“Merciful Father, as you have sent the Holy Spirit on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to write all that You wished and wanted, we pray You, send the same Holy Spirit on us, so that we may understand, appreciate Your Word, and make it our plan of life. This we ask for the merits of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
51 …We have Biblical figures used as symbols of the Immaculate Virgin. Guided by the Holy Spirit, (John 16,13) the Church sees symbols in the Bible of the immaculate Conception. She is prefigured in:
· Noah’s Ark (Gen. 6, 8, 19) that was saved from the deluge, survived the deluge. Likewise Mary was saved, was left without the stain, which left its mark on all humanity. She was saved from the Deluge of the original sin.
·
In the Burning Bush (Exd. 3, 2-3), the Bush was burning without being consumed, the Church sees the symbol of Mary, who was freed from the effects of sin. Mary was surrounded by the rest of humanity all victims of the Original Sin, yet she was left untouched, unmarked, just like the Bush; surrounded by fire yet untouched by the effects of the consuming fire.
· We find in the Song of Songs, and enclosed Garden (4, 12), enclosed and protected, so that nothing foreign could go in beyond the wall, Satan could not even approach Mary, much less enter into her. In fact, whenever you see a painting of Our Lady, especially the Renaissance paintings, very often you find in the landscape an enclosed Garden….that Garden is the symbol of Mary Immaculate.
·
The beautiful, decorated City of God (Psalm 87, 1,3) and the Temple of God (1Kings 8, 10 -11) radiant with God’s Glory (even Mary is radiant with God’s Glory) as we often declare: “Hail, Mary, full of grace.” (Lk. 1, 28) She is a Holy Temple, the Sanctuary where the Holy Spirit abides.
“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Ezkl. 37, 26-27)
“The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” (Is.60,14)
“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen up, For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. “ (Is.60, 1-2)
“The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.”( Is.60, 19-20)
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1, 14)
So that means, that when “The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us” the role , the use of the Temple made of stone became obsolete. Then, Mary’s womb became the living Tabernacle, wherein God became one with our human nature. The fullness of grace found in the Word (Jn.1,14) needs , calls for the fullness of grace of her who was to become the the Ark of His life. /52
Certain Information taken, with kind permission, from the book “Who is Mary” by H.G.Mons. Sylvester Magro ofm, Bishop of Benghazi. A very dear friend.
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