But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her. (Jn 20:11-18)
Belief in the resurrection is a gift from above. Until and unless it is given from above the individual sees only the material, human, social and cultural things around. Mary sees only the empty tomb and she weeps over it. She sees only a gardener in the person standing behind her. And the communication between them is also of earthy. They speak of taking the body (death) only.
When Jesus addressed her as woman, her response also was of the same line. She considered him to be a gardener. The talking between them also would be of human interest and importance. Jesus talked to her in common language and general terms and hence the communication is also of general nature.
Jesus called her Mary. He called her by her name that is Jesus was personal. Immediately Mary based her response in a personal manner. She addressed her Rabbouni. Then the communication becomes personal. He tells her not to hold on to her and communicates to her that she has to be in relationship with the father etc. Personal approach, personal revelation, and personal communication makes the person accept resurrection and she is able to proclaim “I have seen the Lord”.
