Monday 21 April 2014

Easter Tuesday Saint John 20:11-18. Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb...

COMMENT:  

Easter Tuesday 2014. 
The ‘Daily Gospel’, for this day, happens to introduce again with St. Gregory Palamas.
This Reference is also very useful.
A question remains about the Apocryphal Gospel of Gamaliel ... ?

Saint John 20:11-18.
Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb...

Commentary of the day : 
Saint Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), monk, Bishop and theologian 
Homily 20, on the eight morning gospels according to Saint John ; PG 151, 265 

"Go to my brothers"

Outside darkness still reigned; it was not yet day; yet that cave was full of the light of the resurrection. Mary saw this light through God's grace: her love for Christ had been quickened and she had the strength to see the angels... Then they said to her: “Woman, why are you weeping? What you are seeing in this cave is heaven, or rather a heavenly temple in place of a tomb dug out to be a prison... Why are you weeping?”... 

Outside, day is still unclear and the Lord does not make that divine brightness appear which would have made him known at the heart of suffering. So Mary did not recognize him... When he spoke and allowed himself to be recognized..., even then, as she saw him alive, she had no idea of his divine greatness but addressed him as a mere man of God... In the upsurge of her heart she now wants to throw her arms round his knees, to touch his feet. But he said to her: “Do not touch me... for the body with which I am now clothed is lighter and more mobile than fire; it is able to rise up to heaven and even to my Father's side in the heights of heaven. I have not yet risen to my Father because I have not as yet shown myself to my disciples. Go and find them; they are my brothers for we are all children of one Father” (cf. Gal 3,26)... 

The church in which we stand is the symbol of that cave. Indeed, it is more than a symbol: it is, as it were, another Sepulchre. It is there we find the place where the Lord's body has been laid, the holy table. So whoever runs with all their heart towards this divine tomb, God's true dwelling... will there learn the words of the inspired writings that will instruct him, like the angels, about the divinity and humanity of the Word of God incarnate. And thus he will see the Lord himself, without any possibility of error... For whoever looks with faith on the mystic table and the bread of life laid on it will see in its reality the Word of God who was made flesh for us and made his dwelling amongst us (Jn 1,14). And if he proves himself worthy of receiving it, he will not only see but will share in its being; he will take it into himself that he may remain there.


No comments: