Catechetical Corner – The New Ark.
Do you remember poor Uzzah? He who was struck down by God for touching the Ark of the ‘Old’ Covenant? (2 Sam. 6:6-7). Well, what about the Ark of the New Covenant? Where is that?
The original Ark of the Covenant was the most sacred object in ancient Israel. It contained the tablets of the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna, and the staff of Aaron. It symbolised God’s dwelling among HIS people, serving as a physical embodiment of HIS covenant with them. When the Ark entered a place, it was a sign of God’s presence.
In the Gospel of Luke, a link is established between the Old Testament Ark and the Virgin Mary. The Annunciation story (Lk. 1:26-38) echoes the Old Testament account of the Ark’s arrival in Jerusalem. When Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth exclaims, “And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk.1:43). This parallels King David’s exclamation upon the arrival of the Ark, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Sam. 6:9). Both accounts speak of a three-month sojourn and a spontaneous, joyful dance: David before the Ark and John the Baptist in his mother’s womb (Lk. 1:44).
In addition, the contents of the Old and New Arks parallel one another. The original Ark contained the manna (the bread from heaven), the Ten Commandments (the divine law), and the rod of Aaron (a symbol of the high priesthood). In her womb, Mary carried Jesus, who is the true Bread of Life (Jn. 6:35), the fulfilment of the Law (Mt. 5:17), and the eternal High Priest (Heb. 4:14). This parallel highlights that while the Old Ark held symbols of God’s presence, the new Ark, Mary, held God Himself.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reinforces this. CCC 2676 states, “In the ‘fullness of time’ the Lord of history chose the mother of His Son, a daughter of Israel, the Virgin Mary. Her Ark-like womb carried the new covenant and the new law.”
The Ark of the Old Covenant was a pure and holy vessel, untouchable, consecrated for God alone, remember poor Uzzah? The Immaculate Conception, the belief that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin, is a necessary prerequisite for her to be the fitting vessel for the Son of God. She was made uniquely pure to hold the Holy of Holies, just as the Old Ark was made of pure materials to hold the sacred relics – see (Ex. 25-29). In this way, Mary is the perfect dwelling place for Jesus, the fulfilment of all the Old Testament foreshadowing. Her “Ark-like” womb is the new Holy of Holies, the sacred space where God chose to make his dwelling among people.
September 8th is celebrated liturgically as the birthday of the Virgin Mary. As we honour Mother Mary on her birthday, let’s honour her not only as our mother but also as the Ark of the Covenant. The embodiment of GOD’s covenant with us, HIS children.