TURNING BACK TWICE TO JESUS

Tuesday in the Easter Octave

Acts 2:36-41. John 20:11-18.

 

Turning back again and again to JESUS 

 

Let us begin today’s reflection with an insight from Saint Augustine. In the gospel reading, Mary of Magdala stands in front of the tomb weeping. She talks to the two angels who were sitting inside the tomb of Jesus. She turns back and sees Jesus. But she sees Jesus as a gardener. She begins her conversation with the gardener. At the end of the conversation, the gardener says to her, “Mary!” She turns again and says, ‘Rabbouni’, and hugs him. She realizes that it is the Lord. Mary has already turned back from the tomb, towards Jesus. How come she turns around for the second time?

 

Saint Augustine interprets her two turning backs this way: ‘The first time when Mary turned she turned her body toward Jesus. Only the second time she turned her soul. She could recognize the Lord only when she turned her soul towards the Lord. When her body was towards the Lord, and her soul was towards the tomb, she partially recognized Jesus as a gardener. It is when our body and soul together are turned towards Jesus we are able to recognize him as our Lord.’

 

Mary’s recognition of Jesus occurs in four stages:

• First, Mary did not find Jesus.
• Second, she sees him as a gardener.
• Third, she sees him as ‘rabbouni’ (‘my teacher’).
• Fourth, she recognizes him as ‘the Lord.’

 

Jesus sends her on a mission. But she forgets everything. She just says, ‘I have seen the Lord.’

 

According to the Fourth Gospel, ‘sees’ means ‘believing.’ When the Greeks say to Philip, ‘Sir, we would like to see Jesus’ (cf. Jn 12). Here, ‘seeing’ means ‘believing.’

 

Mary’s announcement to the apostles becomes the foundation of faith.

 

Mary of Magdala announces to the apostles, ‘Christ is alive.’

 

Let our face and soul be not towards the tomb. We shall turn back. He stands behind us. Sometimes as a gardener, sometimes as a teacher, and sometimes as the Lord.