Jesus Appears to Mary Magdelene - July 22, 2021 | Bible Commentaries

A Reading of the Holy Gospel according to  Jn 20:1-2, 11-18

Now on the first day of the week, Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rab-bo'ni! (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, I have seen the Lord; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Reading:  Jn 20:1

Now on the first day of the week, Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

Commentary:

first day of the week: Sunday is the day of Christ's Resurrection. Because of that, the Church recognizes Sunday as the Lord's Day and established its worship on that day by the celebration of the Eucharist. In the early Church, before Christians made a complete break from Judaism, they would worship in the Temple and synagogues on the Sabbath and then meet to celebrate the Eucharist in private homes on the following day, which was Sunday. As the first day, Sunday also brings to mind the first day of creation and thus signifies a new creation in Christ. (CCC 2174, 2190-2195)

Reading: Jn 20:2

2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.

Commentary:

The empty tomb is not in itself unimpeachable evidence of the Resurrection, but it is obviously an essential sign of the Resurrection. (CCC 640)

Reading: Jn 20:11-18

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek? Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rab-bo'ni! (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, I have seen the Lord; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Commentary:

God allows himself to be seen and recognized by those who are pure of heart," taught St. Gregory of Nyssa (De Beatitudinibus, 6). Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Christ who was mentioned by John as having been one of the women at the foot of the Cross; Luke describes her as having been a woman possessed by demons whom Christ had healed. Her sincere search for Christ after her discovery of the empty tomb was rewarded with an appearance by the risen Christ himself. Disciples of Christ are those who, despite human weaknesses, are healed by him and commit themselves to follow him, becoming witnesses of his merciful love. (CCC 640-641)

Works Cited

Ignatius Press. The Didache Bible : With Commentaries Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2014. Edited by Rev. James Socias, 2nd ed., Downers Grove, Il, Midwest Theological Forum, Inc. ; San Francisco, Ca, 5 Jan. 2015, pp. 5, 347.

---. The Didache Bible : With Commentaries Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2014. Edited by Rev. James Socias, 2nd ed., Downers Grove, Il, Midwest Theological Forum, Inc. ; San Francisco, Ca, 5 Jan. 2015, pp. 5, 347–5, 348.