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May 31, 2019
After the pencil sketch and watercolor of “Vessel of the Preborn Jesus” were completed in 2009, the Holy Spirit drew my thoughts into the scene of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth (Luke 1:35-56) to help me understand the parallels of the joy of King David as the ark of the Lord came to him (2 Samuel 6:1-6:16) and the joy of Mary as The New Ark, carrying Jesus, visited Elizabeth.
Each year on May 31, the Church’s reading for the Visitation from Luke Chapter 1 proclaims how the Virgin Mary traveled to the hill country of Judea to the home of Elizabeth, how John the Baptist leaped for joy in the womb of Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s loud cry of joy in the presence of the Lord. It is very important to note what might otherwise be easily missed - St. Luke is drawing upon the parallels from
2 Samuel Chapter 6. The scene is the return of the ark of the Covenant when David dances with great joy as he recognizes God’s presence! The table provided below serves as an excellent reference for typology of the Old Testament ark foreshadowing Our Lady as Ark of The New Covenant.
After the sacred images were added to Preborn Jesus Ministry for veneration, next came the hand carved statue of Mary, Ark of The New Covenant. In May 2014, the final touches were completed on the statue and providentially on May 31, 2014, the Feast of the Visitation, the original, hand carved statue of Mary, Ark of The New Covenant was blessed. Oh, how the visitations of this statue as it traveled, sparked devotion to Preborn Jesus within the womb of Mary, and a devotion to Our Lady under the title Ark of The New Covenant!
Significantly, just two years after the original hand-carved statue was blessed, a blessing was bestowed upon another sacred piece of artwork the beautiful, Pro Life Divine Mercy icon. It was commissioned with Foundation of Jesus The Divine Mercy and completed by artist James Sulkowski. The blessing took place on the Feast of the Visitation, 2016 by Bishop Edward Malesic of the Diocese of Greensburg. To this day, Mary Ark of The New Covenant and Jesus have been going in haste to visit churches, schools, hospitals, nursing homes and conferences.
I close with a personal note of another visitation. My mom has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Our family has gone in haste to be near her and care for her as we model our dear Blessed Mother who went in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Our hand carved original statue of Mary, Ark of The New Covenant is on her May altar as a reminder of God’s presence with her in her time of need. Please pray for her as well as for the work we do at Preborn Jesus Ministry. Thank you.
