The Ark of the Lord in the Place Prepared for It: Reflections on the Readings for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Vigil
1 Chronicles 15:3-4, 15-16, 16:1-2
Psalm 132
1 Corinthians 15:54b-57
Luke 11:27-28

Mass during the day
Revelation 11:19A, 12:1-6A, 10AB
Psalm 45
1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Luke 1:39-56

As we celebrate the Assumption of Our Blessed Mother, the Ark of the Covenant appears in the readings for both the Vigil Mass and the Mass during the day. In fact, in the reading from Revelation we see two Arks; the Ark Moses made which David danced around and also the Ark of the New Covenant, the Virgin Mother of Jesus.

So what is the relationship between David bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem in the first reading (Vigil Mass) with the Assumption of Mary into heaven? First, recall that the Ark David was bringing into Jerusalem contained the tablets that Moses brought down from the mountain with the commandments of God inscribed on them. This was the Word of God. And then we see Mary, who carried Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, in her womb. Thus she is the Ark of the New Covenant. With this in mind the connection starts to become clear. My St. Joseph Sunday Missal explains the connection further: “And her assumption into heaven is seen as prefigured in the solemn transferral of the Ark into Jerusalem, the city of God where it found its final place among God’s people.” And Mary’s place among God’s people is as Mother of the Church.

The Mass during the day continues the connection as we see both Arks being mentioned in the reading from Revelation, both the Ark of the Covenant in God’s temple as well as the “Woman clothed with the sun.” We also see that the woman is wearing a crown of twelve stars. Most biblical scholars acknowledge that the woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus (the Messiah). Her crown also designates her as a queen. And, as she is about to give birth (to a male child), she is also a mother.

We acknowledge Jesus as king of the Church so how can Mary be the queen? To better understand this we need to go back to the historical books of the bible, especially 1 Kings 2:19-20 where we learn about the position of the queen mother. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible explains, “the office of queenship was held by the king’s mother, just as it was in many other royal courts of the Near East.” This was because ancient kings often had many wives (as did David and Solomon) but only one mother, and so the king’s mother assumed the office of queenship.

The responsorial psalm for the vigil Mass continues the theme of the ark “Lord, go up to the place of your rest, you and the ark of your holiness.” In retrospect this, too, could be seen as a reference to the Blessed Mother, as the ark of God’s holiness (His only Son) who is now in Heaven, the place of rest.

The responsorial for the Mass during the day picks up on the concept of queenship, “The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.” There she takes her proper place arrayed accordingly. At the Last Supper Jesus told His apostles that He was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:2). How much more fitting is it to assume that He would also prepare a place for His mother?

Both second readings come from the fifteenth chapter of St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. At the vigil Mass we learn of Christ’s victory over death. “Death is swallowed up in victory ... through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The reading from the Mass during the day is a prelude to this where Paul notes, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” In this selection Paul also talks about the kingship of Christ as well as His resurrection and how that prefigures our resurrection through Him.

In the gospel reading for the vigil Mass, a woman cries out to Jesus, proclaiming “Blessed is the womb that carried you.” This connects to the reading of the Mass during the day where “Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Following Elizabeth’s inspired exclamation we get Mary’s beautiful song of praise which we call the “Magnificat.”

The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible expands on this encounter as follows: “On one level, it tells of a joyous encounter between two expectant mothers; on another, it recalls memorable stories told in the Old Testament about the Ark of the Covenant. By alluding to these ancient traditions, Luke expands the vision of the careful reader considerably. For he leads us to see Mary as the Ark of God’s New Covenant and implies that the sacred Ark of the Old Covenant merely prefigured a more wonderful Ark to come: the Mother of the divine Messiah.”

And so we see in this celebration the background for the Sacred Tradition that the Church holds of Mary as Queen of Heaven, Queen of the Church, and Our Blessed Mother (as she is the Mother of Jesus and we are the Body of Christ). It defies explanation that many Christians refuse to see the significance of Mary and why Catholics revere (not worship) her as queen and mother. However, even some prominent Protestants (C.S. Lewis, for example) revered her and so many saints devoted themselves to her. And, according to the National Catholic Register, Pope Leo XIV also displays a strong devotion to Our Blessed Mother. Pope St. John Paul II credited the Blessed Mother with saving his life when he was shot by guiding the bullet to avoid lethal damage. In view of her elevated status we should feel free to ask her to pray for us as well as to intercede for us with her Holy Son, for what loving Son could deny the wishes of His mother?