
A frequent pattern of “coming to the faith” appears in St. John’s Gospel. This pattern involves the gradual recognition of who Jesus is and why He came among us. The pattern involves an initial misunderstanding, the beginnings of faith (as a stage on the path to understanding), and then a more or less complete grasp of Jesus’ mission, His work, and His invitation to follow Him.
Examples of this pattern are: the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus (ch. 3); His encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (ch. 4); the post-resurrection appearance at the Sea of Tiberias (ch. 21); and the passage given for the daily Mass on the Tuesday of the “Octave of Easter” – chapter 20, verses 11-18. In this final passage we find the pattern in each of its three parts: St. Mary Magdalene thought at first that Jesus was the gardener, she then called Him “Teacher,” and then she became actively engaged in “ministry” by running to tell the Apostles the Good News she had heard and seen.
The Biblical scholar St. Jerome suggested that the best place for believers is the middle stage, taking our place on the path to understanding. He said we are no longer lost in ignorance (at the first stage), but it wouldn’t be wise to think that we had “arrived” at the third stage and there was nothing left to learn! Living in the middle stage allows us the joy of constantly growing in the faith, knowing we have a lot more to learn, and looking forward to (and even now) engaging in the “ministry” of sharing the Good News of what we have seen and heard. St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!
***
La Secuencia Pascual (cantada el domingo de Pascua) hace la pregunta, “Di, María, ¿qué has visto?” “He visto la tumba vacía, he visto a Cristo, mi esperanza, resucitado.” Antes de “verlo,” le había estado pidiendo que le dijera dónde lo había puesto. “Así que no lo vio, por lo menos en un principio, con los ojos del cuerpo, sino con los del alma.” Hay que ver a Cristo, nuestra esperanza, con los ojos del alma.
Vamos a celebrar por los Cincuenta Días Pascuales que Cristo, nuestra esperanza, está presente en lo que habla de vida, de verdad, y de belleza. Como María Magdalena, hay que verlo y también anunciarlo: hemos visto al Señor.