Cassiodorus on Psalm 132:8 and the Ark of the Covenant

Cassiodorus (A.D. c. 485 - 585) in Cassiodorus: Explanation of the Psalms, Vol. 3 from the Ancient Christian Writers series, vol 53 of the series, p. 326 (P. G. Walsh, trans.):

Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place: thou and the ark which thou hast sanctified. Once the prophet realized that the Lord Christ's promises previously mentioned had been fulfilled, he cried out to the Lord: Arise into thy resting-place, for he did not wish any debt to remain unpaid. He sought to make clear the outcome of events in the dispensation of the attained truth: in other words, that Christ should rise again from the world below into the enduring blessedness of His divinity. Observe that he added thy resting-place; for Your own majesty bestowed it on You, since You reign with the Father in equal power and everlasting glory. He did not wish you to think that the Head could abandon the members, so he added: Thou and the ark which thou has sanctified, in other words, "the Church which You have deigned to sanctify by making it Your members." He did not specify the ark of Noah, or the art of the covenant, though both of these appeared to represent a type of the Church; instead he designated her in a special way when he added: Which though hast sanctified. Now observe what follows.

Epilogue to the Council of Orange

The following is the epilogue to the Second Council of Orange, together with an AI translation (source of Latin is Hefele):

Ac sic secundiun suprascriptas sanctarum Scripturarum sententias vel antiquorum patrum definitiones hoc Deo propitiante et prsedicare debemus et credere, quod per peccatum primi hominis ita inclinatum et attenuatum fuerit liberum arbitrium, ut nullus postea aut diligere Deum sicut opportuit, aut credere in Deum, aut operari propter Deum quod bonum est possit, nisi eum gratia misericordiae divinae praevenerit. Unde et Abel justo et Noe et Abrahae, et Isaac et Jacob et omni antiquorum patrum multitudini illam praeclaram fidem, quam in ipsorum laude praedicat Apostolus Paulus, non per bonum natures quod prius in Adam datum fuerat, sed per gratiam Dei credimus fuisse collatam. 

And thus, according to the aforementioned sentences of the Holy Scriptures or the definitions of the ancient Fathers, with God being propitious, we must preach and believe that through the sin of the first man, free will was so inclined and weakened that no one thereafter can either love God as he ought, or believe in God, or act for God's sake in what is good, unless the grace of divine mercy precedes him. Therefore, we believe that to Abel the righteous, and to Noah, and to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to the whole multitude of ancient fathers, that excellent faith, which the Apostle Paul proclaims in their praise, was not conferred through the natural goodness which was first given in Adam, but through the grace of God.

Quam gratiam etiam post adventum domini omnibus qui baptizari desiderant, non in libero arbitrio haberi, sed Christi novimus simul et credimus largitate conferri, secundum illud quod saepe jam dictum est et quod saepe jam dictum est et quod praedicat Paulus apostolus : Vobis donatum est pro Christo non solum ut in eum credatis, sed etiam, ut pro illo patiamini (Phil. i. 29) ; et illud : Deus qui ccepit in vobis bonum opus, perficiet usque in diem domini nostri Jesu Christi (Phil. i. 6); et illud: Or alia, salvi facti estis per fidem, et hoc non ex vobis, dei enim donum est (Eph. ii. 8); et quod de se ipso ait apostolus : Misericordiam consecutus sum, ut fidelis essem (1 Cor. vii. 25); non dexit quia eram sed ut essem ; et illud : Quid habes quod non accepistii. (1 Cor. iv. 7); et illud: Omne datum bonum et omnc donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a patre luminum (Jac. i. 17); et illud : Nemo habet quidquam nisi illi datum fuerit desuper (Joann. iii. 27). 

We also know and believe that this grace, even after the coming of the Lord, is not held in free will for all who desire to be baptized, but is conferred through the generosity of Christ, according to what has been often said and what the Apostle Paul preaches: 'For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him' (Philippians 1:29); and this: 'He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus' (Philippians 1:6); and this: 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God' (Ephesians 2:8); and what the apostle says of himself: 'I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power' (1 Corinthians 7:25); not because I was [faithful], but so that I might be [faithful]; and this: 'What do you have that you did not receive?' (1 Corinthians 4:7); and this: 'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights' (James 1:17); and this: 'A person can receive only what is given them from heaven' (John 3:27).

Innumerabilia sunt sanctorum scripturarum testimonia quae possunt ad probandam gratiam proferri sed brevitatis studio praetermissa sunt, quia et revera cui pauca non sufficiunt plura non proderunt. Hoc etiam secundum fidem Catholicam credimus, quod accepta per baptismum gratia omnes baptizati, Christo auxiliante et co-operante, quae ad salutem animse pertinent, possint et debeant, si fideliter laborare voluerint adimplere. Aliquos vero ad malum divina potestate praedestinatos esse non solum non credimus, sed etiam si sunt qui tantum malum credere velint, cum omni detestatione illis anathema dicimus. Hoc etiam salubriter profitemur et credimus, quod in omni opere bono non nos incipimus et postea per Dei misericordiam adjuvamur sed ipse nobis nullis praecedentibus bonis meritis et fidem et amorem sui prius inspirat, ut et baptismi sacramenta fideliter requiramus, et post baptismum cum ipsius adjutorio ea quae sibi sunt placita implere possimus. Unde manifestissime credendum est quod et illius latronis, quern dominus ad paradisi patriam revocavit, et Cornelii centurionis ad quern angelus Domini missus est, et Zacchaei qui ipsum dominum suscipere meruit, ilia tarn admirabilis fides non fuit de natura, sed divinaa largitatis donum. Et quia definitionem antiquorum patrum nostramque, quae suprascripta est, non solum religiosis, sed etiam laicis medicamentum esse et desideramus et cupimus, placuit, ut earn et illustres ac inagnifici viri, qui nobiscum ad praefatam festivitatem convenerunt, propria manu subscriberent. 

There are innumerable testimonies of the holy scriptures that can be brought forward to prove grace, but they have been omitted for the sake of brevity, because indeed, if a few are not sufficient for someone, more will not be beneficial. We also believe this according to the Catholic faith, that after receiving grace through baptism, all baptized, with the help and cooperation of Christ, can and should fulfill what is necessary for the salvation of the soul, if they want to work faithfully. We not only do not believe that some are predestined to evil by divine power, but also, if there are those who want to believe such great evil, we say anathema to them with all detestation. We also healthily profess and believe that in every good work, it is not us who begin and are then helped by God's mercy, but He Himself first inspires in us faith and love for Him, without any preceding good merits, so that we may faithfully seek the sacraments of baptism, and after baptism, with His help, fulfill what is pleasing to Him. Therefore, it is most clearly to be believed that the admirable faith of the thief whom the Lord called back to the paradise of heaven, of Cornelius the centurion to whom the angel of the Lord was sent, and of Zacchaeus who was worthy to receive the Lord Himself, was not from nature, but was a gift of divine generosity. And because we desire and wish the definition of the ancient fathers and ours, which is written above, to be not only a remedy for the religious but also for the laity, it was pleasing that the illustrious and magnificent men, who came together with us for the aforementioned celebration, should also subscribe to it with their own hand.

Soteriology 101 and the First Eight Canons of the Council of Orange

The Canons of the Council of Orange (Anno Domini 529)(as found here)

CANON 1. If anyone denies that it is the whole man, that is, both body and soul, that was "changed for the worse" through the offense of Adam's sin, but believes that the freedom of the soul remains unimpaired and that only the body is subject to corruption, he is deceived by the error of Pelagius and contradicts the scripture which says, "The soul that sins shall die" (Ezek. 18:20); and, "Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey?" (Rom. 6:126); and, "For whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved" (2 Pet. 2:19).

CANON 2. If anyone asserts that Adam's sin affected him alone and not his descendants also, or at least if he declares that it is only the death of the body which is the punishment for sin, and not also that sin, which is the death of the soul, passed through one man to the whole human race, he does injustice to God and contradicts the Apostle, who says, "Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned" (Rom. 5:12).

CANON 3. If anyone says that the grace of God can be conferred as a result of human prayer, but that it is not grace itself which makes us pray to God, he contradicts the prophet Isaiah, or the Apostle who says the same thing, "I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me" (Rom 10:20, quoting Isa. 65:1).

CANON 4. If anyone maintains that God awaits our will to be cleansed from sin, but does not confess that even our will to be cleansed comes to us through the infusion and working of the Holy Spirit, he resists the Holy Spirit himself who says through Solomon, "The will is prepared by the Lord" (Prov. 8:35, LXX), and the salutary word of the Apostle, "For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

CANON 5. If anyone says that not only the increase of faith but also its beginning and the very desire for faith, by which we believe in Him who justifies the ungodly and comes to the regeneration of holy baptism-if anyone says that this belongs to us by nature and not by a gift of grace, that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit amending our will and turning it from unbelief to faith and from godlessness to godliness, it is proof that he is opposed to the teaching of the Apostles, for blessed Paul says, "And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). And again, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). For those who state that the faith by which we believe in God is natural make all who are separated from the Church of Christ by definition in some measure believers.

CANON 6. If anyone says that God has mercy upon us when, apart from his grace, we believe, will, desire, strive, labor, pray, watch, study, seek, ask, or knock, but does not confess that it is by the infusion and inspiration of the Holy Spirit within us that we have the faith, the will, or the strength to do all these things as we ought; or if anyone makes the assistance of grace depend on the humility or obedience of man and does not agree that it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he contradicts the Apostle who says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).

CANON 7. If anyone affirms that we can form any right opinion or make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life, as is expedient for us, or that we can be saved, that is, assent to the preaching of the gospel through our natural powers without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who makes all men gladly assent to and believe in the truth, he is led astray by a heretical spirit, and does not understand the voice of God who says in the Gospel, "For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), and the word of the Apostle, "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5).

CANON 8. If anyone maintains that some are able to come to the grace of baptism by mercy but others through free will, which has manifestly been corrupted in all those who have been born after the transgression of the first man, it is proof that he has no place in the true faith. For he denies that the free will of all men has been weakened through the sin of the first man, or at least holds that it has been affected in such a way that they have still the ability to seek the mystery of eternal salvation by themselves without the revelation of God. The Lord himself shows how contradictory this is by declaring that no one is able to come to him "unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44), as he also says to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 16:17), and as the Apostle says, "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3).

Richard Rolle on Psalm 132:8 and the Ark of the Covenant

Richard Rolle (c. 1300–1349) – The Psalter, or Psalms of David & Certain Canticles, with a Translation & Exposition in English  (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1884)  (pp. 450-51)

8. Surge domine in requiem tuam: tu & arca sanctificacionis tue. ⸿ Rise lord in til thi rest : thou and the huche of thi halighynge. ⸿ Rise fra ded and steghe in till heuen. and thi kirk, the whilke thou halighid ; ryse til luf and life.

AI translation:

Latin:  "Surge, Domine, in requiem tuam: tu et arca sanctificationis tuae."

Modern English Translation: "Arise, O Lord, into Your rest: You, and the ark of Your sanctification."

Middle English: "Rise, lord, in til thi rest: thou and the huche of thi halighynge."

Early Modern English: "Rise from dead and steghe in till heaven, and thi kirk, the whilke thou halighid; rise til luf and life."

Modern English Translation: "Rise, Lord, into Your rest: You and the chest of Your hallowing. Rise from death and ascend into heaven, and Your church, which You have hallowed; rise to love and life."

In the Middle English part, "huche" refers to a chest or box, likely referring to the Ark of the Covenant. "Halighynge" refers to hallowing or making holy. In the Early Modern English part, "steghe" means to ascend, "kirk" refers to a church, and "whilke" means which. "Luf" refers to love, and "life" remains the same in modern English.

I tend to agree with the AI translation here.

John Chrysostom on Psalm 132:8 and the Ark of the Covenant

 St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Psalms, Vol. 2, Robert Charles Hill, trans., p. 206:

Ascend to your resting place, O Lord, you and the ark of your sanctification (v. 8). A different version, "of your strength;" another, "of your power." Both versions are right: holiness was given from there, and the writings contained in it were productive of holiness and strength. He put it well, therefore: God gave evidence of great power by means of it, once, twice, many times, as for example when it was captured by the people of Ashdod, when the idols were cast down, when it struck its captors, when on its return it stopped the plague, and he gave evidence of his might through other portents he worked in the same place. Now, what is the meaning of Ascend to your resting place? Put a stop to our wandering and the carrying of the ark, and give it rest at long last.

Theodoret of Cyrus on the Ark of the Covenant in Psalm 132

Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Psalms, vol. 2, Robert C. Hill, trans., pp. 307-08:

(5) Rise up, O Lord, to your rest (v. 8). They call worship according to the Law God's rising up--not that he is in need of it or finds satisfaction in it, but he welcomes the piety of the offerers. They also beg that his grace be manifested again, and the former glory be given to the Temple. You and the ark of your sanctification. Since in the Holy of Holies the ark stood with the tables of the Law inside, and the mercy seat was situated alongside, and through the latter some indications of the divine manifestation were given to the high priest, he was right to make mention of the ark: the God who made heaven and earth, according to the saying of the blessed Paul, does not dwell in temples made by [human] hands. The wise Solomon also prayed this way, "If the heaven and heaven of heavens are not sufficient for you." The very God of all also said this, "The Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool: what sort of house will you build for me? or what is my resting place?"

‎St. Albert the Great or Adenulf of Anangni on the Psalms‎, Psalm 132:8 and the Ark of the Covenant

 ‎St. Albert the Great (d. A.D. 1280) or Adenulf of Anagni (d. A.D. 1289) on the Psalms‎, at Psalm 132:8 (Vulgate Psalm 131:8)(link to source)

8. Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified.

Arise, Yahweh, to your resting place, you and the ark your fortress.

132:1.2.1.1 After showing his desire to see the house of the Lord built, the builder is invited to build it. Therefore: (1) he invites Christ to do so, (2) he prays that the Jewish nation [not] be excluded from that house, or he invites God the Father to send his Son: "For your servant David's sake". In the first he invites Christ (1) to prepare himself for building the Church through his resurrection, (2) that he ordain ministers for the construction: "Let your priests". In the first, he invites Christ (1) to rise in reality, (2) to make his own people rise in hope: "you and the ark". The idea is: Lord, we know that the Church, which is the house of God, is to be gathered from the Jews and the Gentiles. Therefore, Lord, that this may happen, arise from the dead to your rest, that you may fear no more harassment from the Jews, as did happen. —Rom 6:9 Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again. —1 Cor 15:20 Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. Christ had rest by this resurrection, and even before the resurrection, immediately after his death. —Rev 14:13 Yes, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labors.

He says: Rise, you first, in reality, and the ark which you sanctified, namely the Church, through you in hope. He comes first, and the others after him. —Micah 2:13 The one who breaks out will go up before them. —Zeph 3:8 Wait for me, says Yahweh, for the day when I arise in the future.

The ark is a good symbol of the Church, because in it were kept: (1) manna, while in the Church bread from heaven (John 6). (2) the tablets of the covenant; while in the Church the two are held by true knowledge —Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. (3) the staff of Aaron, while in the Church there is priestly power —Mat 16:19 Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. (4) The Church was also symbolized by the ark of Noah, battered by the waves of troubles and containing animals of every kind.

I have listed both Albert and Adenulf, as I have seen the same text ascribed to both.  I suspect that Adenulf is the correct author, based on the tendency to wrongly ascribe works to more famous authors.  

Thomas Aquinas on the Symbolism of the Ark of the Covenant

 Thomas Aquinas (link to source), Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part, Treatise on the Theological Virtues, Question 33, Article 4: 

Whether a man is bound to correct his prelate?

Objection 1: It would seem that no man is bound to correct his prelate. For it is written (Ex. 19:12): "The beast that shall touch the mount shall be stoned," [*Vulg.: 'Everyone that shall touch the mount, dying he shall die.'] and (2 Kings 6:7) it is related that the Lord struck Oza for touching the ark. Now the mount and the ark signify our prelates. Therefore prelates should not be corrected by their subjects.

...

Reply to Objection 1: It would seem that a subject touches his prelate inordinately when he upbraids him with insolence, as also when he speaks ill of him: and this is signified by God's condemnation of those who touched the mount and the ark.

For those who are interested in such things, no orthodox Roman Catholic theologian would refer to Mary as a prelate.

Thomas Aquinas (link to source), Summa Theologica, First Part of the Second Part, Treatise on Law, Question 102, Article 4: 

Whether sufficient reason can be assigned for the ceremonies pertaining to holy things?

...

Objection 6: Further, the Lord commanded (Ex. 20:4) that they should "not make . . . a graven thing, nor the likeness of anything." It was therefore unfitting for graven images of the cherubim to be set up in the tabernacle or temple. In like manner, the ark, the propitiatory, the candlestick, the table, the two altars, seem to have been placed there without reasonable cause.

...

Reply to Objection 6: Both literal and figurative reasons may be assigned for the things contained in the tabernacle. The literal reason is in connection with the divine worship. And because, as already observed (ad 4), the inner tabernacle, called the Holy of Holies, signified the higher world of spiritual substances, hence that tabernacle contained three things, viz. "the ark of the testament in which was a golden pot that had manna, and the rod of Aaron that had blossomed, and the tables" (Heb. 9:4) on which were written the ten commandments of the Law. Now the ark stood between two "cherubim" that looked one towards the other: and over the ark was a table, called the "propitiatory," raised above the wings of the cherubim, as though it were held up by them; and appearing, to the imagination, to be the very seat of God. For this reason it was called the "propitiatory," as though the people received propitiation thence at the prayers of the high-priest. And so it was held up, so to speak, by the cherubim, in obedience, as it were, to God: while the ark of the testament was like the foot-stool to Him that sat on the propitiatory. These three things denote three things in that higher world: namely, God Who is above all, and incomprehensible to any creature. Hence no likeness of Him was set up; to denote His invisibility. But there was something to represent his seat; since, to wit, the creature, which is beneath God, as the seat under the sitter, is comprehensible. Again in that higher world there are spiritual substances called angels. These are signified by the two cherubim, looking one towards the other, to show that they are at peace with one another, according to Job 25:2: "Who maketh peace in . . . high places." For this reason, too, there was more than one cherub, to betoken the multitude of heavenly spirits, and to prevent their receiving worship from those who had been commanded to worship but one God. Moreover there are, enclosed as it were in that spiritual world, the intelligible types of whatsoever takes place in this world, just as in every cause are enclosed the types of its effects, and in the craftsman the types of the works of his craft. This was betokened by the ark, which represented, by means of the three things it contained, the three things of greatest import in human affairs. These are wisdom, signified by the tables of the testament; the power of governing, betokened by the rod of Aaron; and life, betokened by the manna which was the means of sustenance. Or else these three things signified the three Divine attributes, viz. wisdom, in the tables; power, in the rod; goodness, in the manna---both by reason of its sweetness, and because it was through the goodness of God that it was granted to man, wherefore it was preserved as a memorial of the Divine mercy. Again, these three things were represented in Isaias' vision. For he "saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and elevated"; and the seraphim standing by; and that the house was filled with the glory of the Lord; wherefrom the seraphim cried out: "All the earth is full of His glory" (Is. 6:1, 3). And so the images of the seraphim were set up, not to be worshipped, for this was forbidden by the first commandment; but as a sign of their function, as stated above.

The outer tabernacle, which denotes this present world, also contained three things, viz. the "altar of incense," which was directly opposite the ark; the "table of proposition," with the twelve loaves of proposition on it, which stood on the northern side; and the "candlestick," which was placed towards the south. These three things seem to correspond to the three which were enclosed in the ark; and they represented the same things as the latter, but more clearly: because, in order that wise men, denoted by the priests entering the temple, might grasp the meaning of these types, it was necessary to express them more manifestly than they are in the Divine or angelic mind. Accordingly the candlestick betokened, as a sensible sign thereof, the wisdom which was expressed on the tables (of the Law) in intelligible words. The altar of incense signified the office of the priest, whose duty it was to bring the people to God: and this was signified also by the rod: because on that altar the sweet-smelling incense was burnt, signifying the holiness of the people acceptable to God: for it is written (Apoc. 8:3) that the smoke of the sweet-smelling spices signifies the "justifications of the saints" (cf. Apoc. 19:8). Moreover it was fitting that the dignity of the priesthood should be denoted, in the ark, by the rod, and, in the outer tabernacle, by the altar of incense: because the priest is the mediator between God and the people, governing the people by Divine power, denoted by the rod; and offering to God the fruit of His government, i.e. the holiness of the people, on the altar of incense, so to speak. The table signified the sustenance of life, just as the manna did: but the former, a more general and a coarser kind of nourishment; the latter, a sweeter and more delicate. Again, the candlestick was fittingly placed on the southern side, while the table was placed to the north: because the south is the right-hand side of the world, while the north is the left-hand side, as stated in De Coelo et Mundo ii; and wisdom, like other spiritual goods, belongs to the right hand, while temporal nourishment belongs on the left, according to Prov. 3:16: "In her left hand (are) riches and glory." And the priestly power is midway between temporal goods and spiritual wisdom; because thereby both spiritual wisdom and temporal goods are dispensed.

Another literal signification may be assigned. For the ark contained the tables of the Law, in order to prevent forgetfulness of the Law, wherefore it is written (Ex. 24:12): "I will give thee two tables of stone, and the Law, and the commandments which I have written: that thou mayest teach them" to the children of Israel. The rod of Aaron was placed there to restrain the people from insubordination to the priesthood of Aaron; wherefore it is written (Num. 17:10): "Carry back the rod of Aaron into the tabernacle of the testimony, that it may be kept there for a token of the rebellious children of Israel." The manna was kept in the ark to remind them of the benefit conferred by God on the children of Israel in the desert; wherefore it is written (Ex. 16:32): "Fill a gomor of it, and let it be kept unto generations to come hereafter, that they may know the bread wherewith I fed you in the wilderness." The candlestick was set up to enhance the beauty of the temple, for the magnificence of a house depends on its being well lighted. Now the candlestick had seven branches, as Josephus observes (Antiquit. iii, 7,8), to signify the seven planets, wherewith the whole world is illuminated. Hence the candlestick was placed towards the south; because for us the course of the planets is from that quarter. The altar of incense was instituted that there might always be in the tabernacle a sweet-smelling smoke; both through respect for the tabernacle, and as a remedy for the stenches arising from the shedding of blood and the slaying of animals. For men despise evil-smelling things as being vile, whereas sweet-smelling things are much appreciated. The table was place there to signify that the priests who served the temple should take their food in the temple: wherefore, as stated in Mat. 12:4, it was lawful for none but the priests to eat the twelve loaves which were put on the table in memory of the twelve tribes. And the table was not placed in the middle directly in front of the propitiatory, in order to exclude an idolatrous rite: for the Gentiles, on the feasts of the moon, set up a table in front of the idol of the moon, wherefore it is written (Jer. 7:18): "The women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven."

In the court outside the tabernacle was the altar of holocausts, on which sacrifices of those things which the people possessed were offered to God: and consequently the people who offered these sacrifices to God by the hands of the priest could be present in the court. But the priests alone, whose function it was to offer the people to God, could approach the inner altar, whereon the very devotion and holiness of the people was offered to God. And this altar was put up outside the tabernacle and in the court, to the exclusion of idolatrous worship: for the Gentiles placed altars inside the temples to offer up sacrifices thereon to idols.

The figurative reason for all these things may be taken from the relation of the tabernacle to Christ, who was foreshadowed therein. Now it must be observed that to show the imperfection of the figures of the Law, various figures were instituted in the temple to betoken Christ. For He was foreshadowed by the "propitiatory," since He is "a propitiation for our sins" (1 Jn. 2:2). This propitiatory was fittingly carried by cherubim, since of Him it is written (Heb. 1:6): "Let all the angels of God adore Him." He is also signified by the ark: because just as the ark was made of setim-wood, so was Christ's body composed of most pure members. More over it was gilded: for Christ was full of wisdom and charity, which are betokened by gold. And in the ark was a golden pot, i.e. His holy soul, having manna, i.e. "all the fulness of the Godhead" (Col. 2:9). Also there was a rod in the ark, i.e. His priestly power: for "He was made a . . . priest for ever" (Heb. 6:20). And therein were the tables of the Testament, to denote that Christ Himself is a lawgiver. Again, Christ was signified by the candlestick, for He said Himself (Jn. 8:12): "I am the Light of the world"; while the seven lamps denoted the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. He is also betokened in the table, because He is our spiritual food, according to Jn. 6:41, 51: "I am the living bread": and the twelve loaves signified the twelve apostles, or their teaching. Or again, the candlestick and table may signify the Church's teaching, and faith, which also enlightens and refreshes. Again, Christ is signified by the two altars of holocausts and incense. Because all works of virtue must be offered to us to God through Him; both those whereby we afflict the body, which are offered, as it were, on the altar of holocausts; and those which, with greater perfection of mind, are offered to God in Christ, by the spiritual desires of the perfect, on the altar of incense, as it were, according to Heb. 13:15: "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise always to God."

Emphasis is added by me.

Thomas Aquinas, Catena Aurea, at Matthew 27:35-38 (link to source):

Aug., in Serm., non occ.: Let your holiness consider of what might is the power of the cross. Adam set at nought the commandment, taking the apple from the tree; but all that Adam lost, Christ found upon the cross. The ark of wood saved the human race from the deluge of waters; when God’s people came out of Egypt, Moses divided the sea with his rod, overwhelmed Pharaoh, and redeemed God’s people. The same Moses changed the bitter water into sweet by casting wood into it. By the rod the refreshing stream was drawn out of the rock; that Amalech might be overcome, Moses’ outstretched hands were supported upon his rod; the Law of God is entrusted to the wooden ark of the covenant, that thus, by these steps we may come at last to the wood of the cross.

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part, Treatise on the Incarnation, Question 46, Article 4 (link to source)

Whether Christ ought to have suffered on the cross?

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I answer that, It was most fitting that Christ should suffer the death of the cross.

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The seventh reason is because this kind of death responds to very many figures. For, as Augustine says in a sermon on the Passion (Serm. ci De Tempore), an ark of wood preserved the human race from the waters of the Deluge; at the exodus of God's people from Egypt, Moses with a rod divided the sea, overthrew Pharaoh and saved the people of God. the same Moses dipped his rod into the water, changing it from bitter to sweet; at the touch of a wooden rod a salutary spring gushed forth from a spiritual rock; likewise, in order to overcome Amalec, Moses stretched forth his arms with rod in hand; lastly, God's law is entrusted to the wooden Ark of the Covenant; all of which are like steps by which we mount to the wood of the cross.

Augustine on Psalm 132:8 (Vulgate Psalm 131:8)

From Augustine's Expositions on the Psalms at Psalm 132:8 

8. Arise, O Lord, into Your resting place [Psalm 131:8]. He says unto the Lord sleeping, Arise. You know already who slept, and who rose again....You, and the ark of Your sanctification: that is, Arise, that the ark of Your sanctification, which You have sanctified, may arise also. He is our Head; His ark is His Church: He arose first, the Church will arise also. The body would not dare to promise itself resurrection, save the Head arose first. The Body of Christ, that was born of Mary, has been understood by some to be the ark of sanctification; so that the words mean, Arise with Your Body, that they who believe not may handle.

Notice the contrast between this view and the interpretation alluded to by Pope Pius XII's "Munificentissimus Deus," that the ark is Mary.  That's not even Augustine's back-up interpretation of the text.