Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P., on Mary as the Ark of the Covenant

"If I'm being honest, Harrison Ford introduced me to the Ark of the Covenant. Playing the heroic archeologist Indiana Jones, Ford's quest to retrieve the long-lost artifact of Israel brought this venerable object to the attention of America's Gen-Z and millennials devoted to the Indiana Jones films. . . .

"The Ark of the Covenant was a golden box, fabricated by Moses to transport the stone tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments. The Ark was decorated with cherubim and carried by poles that were slipped into rings on either side (Exod 25). The New Testament Book of Hebrews reports, 'In it were the gold jar containing the manna, the staff of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant' (Heb 9:4). . . .

"Why is the Virgin Mary hailed as the Ark of the Covenant? When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the temple, the cloud of God's presence settled there. The Virgin Mary became in her own flesh, the dwelling place of God. Overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, she carried the Word, who himself would be the new manna, the high priest, and the new lawgiver."

In a recent commentary, Father Patrick Briscoe, O.P., reflected on our Blessed Mother as the new Ark of the Covenant.

To access Fr Patrick's complete post, please visit: 

Aleteia: Fr. Patrick Briscoe, OP: The Ark of the Covenant and the Assumption of Our Lady (15 AUG 21)