The Mystery of Catholicism a Defense of the Truth.
Book Excerpt
Luke Haskell
GOSPEL OF LUKE

Luke was a Syrian from Antioch and a physician. Luke also wrote the book of Acts, which focuses on the historical record of the early church. Tradition tells us that Luke was also an artist who painted pictures of Mary. “Luke is particularly adept at employing various literary devices to link traditions and sources together. Events predicted in the narrative do come to pass as Luke engages in literary promise and fulfillment. See, e.g., Simeon’s prediction that Jesus is set for the rising and fall of many in Israel (2:34), which is fulfilled often times in the rest of Luke-Acts would reveal even more parallelism, e.g., Jesus calls the Jerusalemites to repent as he is about to enter Jerusalem and as he exits the holy city.”

One of Luke’s more fascinating examples of parallelism, was the image of Mary expounded by the early church Fathers. From Luke we see an image of Mary as the true Ark of the Covenant which could not be touched by sin. In 2 Samuel 6:7, we find that God killed Uzzah for touching the Ark of the Covenant. God is holy and what is close to God which is holy is protected by God. Moses had to remove his sandals when he approached God on Mount Sini because he walked on holy ground. Mary carried God incarnate in her womb for nine months. This was the most holy place in the universe. To think that she would have another child after having an experience that pierces the veil of eternity, is a complete denial of the sacredness and the majesty of the mystery. God is outside of the concept of time. The ark of the covenant could not be touched by sin, because Mary in order to be a perfect ark for the true unblemished Lamb of sacrifice, was the immaculate conception. One conceived without sin, or Eve before the fall. The golden box, in which gold is a symbol of purity, is the ark of the Old Covenant which is type for Mary’s presence in the new. The ark traveled to the house of Obed-edom in the hill country of Judea (2 Samuel 6:1-11), Mary traveled to the house of Elizabeth and Zachariah in the hill country of Judea (Luke 1:39). David dressed as a priest, danced and leapted in front of the ark (2 Samuel 6:14), John the Baptist who was of priestly lineage lept in Elizabeth’s womb as Mary, the true ark approached. (Luke 1:41) David pondered, “how can the ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Samuel 6:9) Elizabeth pondered, “Why is it granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me”. (Luke 1:43) David shouts in the presence of the ark. (2 Samuel 6:15) Elizabeth exclaims with a loud cry in the presence of Mary. (Luke 1:42) Luke used the Greek term "anaphoneo" to describe how Elizabeth cried out in a loud voice, the only other times the word "anaphoneo" is found in the Bible is when scripture is referring to the sounds made by the levitical priests before the ark of the covenant." code for items to wear in the cocktail occasion
The ark remained in the house of Obed-edom for three months and the house was blessed by the presence of the ark. ( 2 Samuel 6:11) Mary stayed in the house of Elizabeth for three months and in this narrative the word blessed is used three times. (Luke 1:56, 1:39-45) The ark eventually is returned to Jerusalem where God’s presence and glory is seen in the temple. (2 Samuel 6:12, 1 Kings 8:9-11) We see Mary presence God incarnate in the temple. (Luke 1:56, 2:21-22) In Psalms 132:8 David in the Holy Spirit says, “ Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified.” And, we see where the ark which was sanctified by God rises to, at the end of Revelation 11 and beginning of Revelation 12. “And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake, and great hail. And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213-c. 270)
“The ark is verily the holy Virgin, gilded within and without, who received the treasure of universal sanctification. Arise, O Lord, from the Father’s bosom, to raise up again the ruined race of our first parent” (Orat. in Deip. Annunciat. Int. Opp. S. Greg. Thaumaturg) (Blessed Virgin, p. 89).

St. Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373; the main defender of the Trinity and the deity of Christ against the 2nd century Arian heretics.)
“O noble Virgin, truly you are greater than any other greatness. For who is your equal in greatness, O dwelling place of God the Word? To whom among all creatures shall I compare you, O Virgin? You are greater than them all O (Ark of the) Covenant, clothed with purity instead of gold! You are the Ark in which is found the golden vessel containing the true manna, that is, the flesh in which Divinity resides.” Homily of the Papyrus of Turin.

St. Irenaeus of Lyon, 2nd century

[W]hat is joined together could not otherwise be put asunder than by inversion of the process by which these bonds of union had arisen; so that the former ties be cancelled by the latter… […] [I]t was that the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith. (Against Heresies, III.22.4, A.D. 180)

For just as [Eve] was led astray by the word of an angel, so that she fled from God when she had transgressed His word; so did [Mary], by an angelic communication, receive the glad tidings that she should sustain God, being obedient to His word. And if the former did disobey God, yet the latter was persuaded to be obedient to God, in order that the Virgin Mary might become the patroness of the virgin Eve.

And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so is it rescued by a virgin; virginal disobedience having been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience. (Against Heresies, V.19.1, A.D. 180)