Gospel: John 20:11-18
Mary stood weeping outside the tomb; and as she wept, she bent down to look inside. She saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “Because they have taken my Lord and I don’t know where they have put him.”As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and answered him, “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and take him away.”Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned, and said to him, “Rabboni!”— which means

Master. Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: I am ascending to my Father, who is your Father, to my God, who is your God.”So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me.”

Reflections

“I have seen the Lord.”Mary of Magdala is presented weeping, unlike the women of yesterday’s reading who were rejoicing. She is still crying over the death of Jesus. She stays behind. She does not join the disciples in going back home. The two angels ask her why she is weeping. At this point she does not believe yet in the resurrection. In her sorrow, she is fixated with the remains’ relocation. Jesus also appears to her, but she does not recognize him. She asks the same question, “Where is the body of Jesus?”When Jesus calls her name, Mary recognizes Jesus and shows her affection. She keeps touching until Jesus stops her. The imperative verb used in Greek is in the present tense, not aorist, meaning, “Stop touching me.” If in aorist, it would mean, “Don’t begin to touch me.”Instead, Jesus orders her to report to the brothers that he is ascending into heaven. He is going back home to his Father in heaven. At this point we can see joy in the face of Mary. She is happy to testify to the disciples saying, “I have seen the Lord.” She now declares her belief in Jesus’ resurrection. We can do the same.
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