Gospel: Jn 20:11-18
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MARY Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.
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John dramatizes the encounter between the risen Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Even though Jesus stands plainly in sight, Mary does not recognize him. He asks her, “Whom are you looking for?” – a question that probes discipleship (cf Jn 1:41 where the early disciples stay with Jesus and find the Messiah).
Mary is looking for the dead Jesus; she will find the living one. The tears she shed for her Master have blurred her vision to the heavenly interventions (the two angels). Jesus overcomes this failure by calling her by name. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who calls his very own by name (cf Jn 10:3). Mary verifies this claim and proves that she is one of those of whom Jesus said: “I know mine and mine know me” (Jn 10:14).
At the end of the story, Mary Magdalene announces to the disciples that she has seen the Lord. The Beloved Disciple is the first to believe in the resurrection of Jesus (cf Jn 20:8). Mary Magdalene is the first to proclaim the risen Lord.
