Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalen

A Bible Study on John 20:1-18 by Mother Martha Driscoll

 1 And on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen cometh early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre; and she saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre.  2 She ran, therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith to them: They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.  3 Peter therefore went out, and that other disciple, and they came to the sepulchre.  4 And they both ran together, and that other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.  5 And when he stooped down, he saw the linen cloths lying; but yet he went not in.

 6 Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulchre, and saw the linen cloths lying,  7 And the napkin that had been about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but apart, wrapped up into one place.  8 Then that other disciple also went in, who came first to the sepulchre: and he saw, and believed.  9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.  10 The disciples therefore departed again to their home.

 11 But Mary stood at the sepulchre without, weeping. Now as she was weeping, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,  12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid.  13 They say to her: Woman, why weepest thou? She saith to them: Because they have taken away my Lord; and I know not where they have laid him.  14 When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing; and she knew not that it was Jesus.  15 Jesus saith to her: Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, thinking it was the gardener, saith to him: Sir, if thou hast taken him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

 16 Jesus saith to her: Mary. She turning, saith to him: Rabboni (which is to say, Master).  17 Jesus saith to her: Do not touch me, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren, and say to them: I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.  18 Mary Magdalen cometh, and telleth the disciples: I have seen the Lord, and these things he said to me.  19 Now when it was late that same day, the first of the week, and the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered together, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be to you.  20 And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.

(Douay Rheims, 1899)

Meditation

Long before the break of day, long before Salome was ready, Magdalene ran to the tomb to be with him, to be near his precious body. But he wasn’t there.

What had they done with him? Those Romans! They had no respect for the living or the dead! The shock was too great to keep to herself. She ran to tell the men, who ran back with her. Peter was confused. John just gazed silently with no visible reaction. The tomb being empty, they went home to ponder and talk.

Mary of Magdala stayed at the place of the emptiness. She fought with her anger, rebellion and pain. Not to be able to grieve by his body brought home the worst desolation of her loss. She wept uncontrollably. Her heart was as empty as the empty tomb. She went in there again and sat down in the dark, alone with the absence. Somehow, there was that presence again that she had felt with Mary the other night. “Dead but yet alive.”

There was warmth in the cold earth; there was a glimmer of hope in the confusion that gave her the strength to rise up and walk.

Outside again, the glare of the rising sun seemed to blind her. Her tear-filled eyes could not focus clearly. Someone was standing there. “Who are you? Where is he? Give him back to me!”

Jesus tested her and...was moved by unspeakable tenderness and desire for the moment of renewed encounter. A moment of silence, and then he called her by name. She heard him, she saw him, she ran to him. He was alive—he was alive for her. She soared into an explosion of joy. For the second time in her life, he had pulled her out of the darkness into light, out of anger into love, out of death into life.

Reflection

He was her life, and nothing could separate her from him—not even death. Participating in his death through her desire and love, in union with the heart of Mary the Mother, Mary of Magdala participated in his resurrection. Love was indeed stronger than death. That was the message entrusted to her to be announced to the apostles and to the world. Not simply that Jesus was alive, but that he was alive for us. That his love did not die, and so we cannot die. His resurrection was our resurrection. He is alive and we will live forever. She gave birth to Christian joy.

Prayer

Jesus, you suffered alone, and yet others suffered with you—the suffering of love. So often we are afraid to love because we do not want to suffer. Because we have been hurt, betrayed, not loved in return, or rejected, we dare not love again…Give us the strength and courage to love, to be vulnerable…. Let us follow in the footsteps of the women who loved you and come to the joy of an eternal encounter with you.

(Excerpted from Reading Between the Lines of the Gospel copyright © 2006. Used with permission.)