Chapter 63: Of the appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene in the form of a gardener

I BLESS You, and give thanks to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, to Whom all hearts are open, and from Whom no secrets are hid, for Your kindly appearance to Your ardent lover Mary Magdalene, as she stood weeping by Your Tomb, what time You did vouchsafe to show Yourself to her in the form of a gardener, to reveal to her, of Your special grace, many secret things of Your Godhead and mysteries of Your Manhood, making known to her first of all Your creatures the certainty of Your glorious Resurrection, and in place of her tearful lamentings and many questionings, bestowing upon her abundant joy and gladness.

I praise and magnify You for Your loving appearance, and for the gentle words which You did speak, to the disconsolate Mary Magdalene, when You did question her and say: "Why weep you ? Whom, seek you?"

O good Jesus, O most sweet Master, Who know all things before they come to pass, why do You ask of her that which You know full well ? You know that what she is seeking and longing for is that which indeed beyond all else she loves, Yourself alone. It is because in the Tomb she found You not, because she has lost that which in all the world was most precious to her, that she weeps, and is sad. As often as she thinks of You, as often as she hears You spoken of, as often as she sees Your Tomb, or calls to mind Your Cross, or anything else that has had to do with You, that moment her heart sinks within her, and she weeps; for love knows no rest till it finds what it has been seeking, possesses what it loves, and holds fast what it has been longing for.

Be not angry then, O Lord, if even on so high a festival as this holy Easter Day, she sheds tears in Your presence. It is her love for You; it is her great devotion to You, which has given her no sleep nor rest, which has driven her from her couch before the break of day that she might come and anoint You — it is these things which have made her as You see. It is because she has not found You that she weeps, and that her grief on Your account is so intense. With so great love does she burn, with such intense longing is she on fire, that had she but an Angel's wings she would fly to You over mountains and hills and above the stars of heaven. Higher than the Cherubim and the Seraphim in Heaven would she mount in search of You, if only she might find You in Your Kingdom, if only she might see You sitting on Your Throne at the Right Hand of the Father. But to-day this happy lot may not be hers; nor indeed to all is it given to be caught up with Paul into the third Heaven, but only to those for whom it is prepared by Your Father, and at the proper time, that namely which has been foreordained of God.

O loving Jesus, Comforter of those who mourn, have pity on Mary in her grief, come to the help of her who mourns, speak to her who loves You. Speak but one word, and her sorrow will have an end. Tell her but Your name, let but Your voice sound in her ears, and straightway her grief will be assuaged. Show her the Light of Your Countenance, most beauteous Lord Jesus, and most sweetly will her soul rejoice in You. Call her by her name, and on the instant her tears will cease to flow.

Why, I ask, O Lord, why hide You Your Face from her who loves You, from her who seeks You so anxiously, from her who laments You so bitterly? When in very deed You are her beloved Lord, and her Master, her Lord in Your authority over her, her Master in teaching her, why do You pretend to be other than You are, why do You feign to be the gardener? Say to her, then, I pray You: " I am Jesus Whom you seek; be still and weep no more; go in peace!"

Nay, good Jesus, what is Your purpose in all this, why do You not satisfy the longing of her soul? I know that You do and order all things well. I know that You neither deceive nor can be deceived; for You are a just God, loving and true in all Your ways. Surely it was in order that You might stir up yet more her longing after You, in order that You might make trial of the strength of her patience, and in order that by affliction and delay You might purify her soul, and might after long-protracted grief and many tears lead her to yet greater joy. Surely it was for all this that You did hide from sorrowing Mary the brightness of Your Countenance, and did keep her from knowing You.

And in all this, surely, You did intend the example of holy Mary's patience and repentance to be to all Your faithful servants in distress a source of great comfort. Mary was very dear to You, and she was adorned with many excellent gifts, but for all that she was in this life often in trouble and distress, often heavy-laden, often forsaken for a season. But this was in order that her merits might become greater, and that other Christians might profit by her example: never was she altogether forsaken, never forgotten.

How wisely, O Lord, and how tenderly, do You deal with Your loved ones, whether You send them trials, or give them consolation — both of which You do in order to lead them to Yourself, and to the everlasting rest of the heavenly Paradise. They must needs be tried by manifold temptations, and be purified like gold in the fire of tribulation: and if they would be made fit for the Kingdom of God, and worthy of the beatific vision, they must take everything that comes from Your Hand as a priceless boon, and as a pledge of that everlasting life which You have promised to every faithful soul that does not cease to weep and to pray, as did Mary Magdalene on this day before You.

How good are You, O God of Israel, to those who are of a right spirit, to those who seek You humbly and truly, with sorrow and with tears, as Mary sought You and found You. The more laboriously a thing has been sought after, the greater the difficulty in finding it, the more will it be cherished, the more carefully will it be guarded. The longer a man has gone without food the more will he relish it: a bitter draught makes any water taste sweet. We love daylight because night has gone before it; it is when we have been cold that we most love a fire. Joyous music gives us the greatest pleasure when sadness has gone before it: hard work gives us the most refreshing rest and sleep. The fiercer the war, the more welcome is peace. Stars are at their brightest when a misty sky becomes clear; birds sing their merriest as the sun rises. Even so, when Christ with His peace is at hand the soul which has been in trouble is renewed like the eagle. All this is well seen in the case of the beloved Mary Magdalene, who having wept much was abundantly comforted of the Lord. " how great is Your goodness, O Lord, which You have laid up for them that fear You."

" Verily You are a God that hide Yourself" as says Isaias, and besides You there is none other like You, knowing how to order all things so wisely for Your loved ones. O good Jesus, eternal Wisdom of the Father, in what humility and in what love did You live Your life among men, teaching them what was wholesome and profitable for them; to despise earthly things, to love heavenly things, and to endure adversity!

How sweet was Mary's discourse with Jesus, the Saviour of the world, the King of Angels, the Lord of lords, the Prince of the citizens of Heaven, the Ruler of the ages. Of a truth, Lord, had Mary known You fully, she would never have thought You to be the gardener; she would never have addressed You as a stranger, asking what You were doing there, or of what You were in search. "Sir," she said, " if you have taken Him hence, tell me." O Mary, how can you so speak, to Him, the greatness of Whose power You know not. Whence do you take courage to say boldly: "I will take Him away" How can you venture to think that of yourself you can lift such and so great a man? Tell me whither do you wish to take Him? Who gave you leave to take away that which you had not put there? You know not what you say. Call your companions and see whether, as you say, you could, all of you together, carry Him Whom you seek. You will scarce be able, for you are tired with your long walk, and weak from your two days' fast, and with weeping for Christ, Whose sacred Body you cannot find. O Mary, if the others have gone away, and you are alone, what will you do? Ask that Gardener to help you in your search for Him Who is so dear to you, and in carrying Him Whom you love, and are seeking with so many sighs and tears. No one can help you better, or comfort you more fully than that Gardener; no one, if He would only say so, knows better than He whither your Lord has been taken, or where He is hidden. I suspect that it was pity for you that brought Him to you, in order that He might Himself tell you where He Whom you seek is to be found, and Who it was that during the night removed Him from the Tomb.

How intense was the longing of this holy woman, who never stopped searching and weeping! Speak, Lord, I pray You, but one short word to her, so that Your dove on hearing Your Voice, may know You, and for joy at finding her Spouse may raise her voice in song and dry her tears. You are He Whom she is seeking: You are He Whom she longs for; Angels, creatures, and human comfort of what kind soever, satisfy her not. Speak, Lord, and how willingly will Your handmaid, Your faithful attendant, hear You. Say to her, as You were often wont to say to Your beloved hostess: " Mary ! " That is her name; and so she would rather be called by You than by any one else, for You are her only Hope. More she does not want; You are her all in all.

O Mary, know Jesus, by Whom you are known; love Him Who first loved you. Make answer, loved one, to your beloved Master, to the Gardener after yours own heart: " Rabboni, my Lord, I thank You for appearing to me. Now I possess what I sought, now I behold Him Whom I bewailed, and better far is my lot than I could ever have hoped it would be."

How happy was the day, how blessed was the hour in which, O Mary, after Angels had been seen by you and had spoken to you, you were found worthy to behold the Lord of Angels, and to hear His sweet voice saying to you: " Go to My brethren and say to them: I ascend to My Father, and to your Father, to My God and your God."

Mary therefore did as Jesus had commanded her, and full of joy, went forthwith, without a moment's delay, without a murmur, to tell the disciples the good news that after her prolonged sorrow and her many tears, she had seen her Lord.

How pleasing and acceptable were those tears coming from a heart that was pure, from a love that was fervent, sweeter surely far than the precious spices in their alabaster box got ready for the anointing.

And now, O most merciful Christ Jesus, Who did vouchsafe to visit and to comfort holy Mary Magdalene when she was overwhelmed with sorrow and distress, I entreat You by the bowels of Your mercy, that when my soul is weary and sad; or is heavy laden by reason of some bodily trouble, or of sorrow of heart, due either to my having given way to temptation, or to the unnoticed withdrawal from me of the sweetness of Your grace, or to some fault which I have committed, better known to You than to myself; or when an evil conscience oppresses me with the thought of judgement to come, and fills me with alarm on account of my daily negligences and coldness of heart, in respect of many duties left undone, or made worthless by being mixed up with idle vanities — when any of these things come upon me, show to me also, I beseech You, mercy like to that which You showed to holy Mary Magdalene. Withdraw not, I pray You, O Lord, Your Hand from me when I am in trouble; and suffer me not to doubt of the pardon of my sins. Of Your unspeakable bounty, take me, I pray You, to the Bosom of Your mercies; for they endure from everlasting to everlasting upon all such as with their whole heart seek You, and desire to love You. Of Your wonted lovingkindness extend to me once more the grace of Your holy comfort, for which I long with my whole heart; and moved by the prayers and by the tears of holy Magdalene, show to me when my soul departs from my body, the saving joy of the light of Your Countenance. Amen.