Are we the Ark of the Covenant today?

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matas2

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During the last 4th Sunday of Advent Mass, the priest giving the homily first described the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament as being a visible sign of God on Earth. Then he described Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant in the New Testament. He then asked us, “…and where is the Ark of the Covenant today?” He paused, and said “it is all of us.” He explained that since we receive the Eucharist, that makes us each the Ark of the Covenant - that we have God inside of us, so we are like God.

I’ve heard teaching like this before, but I do not understand it . The priest was telling us that we are all Gods. I don’t believe him. I’m a sinful man, not God. Am I missing something? Do I need to go back to Sunday School for a refresher?
 
We have within us the Holy Spirit, being like God in that respect doesn’t make us gods, and in fact more like children of God.

We do carry and contain just like the Ark, through time and space for as long as God pleases.
 
Your priest is right. St Paul also describes individual Christians as temples, because the Holy Spirit dwells in them. But of course this implies individuals who possess sanctifying grace.
 
matas2.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the New Ark of the New Covenant.
CCC 2676b Mary, in whom the Lord himself has just made his dwelling, is the daughter of Zion in person, the ark of the covenant, the place where the glory of the Lord dwells. She is “the dwelling of God . . . with men.”
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(If I get to a computer, I will attempt to put up more reasons to accept Mother Mary as “the Ark”.)

When your priest said “the Church” is the Ark, there is a dimension of that too (but it takes a little more meditation).

Since the Blessed Virgin Mary is a living archtype of the Church, the Church would also in some sense qualify as “the Ark”

But you must first see Mary as the TYPE, of the Church.
CCC 967 By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity. Thus she is a “preeminent and . . . wholly unique member of the Church”; indeed, she is the “exemplary realization” (typus ) 510 of the Church.
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The Blessed Virgin Mary is the “exemplary” TYPE (“typus”) “of the Church.”

Hope this helps.

God bless.

Cathoholic
 
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That is certainly a different way of looking at it. We are members of Christ’s Mystical Body - much more than the original ark - but much less than the ark of the New Covenant (the Blessed Virgin). However, the ark - old or new - does not directly save us, and cannot be offered to the Father in atonement for the sins of the world. For that reason, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices at mass, offering not only Christ, but ourselves as living sacrifices, since we are spiritually and physically connected to Christ via the Sacraments - conjoined to Him. Grafted into the vine, according to Saint Paul in Romans 11. In that capacity, we may offer our crosses, pains and suffering up to the Father for eternal benefit.
 
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matas2 said:
Then he described Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant in the New Testament.
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Mary is not the ‘ark of the covenant’. Jesus Christ is (Psalms 40:8). Mary was simply the new (virgin) cart (1 Samuel 6:7-8; 2 Samuel 6:3; 1 Chronicles 13:7), her body being a temple for the LORD (as we are all to be).
 
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matas2 said:
“…and where is the Ark of the Covenant today?”
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Depends on which one you mean? The one made by Moses, a copy of the one in Heaven, being “pattern”-ed after (Exodus 25:9,40; Number 8:4; 1 Chronicles 28:19; Ezekiel 43:10; Hebrews 8:5), was hid in the days of Jeremiah, and remains hid to this day (Jeremiah 3:16). If you mean the original one in Heaven (Revelation 11:19, 15:5) it is still there. If you mean Jesus, the Ark of the Covenant in person (Psalms 40:8), He too is in Heaven, having ascended there.
 
Describing Mary as the Ark of the Covenant is very ancient. She can also be described as its individual contents: the golden pot of manna, the rod of Aaron, the tablets of the Law, etc. Oh, and the mercy seat too.

If it is good enough for St. Athanasius and many other Fathers of the Church, it is good enough for me.

Now, mind you, there are a lot of types and titles in the Bible that can apply to Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, Mary, and your cousin Bob. A lot depends on how you frame this stuff, and how close a figure of speech can get.
 
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ActsOfTheApossibles said:
Mary died, was buried and has long since returned to dust in the ground
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This is a Catholic forum. Please show decorum and respect. If you would like to have a conversation about Mary’s particular role in salvation history, please start another thread.
 
ActsOfTheApossibles said:
I know this is a “catholic” forum,
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It’s Catholic, by the way. Then you should also know that Catholics believe that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven when the course of her earthly life was finished. Knowing all this, you should be able to understand why your saying, ”Mary died, was buried and has long since returned to dust in the ground,” is, if not offensive, then at least tactless.

You should also know that today is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus Christ.
 
Well, yes, this is a Catholic forum and it certainly gives Catholics the right to respond with the doctrine and the tradition of our Church. That’s what we do here, despite non-Catholics deciding they know best and wanting to force us to believe what they do. This is a Catholic forum.
Mary has long been seen as the Arc of the New Covenant in Catholic tradition. I recommend Brad Pitre’s new book on Mary as a very eloquent and learned exposition of this believe, thoroughly grounded in both Old Testament and New Testament. Please inform yourself and then come back and share your thoughts.
 
ActsOfTheApossibles said:
The theology expounded in your reply is not based in fact, neither in scripture, nor in history, but was simply made up centuries later:
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How do you expect to have a respectful discourse with posts such as this? I was raised in a non-denominational Church of Christ, so I’ve studied and cleared myself through any objections you might have dumped with all those links. I’ve found my home in the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ. I pray one day you’ll do the same. God bless you.
 
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humbleseeker said:
How do you expect to have a respectful discourse with posts such as this?
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It is quite simple. Respond to the material presented, and give contrary evidence. The material cited demonstrates that the theology did not come from scripture (Agustine, which is why he has to argue from (fallen human) “reason”, and it certianly isn’t found in any historical document as stated by those sources, but is only noted as possible “hypothesis” of some persons personal tradition in the 7th-8th century.

What do you have otherwise? Let’s see it.

Pretending I am not respectful to you, or another, or even to the theology expounded, when I most certainly am, is not helping you or anyone else reading.
 
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I’m sorry, do I owe you something? I’m not looking for a debate. If you want to argue any of those points you’ve linked feel free to do so. Just start another thread, which was my suggestion in my original post. Have a good night.
 
humbleseeker said:
I’m sorry, do I owe you something?
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No. Was looking to see your honesty put forward in evidence. I was asking, not demanding. If you do not desire to present anything contrary to what has been presented, I will let the evidence stand if you will.
 
ActsOfTheApossibles . . .
Mary is not the ‘ark of the covenant’. Jesus Christ is (Psalms 40:8).
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It is not an “either/or” here but a “yes/and”.

The Church is “the Body of Christ”.

So if the “Church” has a dimension where it is the Ark, Christ HAS TO be a part of such a paradigm.

But that does NOT NEGATE the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Ark.
 
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ActsOfTheApossibles said:
No. Was looking to see your honesty put forward in evidence. I was asking, not demanding. If you do not desire to present anything contrary to what has been presented, I will let the evidence stand if you will.
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Mary’s dormition was celebrated by Christians long, long before St Augustine.

St Peter & St Paul were martyred in Rome. There are other sites where the martyrdom of apostles and other disciples took place. There isn’t a tomb or a site for Mary because her body was assumed to Heaven after her natural death.

Miracles didn’t stop happening and don’t stop happening after what was recorded in Acts. The Assumption isn’t in there because she hadn’t died yet, and it isn’t necessary for something to be explicitly recorded in Scripture for it to be true.
 
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