{"id":20548,"date":"2017-08-17T00:00:50","date_gmt":"2017-08-17T04:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=20548"},"modified":"2019-02-23T16:09:05","modified_gmt":"2019-02-23T22:09:05","slug":"an-ark-shall-lead-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/an-ark-shall-lead-them\/","title":{"rendered":"An Ark Shall Lead Them","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant<\/i> by Benjamin West, (1800)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AT <\/b>the birth of every new era in salvation history, an ark <\/i>has led the way for the People of God.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When the Lord purged the earth through a flood, establishing a new covenant with Noah, it was an ark that carried his family into the new era.<\/p>\n

\n

See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you:the birds, the tame animals, and all the wild animals that were with you\u2014all that came out of the ark. (Gen 9:9-10)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

When the Israelites completed their forty-year journey through the desert, it was the “ark of the covenant” that preceded them into the Promised Land (see today’s first reading).<\/p>\n

\n

The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the Jordan riverbed while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until the whole nation had completed the crossing of the Jordan. (Josh 3:17)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In the “fullness of time,\u201d God established a New Covenant, preceded yet again by an \u201cark”: the Blessed Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n

\n

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.” Full of grace, Mary is wholly given over to him who has come to dwell in her and whom she is about to give to the world.<\/b><\/span> \u2014Catechism of the Catholic Church, <\/i>n. 2676<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And finally, for the new \u201cera of peace\u201d to come, again the People of God will be led by an ark, who is also \"fatima_Fotor.jpg\"the Blessed Mother. For the act of Redemption, which began with the Incarnation, is to reach its apex when the Woman gives birth to the \u201cwhole\u201d body of Christ.<\/p>\n

\n

Then God\u2019s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm. A great sign appeared in the sky, 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 wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. (Rev 11:19-12:2)<\/span><\/p>\n

…the Blessed Virgin Mary continues to “go before” the People of God.<\/strong> \u2014POPE\u00a0JOHN PAUL II,\u00a0Redemptoris Mater,\u00a0<\/em>n. 6<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

FOLLOWING THE ARK<\/p>\n

In each historic moment above, the ark is at once a refuge <\/i>for God\u2019s people. Noah\u2019s ark preserved his family from the flood; the ark of the covenant preserved the ten commandments and safeguarded the Israelites’ passage; the \u201cark of the new covenant\u201d safeguarded the Messiah\u2019s holiness, forming,\u00a0protecting, and preparing Him for His mission. And at last\u2014because the Son\u2019s mission is completed through<\/i> the Church\u2014the Ark of the New Covenant is given to safeguard the Church\u2019s purity, forming, protecting, and preparing the Church for her final act before the close of history, which is to become a \"Ark5\"bride \u201choly and without blemish\u201d<\/em> [1]<\/sup><\/a>cf. Eph 5:27<\/span><\/span>