In Exodus 25, God instructed Moses to construct the Ark of the Covenant. If you’ve seen Raiders of the Lost Ark you know what it may have looked like. Made with worthy materials, acacia wood overlaid with pure gold, the Ark was the sign of God’s presence dwelling among His people.

Later on in the Old Testament, King David assembles all the people and the Ark is processed into Jerusalem with great joy and solemnity.

When Jerusalem was destroyed by the armies of Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah brought the Ark to a hidden place.

Since that time no one has seen the Ark. But then in the New Testament St. John says he saw the Ark of the Covenant… in Heaven!

“God’s temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.”

– Revelation 11:19

Huh? St. John goes on to describe this Ark:

“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;

she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery.”

– Revelation 12:1-2

The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Woman clothed with the Sun, is the Ark of the New Covenant. God created Her without spot or stain—pure, Immaculate, that She might be a worthy God-bearer. In her Virginal Womb, the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us!

The old Ark contained the Ten Commandments, Manna, and the Rod of Aaron High Priest. The new Ark contained the One Who IS the Lawgiver, the Bread of Life, and the Eternal High Priest.

St. Luke also “saw” the Ark when he wrote the account of Mary’s Visitation in his Gospel. Check it out:

• King David arose and went to a house on a hill of Judah, to bring the ark (2 Sam. 6:2-3). “Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah” (Luke 1:39-40)

• David said “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?” (2 Sam. 6:9). Elizabeth said “why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:41-42)

• The ark stayed in a house for three months before (2 Sam. 6:11). How long did Mary stay in Elizabeth’s house? Three months! (Luke 1:56).

• King David danced and shouted with joy before the ark (cf. 2 Sam. 6:14-15). Elizabeth’s baby leapt and she exclaimed with a loud cry before Mother Mary:

“when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit

and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

-Luke 1:41-42

She’s the Ark of New Covenant and she is now in Heaven!

“We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.”

– Psalm 132:7-8

Just as King David brought the ark up to Jerusalem, Jesus brought His ark, Mary, up to the New and Eternal Jerusalem with great joy! That’s the Assumption! That’s why the Ark vision of St. John and the Visitation account were read at today’s Mass of the Assumption!

God preserved Her body from the decay of death. How could He not? He created Her without sin. She put flesh on Jesus by Her willing cooperation with God’s plan of Salvation. She was His dwelling place for 9 months! GOD is never outdone in generosity! After He Ascended into Heaven how could Jesus allow His Mother’s flesh to rot in the ground? So He assumed her body and soul into Heaven at the end of Her early life! That is Catholic Doctrine.

Thanks for reading!