Of all the Marian symbols in the Old Testament, certainly the Ark of the Covenant enjoys preeminence. One of the readings used in the revised liturgy of Vatican II for the solemnity of Mary’s Assumption body and soul into heaven treats of the Ark of the Covenant. Throughout the centuries, Christian peoples have venerated Mary under the title of Foederis Arca (Ark of the Covenant) in the Litany of Loreto. In fact, the Ark was the place par excellence of God’s presence. The Jews even came to consider the Ark as God Himself (Num 10:35), and God’s presence was seen between the cherubim placed above the Ark. But the Ark was only a symbol. Mary, instead, is the reality. In her, God was really present, so much so as to become her Son. Finally, in the mystery of Mary’s Assumption into heaven, in the splendor of glory, is realized most fully the incorruptibility of the Ark, perennial dwelling place of God. 

(Father Stefano Manelli, FI, All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed)

We can also note from Bl. Pope Pius IX: The Virgin’s singular and magnificence triumph, her innocence, her exceptional purity and sanctity, her immunity from every stain of sin, and finally her inexpressible richness and greatness in every grace, her virtues, and celestial privileges the holy Fathers contemplated: in the ark of Noah, which built by command of God remained completely secure and intact in the midst of great disaster.  (Ineffabilis Deus)

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On the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception from Pope Pius IX: “We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instance of her conception, was preserved immune from all stain of sin, by a singular grace and privilege of the omnipotent God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was revealed by God and must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful.

Dr. Mark Miravalle wrote: This preservation from original sin for Mary was nonetheless a singular privilege. The definition testifies that the Immaculate Conception was a unique privilege given by the all-powerful God to Mary alone. This free gift from God prepared Mary to be the stainless Mother of the God made man. And it fittingly allowed Mary to give Jesus an immaculate human nature, identical to her own, which respects the law of motherhood. For we know that God the Son could not be united to a stained fallen nature when He became man. How appropriate it is that Mary could give Jesus an immaculate nature as a mother rightly passes onto her offspring her identical nature.

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