THE DAY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTIONBY CYNTHIA ABEGAIL

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark,

when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the

stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running

to St. Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved.

'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, she said, and we

don't know where they have put him.'

So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb...

Simon Peter, following him, also came up, went into the tomb,

saw the linen cloths lying on the ground and also the cloth that

had been over his head; this was not with the

linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself...

But Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then,

as she wept, she stooped to look inside and saw two angels in white

sitting where the body of Jesushad been, one at the head, the other

at the feet. They said, "Woman, why are you weeping?" 'They have

taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have

put him.' As she said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing

there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her,

"Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?" Supposing

him to be a gardener,, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken hm away, tell

me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him. Jesus said,

"Mary!" She turned round and said to him inHebrew, 'Rabbuni! ---

which means Master. Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because

I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find my brothers, and

tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and

your God.' So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,'

and that he had said these things to her.

Jn 20: 1-18

Reflection:

The evangelist John utilises the literary device of the

recognition scene. It's moving power is just amazing!

What is the significance when Jesu say, "Do not cling to me.?"

Jesus is telling Mary not to try to hold on to the Jesus she knew,

for she is returning to the Father, as from the passages. To attach

oneself to the earthly Jesus would mean a faith based only on

signs.

Mary had seen the Lord! This is the actual evidence that Jesus

had not vanished, but is returning to the Father. "Tell them I am

ascending to my Father." On the other hand, what is striking in the

passage is: "my Father and your Father, my God and your God."

"The Father is, now that Jesus has completed the cycle of

his revealing work, is the Father of his followers. "

They have now the fulfillment of being children of God. As in John 1:12,

"To all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.

Source: Macrae, George W. Invitation to John: a Commentary on the Gospel

of John with Complete Text from Jerusalem Bible.