(Emphasis mine)
Interesting how the author states this as a fact, ignoring what both men in the East and in the West have held, arguably since the time Luke penned his Gospel. I suppose their “evidence” is their erroneous intepretation of the verse we have discussed in Romans.
It is easy to demonstrate that the early Church believed that Mary was the Ark of the New Covenant. If one goes back through the thread they will find the citations from the Early Church Fathers that demonstrate this.
Also relevent is the early teaching on Mary as the new Eve. Why? IMO, because the 1st Eve was created free from any stain of sin. I think people who claim that Mary sinned are missing a deeper mystery (to use St. Irenaeus’ word.)
Steve Ray seems to do a good job showing that Luke made parallels between the ark and Mary.
“It’s easy to miss the parallel between the Holy Spirit overshadowing the ark and the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary, between the Ark of the Old Covenant as the dwelling place of God and Mary as the new dwelling place of God.”
Here are some more parallels taken from the same article:
"Mary arose and went to the hill country of Judea. I have been to both Ein Kerem (where Elizabeth lived) and Abu Ghosh (where the ark resided), and they are only a short walk apart. Mary and the ark were both on a journey to the same hill country of Judea.
When David saw the ark he rejoiced and said, ‘How can the ark of the Lord come to me?’ Elizabeth uses almost the same words: ‘Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’ Luke is telling us something—drawing our minds back to the Old Testament, showing us a parallel.
When David approached the ark he shouted out and danced and leapt in front of the ark. He was wearing an ephod, the clothing of a priest. When Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, approached Elizabeth, John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb—and John was from the priestly line of Aaron. Both leapt and danced in the presence of the ark. The Ark of the Old Covenant remained in the house of Obed-edom for three months, and Mary remained in the house of Elizabeth for three months. The place that housed the ark for three months was blessed, and in the short paragraph in Luke, Elizabeth uses the word blessed three times. Her home was certainly blessed by the presence of the ark and the Lord within.
When the Old Testament ark arrived—as when Mary arrived—they were both greeted with shouts of joy. The word for the cry of Elizabeth’s greeting is a rare Greek word used in connection with Old Testament liturgical ceremonies that were centered around the ark and worship (cf. Word Biblical Commentary, 67). This word would flip on the light switch for any knowledgeable Jew.
The ark returns to its home and ends up in Jerusalem, where God’s presence and glory is revealed in the temple (2 Sam. 6:12; 1 Kgs. 8:9–11). Mary returns home and eventually ends up in Jerusalem, where she presents God incarnate in the temple (Luke 1:56; 2:21–22)."
This second citation talks about the parallels between David and the ark and the visitation described in Luke’s account.
(Both citations from:
catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0510fea5.asp , accessed 6/ 23/ 10) (Blue color mine)
These, in my mind, are beutiful examples of the depth and richness that characterizes Catholic Theology. As one can see, there is evidence in both Scripture and Tradition. But still, many Protestant brethren would have us to believe their interpretation of the “all have sinned” verse in Romans to include absolutely no exceptions (besides Jesus of course.)
