Jn. 20:12. And she sees two Angels, sitting in white garments, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
She saw what they did not see, namely: two Angels. The vision of the Angels was for her the greatest consolation. And their bright garments, and their sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, showed that they knew something greater, and, if asked, could instruct.
Every soul that has mastery over the passions is called Mary. Having been purified through dispassion, she sees in Jesus both God and Man. For one of the Angels, sitting at the head, points to the Divinity, and the other, sitting at the feet, to the humble incarnation of the Word.
Jn. 20:13. And they say to her: Woman, why are you weeping?
And the words "why are you weeping?" are full of sincere sympathy. So that Mary would not be troubled, as a woman, by this question they calm her distress. They ask with such sympathy and gentleness: "Woman! why are you weeping?"
Jn. 20:13. She says to them: They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.
And she answers with fervor and love: "They have taken away my Lord, and that is why I weep; I do not know where they have laid Him; I would go there and anoint His body, and in this, at least, I would find some consolation."
Jn. 20:14. Having said this, she turned back and saw Jesus standing; but did not know that it was Jesus.
Why did Mary turn around? When she was conversing with the Angels, what prompted her to turn back? Probably, while she was speaking with the Angels, Jesus, suddenly appearing behind her, astonished them, and they, having seen the Master, by their appearance, movement, and gaze immediately revealed that they had seen the Lord, and this woman (Mary), having noticed this, turned around.
Jn. 20:15. Jesus says to her: Woman! Why are you weeping? Whom do you seek? She, thinking that it was the gardener, says to Him: Sir! If you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him.
Perhaps He appeared to the Angels in a wondrous form, but to Mary not in such a form, but in a humble and ordinary one, which is why she supposed Him to be the gardener, namely of the garden in which the tomb was. For this reason she also says, "Sir, if you have carried Him away," that is, if you have stolen Him. And she does not say "Jesus," but "Him," speaking as if to one who knows what the matter is about. So then, if you have carried Him away, that is, taken and stolen Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him and move Him to another place, where He will be buried magnificently. Perhaps she was afraid that the Jews would also abuse His dead body, and therefore she wished that it be moved to another place, unknown to them.
Jn. 20:16. Jesus says to her: Mary!
The intention of the woman is full of love; but she cannot conceive of anything lofty. And since she herself could not think of anything lofty, the Lord by His voice makes Himself known to her. For He uttered only her name and thereby imparted knowledge, just as He sometimes made the Jews recognize Him, and at other times was present among them, and they did not recognize Him. So also in speech, when He willed, then He made Himself known. In like manner now too, when He willed, He made Mary recognize Him by His voice. Without doubt, He had also spoken aloud to her before: "Woman, why are you weeping?" But Mary did not recognize Him, for it was not the will of Jesus. But when He willed it, she recognized Him by His voice.
Jn. 20:16. She, having turned around, says to Him: Rabboni! – which means: Teacher!
"She turned and said to Him." How is this? She was speaking with Him and saying, "Tell me where you have laid Him"; and now the Evangelist says that she "turned"? It seems to me that after she said "where you have laid Him," she turned toward the Angels, perhaps intending to ask them what they were marveling at. Then Christ, calling her by name, astonished her with His voice and turned her from them to Himself, and she, recognizing Him now, said, "Teacher!"
Jn. 20:17. Jesus says to her: Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father;
She desires to approach Him, to interact with Him as before, and perhaps to embrace Him as a beloved one. But He elevates her thought, so that she might think something higher and attend to Him with greater reverence. "Do not touch Me," that is, circumstances are no longer in their former state, and I shall no longer interact with you as before. Although He did not say this in words, such is the meaning of the words "I ascend to My Father." I hasten there. And since I hasten there and no longer have such a body as to interact with people, one must be more reverent toward Me, beyond ordinary conversation and touching, that is, interaction.
See then how many thoughts the Evangelist expressed briefly. The Lord said: "Do not touch Me." Then, as if someone asked: "Why?" "Because," He answers, "My body is no longer such as is proper to earthly life, but such as befits heaven and the dwellings on high." Then the questioner, as it were, continues: "Why then do You walk on earth, when You have such a body?" "Because," He answers, "I have not yet ascended to My Father, but I shall ascend." For He expresses this in the further words: "Go to My brethren and tell them: I ascend to My Father and your Father," although He would ascend not immediately, but after forty days.
Jn. 20:17. Go to My brothers and tell them: I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.
Why then does He speak thus? In order to raise up her mind and to persuade her that He is ascending to the heavens, and thereby to comfort her.
Having called the disciples brothers, He adds "and your Father." God is Father to us as well, but by grace, whereas to the Lord He is Father by nature. Conversely, He is God to us by nature, but God to the Lord by His humanity. For He became His God when He took upon Himself human nature.
Jn. 20:18. Mary Magdalene goes and announces to the disciples that she has seen the Lord and that He said these things to her.
Mary, having been deemed worthy of such words, departs and announces this to the disciples. See how good are zeal and perseverance. Be zealous yourself as well, and perhaps you will learn something higher, and from a disciple of the Word you will become a teacher.
Jn. 20:19. On that same first day of the week, in the evening, when the doors of the house where His disciples were gathered were shut for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them: Peace be unto you!
When Mary announced this to the disciples, it was natural that they either did not believe her, or, having believed, regretted that they were not deemed worthy to see Him themselves. Therefore He appears to them on that very day, since they, on the one hand, having heard from the woman that He had risen, thirsted to see Him themselves, and on the other hand, feared the Jews and for that reason desired all the more to see this sole consolation for them.