Tag Archives: temptations

Mary, Ark of the Covenant

Mary, our mother is the Ark of the C ovenant.

In the Litany of Loreto we call Our Lady “Ark of the Covenant”. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture to see how Mary truly deserves this title and how we can learn much from it for our own spiritual life. We consider how:

  • In the book of Revelation Mary, after a long and quite ordinary life on earth, appears in heaven in all her glory as the Ark of the Covenant. We too can look forward to heaven after an ordinary life lived with love for God.
  • Mary bears Jesus, the Word of God, in her womb, just as the Old Testament Ark contained God’s word on tablets of stone. We too have Jesus in our soul and we bring him into the lives of those around us by our smile, our kindness, our faith.
  • Mary, with Jesus in her womb, goes to visit her relative Elizabeth, bringing great joy to that household, just as we bring joy to others when we reflect Jesus in our lives.
  • Mary appears in heaven attacked by the devil, and she helps us overcome temptations when we ask for her intercession.

Lesssons of the Assumption of Mary

Assumption of Mary Rubens

A depiction of our Lady’s Assumption painted by Rubens

Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven teaches us many lessons. In this meditation we use a text from the book of Revelation to consider some of these lessons:

  • Mary sanctified herself in her ordinary life in the home, as we do
  • She is the new Ark of the Covenant, bringing the very Word of God into the world
  • Mary is rewarded for her humility and docility to God
  • Mary’s Assumption fills us with hope for our own resurrection to eternal life
  • Mary had many crosses on the way, as we will
  • The woman in the book of Revelation overcomes the attacks of the devil, as we must
  • Mary’s intercession for us is all-powerful

The value of temptations

Christ sends Satan away after His temptation

A depiction of Christ’s temptation

We all experience temptations. They are a consequence of original sin and of our being subject to the world, the flesh and the devil. But in addition to being sources of sin, temptations can also be sources of sanctity. In this meditation we consider:

  • Christ’s temptations in the desert, which are very similar to our own
  • Christ’s example in overcoming the temptations
  • How we can use temptations to grow in sanctity and human virtues
  • What we can do to overcome temptations