ITINERARY OF A MEETING

You were within me, and I was outside.
And there I sought you.

Augustine of Hippo

That Jesus has risen is a matter of faith; whether this is a lived reality for us remains to be seen. Indeed, it is not enough to simply affirm that he has come back to life if we do not experience this in our own lives. But how do we access the grace of Easter?
The evangelists, during this liturgical season, show us the way. If we look at John 20, we can see that one verb plays a central role in the narrative: “to see.” The risen Jesus is seen—that is, recognized—and therefore proclaimed. But take note. In the Greek text, we have three distinct verbs to describe this journey. Note: John begins by saying that Mary Magdalene, when she went to the tomb, saw (blépei, Jn 20:1) the stone removed. Here the verb highlights a phenomenal seeing—what falls before our eyes, what is observed. However, Mary, unlike Peter and the Beloved Disciple, remains there, and at a certain point she sees two angels. Here the verb is theoréin, which denotes a more reflective gaze than blépein. Mary therefore questions herself, sees, and tries to discern what she sees. With what she sees—the two angels—she then comes into contact, and they ask her: “Why are you weeping?” (Jn 20:13). This question is a prelude to the second one that will be asked of her by Jesus himself, who will invite her to go deeper: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” (Jn 20:15). Here is the point: whom is Mary seeking—a corpse or the Living One? At this point, the risen Jesus reveals himself by calling her by name, and she immediately recognizes him as the Master. He sends her to proclaim the good news of the resurrection, which she does promptly, saying to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” (Jn 20:18). The verb heòraka expresses the profound vision of faith. We find the same expression on the lips of the disciples after the Master’s appearance, on the evening of that same day (cf. Jn 20:25). Here is the journey completed, yet it does not stop, for, as Kafka said: “Christ is an abyss of light.”

Commentary by d. Sandro Carotta, osb
Abbazia di Praglia (Italia)