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Beloved in Christ, today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. I thought on this great day, we could take a closer look at the Holy Scriptures, and see what they are teaching us.
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Remember in the Old Testament, the holiest object of the Jewish religion, was the ark. This is not Noah’s ark, rather, it is the golden box which was carried by Israel through the desert, and then placed in the temple of Jerusalem. This Ark was the place where God himself came to dwell with his people, in the Cloud of Glory.
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In the temple, two large statues of angels were on either side of it. And since the golden Ark held the presence of God, that is why our tabernacle has two angels by it – to recall the Ark of the Old Testament.
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When King David first brought the Ark up to Jerusalem, this important event is described in the book of kings. If we look closely, we will see many parallels between the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem, and Mary going up to Elizabeth, which is the gospel today.
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In the Book of Kings, it says, that David “arose and went” into the Judean hill country; the gospel says that Mary arose, and set out for the hill-country of Judea. Very similar.
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It is written: ‘David leaped and danced before the ark – and in the gospel it says, John the Baptist ‘leaped’ in the womb of Elizabeth.
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David asks, ‘how can the ark of the Lord come to me? And Elizabeth asks, ‘how can the mother of my Lord come to me?
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There are more parallels: David shouts in the presence of the ark, and Elizabeth exclaims with a loud cry in the presence of Mary. And in the Book of Kings it says that the ark remained in the house of Obededom 3 months; and St. Luke tells us: Mary remained with Elizabeth – for 3 months.
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These are not coincidences. St. Luke writes his gospel this way, showing these parallels, to show us that Mary is the Ark of the New Law. As God’s Glory Cloud came down to the Ark of the Old Law, God himself, Jesus, came down to the Ark of the New Law: Mary. So Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant, she carries God.
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In the Book of Revelation, chapter 12, it says that the Ark was seen up in heaven. The Ark? Yes. And then it describes it: ‘A woman clothed with the sun.’ Mary is the Ark because she carried the Son of the Eternal Father in her womb.
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On today’s feast we remember that Mary was taken up into heaven body and soul. This dear Blessed Virgin shows us the way, that we too will one day be resurrected in heaven. Pray for us Mary in this life, until we see you and Jesus in the next.
