Mary, the mother of Jesus, has many titles. The Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Queen of Heaven, The Immaculate Conception, and several others based on the location of her appearance such as Our Lady of Lourdes. One title that is relatively new to me is The Ark of the New Covenant. I first read about this title in Brant Pitre’s book “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary.” The book provides a revealing discussion about the distinctiveness of the Blessed Mother. I now understand why we hold certain beliefs about her, and where those truths come from.
Dr. Pitre shows that there is very little about her in the New Testament. What Catholics believe about her is based on what the Bible teaches us about Jesus, and ancient Christian beliefs that come from the Old Testament. He explains that these factors bring to light why there are differences between Catholics and non-Catholics about the Blessed Mother’s role in our faith. The similarities between the Ark of the Covenant in Exodus and the Virgin Mary in the New Testament are striking. So how did the title Ark of the New Covenant come to be?
He explains (chapter three) the similarities as follows. The original Ark was made of gold and stored in the “Holy of Holies” because it was where God would meet his people. The Ark was sacred because it contained the Ten Commandments, manna from heaven, and the staff of Aaron. It was holy so that people were not allowed to touch it or even look into it, because it was the dwelling place of God on Earth.
Similarly, the Ark of the New Covenant is also free from any impurity. Mary is the sacred vessel for the “Word made flesh,” the “Bread of Life,” and the “true high priest.” Through God’s graces Mary is the Immaculate Conception and sinless because she housed Jesus in her womb. She was and is holy as was the old Ark of the Covenant. The Blessed Mother is “the place where the glory of the Lord dwells. She is the dwelling of God with men (CCC 2676).”
Pitre, B. (2018). Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah. Image.
Catholic Church. (1997). Catechism of the Catholic Church: Modifications from the Editio Typica (2nd ed.). Doubleday.
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