Holy Virgin is thus addressed:
O Ark of the new covenant, clad on all sides with purity in place of gold; the one in whom is found
the golden vase with its true manna, that is the flesh in which lies the God-head.
John O'Connell is the Editor of The Catholic Faith magazine.
© 1996
Inter Mirifica
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