Year A
Rev 11:19a;12:1-6,10a
Ps 45:10-16
Lk1:49-56
Knowing Mary in Person
"If Mary is the New Ark, then it makes sense that her body would not experience corruption but was brought up into the heavenly Holy of Holies."
see Benedict XVI, "Homily," August 15, 2011
Have you ever prayed the rosary and felt Mary was beside you; the first time I experienced this, I realized that I have really prayed the Rosary. Today is the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The word assumption is from the Latin assumere which means to take up to oneself or to lift up to oneself. Thus the dogma of the Assumption is that; Mary after finishing her work on earth was taken up body and soul to heaven. Recently we read from Matthew 18: 20 that Jesus said,".. where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them. " The opposite of this statement is more powerful and is about the Kingdom of God, and is found in John 12:26 where Jesus said, "where l am there shall my servant be also."
If Mary was truly what she herself uttered "faithful servant of God, and Our God is in the heavens, then she who is the faithful servant of God and is also the Mother of God will definitely be assumed into heaven by God base on his promise which never fails.
The key to understanding today's solemnity lie in the fact that Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant. So today's first reading fits today's solemnity. If the two servants of God, Enoch ( Gen 5:24) and Elijah ( 2Kgs 2:1ff) did not experience decay and were taken up into heaven, how much more the Tabernacle or the Ark of the Covenant. Even in Revelation 11 the allusion to this two servants is clear.
| Revelation 11:3 to 12 But I shall send my two witnesses to prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth. | |
| These are the two olive trees and the two lamps in attendance on the Lord of the world. | |
| Fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies if anyone tries to harm them; and anyone who tries to harm them will certainly be killed in this way. | |
They have the power to lock up the sky so that it does not rain as long as they are prophesying; they have the power to turn water into blood and strike the whole world with any plague as often as they like...
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| But today, we are concentrating on Mary. As the first reading shows us that the Ark of the covenant was seen in the temple in heaven, the question that arises is that, what happened to the Ark of the covenant when the babylonians burnt the temple in the year 581 B.C.? In 2 Maccabees 2: 4-8, we are told what actually happened to the Ark of the Covenant. |
2 Maccabees 2:4-8
'The same document also describes how the prophet, warned by an oracle, gave orders for the tent and the ark to go with him, when he set out for the mountain which Moses had climbed to survey God's heritage.On his arrival, Jeremiah found a cave-dwelling, into which he put the tent, the ark and the altar of incense, afterwards blocking up the entrance. Some of his companions went back later to mark out the path but were unable to find it. When Jeremiah learned this, he reproached them, "The place is to remain unknown", he said, "until God gathers his people together again and shows them his mercy. Then the Lord will bring these things once more to light, and the glory of the Lord will be seen, and so will the cloud, as it was revealed in the time of Moses and when Solomon prayed that the holy place might be gloriously hallowed."
So it was hidden at an unknown location till God's presence which left the temple in Ezekiel 10: 18ff and 11: 22ff, return. So base on their sins, God's glory left the temple. Interesting, the promise of a new covenant and a new heart to keep God's laws in Ezekiel 11: 14-21 comes between the two quotes about God's glory leaving the temple.
In fact, even when the second temple was rebuilt in its place after the return from Jewish exile, God's glory did not occupy it. However, we hear of a woman who centuries later an angel named Gabriel told her; "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow... " (Luke 1:35). This is Mary's first encounter with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, hence the Pentecost event was her second time. Mary is the Woman who knows the Holy Spirit than all humans, with the exception of Jesus Christ. The Overshadowing of the glory of God on Mary draws our attention to how God's glory overshadowed the Ark.
| Exodus 40:34-35 The cloud then covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of Yahweh filled the Dwelling. |
| Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, since the cloud stayed over it and the glory of Yahweh filled the Dwelling |
Three things were inside the Ark; Manna, the tablets of the Law and the Staff of Aaron. Jesus Christ is the true Manna from heaven (John 6:32ff), he is the author of the Law (John 8:6ff), and the True High Priest (Hebrews 10:19ff). Jesus Christ is the Son of the Woman, and Mary is the Woman who child Jesus Christ is now seated on the throne of God.
The Ark was made of Acacia wood; hence is incorruptible. Thus Mary is incorruptible and should not see corruption, hence she was taken to heaven. The Ark is galvanized with Gold, and gold are refined by fire and becomes a symbol of purity or heaven,hence the Ark is pure.Thus Mary is pure, and deserves to be at heaven; the city of Gold. The Ark when sent to battle was covered with a blue cloth, so Mary's color is blue, showing that she is truly the New Ark of the covenant.
Note that when the Ark was sent to Battle, it brought victory to the Israelites. We likewise must implore the New Ark of the covenant in all our situations and the Mother of God, will bring us Victory. The Ascension of Jesus Christ showed us that Jesus Christ entered the Mystery of God, so if Mary is given the privilege to also be assumed there, just as Jesus Christ is with us everywhere, when we implore the intercession power of the Queen of heaven, she will be with us to aid us. She is our Mother assumed into heaven.
By
Sylvester Amakye-Quayson
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