privileged for having been chosen to be the Mother of Christ (“for he who
is mighty has done great things for me”: St. Luke 1:49) but she also
perfectly fulfilled God’s will throughout her entire life: “behold the
handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (St.
Luke 1:38).
Rather than being hardly mentioned in the Bible, the Virgin Mary is
extensively mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old
Testament, besides Gen. 3:15 and Is. 7:14 mentioned above, Mary is
mentioned under various ‘types’:
(i)
The Tree of Life: planted by God in the middle of Paradise, this
tree is a symbol of the Virgin Mary, who gave the world the
holy fruit of life, namely, Jesus Christ, to eat of and live
forever (Gen. 3:22).
(ii)
The rainbow after Noah’s flood: this rainbow signified the
covenant between God and Noah (Gen. 9:17). It symbolizes the
Virgin Mary, the sign of the New Testament, from whom came
the One that would establish the “new and everlasting
covenant.”
(iii)
The burning bush: God’s word came forth from the burning
bush unto Moses (Exod. 3:1-6). While burning, the bush was
not consumed by the flames. Similarly, the Word of God came
forth from the Virgin, and in the process, her virginity was not
consumed.
(iv)
Elijah’s little cloud: this cloud watered Israel after years of
drought (1 Kgs. 18:41). It symbolizes the Virgin Mary who
carried and brought the living water of Jesus Christ to thirsty
Israel.
(v)
The Holy of Holies: contained the presence of God (the
Shekinah Kabod), who literally dwelt within it (1 Kgs 6:15-20).
The Virgin Mary was the new Holy of Holies in who dwelt the
Divine Person of Jesus.
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