A revelation shared

For St John (John 20:11-18) the discovery of the empty tomb sets the stage for Mary Magdalene to meet Jesus. She doesn't recognise Jesus because in her inconsolable grief, she doesn't expect to see him at all. Only when she hears him speak her name does she realise that it is in fact Jesus, not a gardener. 

There are times when the painful intensity of human emotions can prevent us from recognising God's presence. This may seem to make it impossible to focus on God in prayer. Mary's experience here may suggest that the effort to 'listen' in some way for the familiar voice of love is what breaks the enclosing cycle of sorrow. This voice from beyond can reach us through the words of scripture, memorised or heard, or the words of some other person reaching out in compassion towards us. 

Sharing in the resurrection experience begins with a breakthrough from beyond ourselves into that dark place where we turn in on ourselves in pain. For the disciples this starts with receiving the disruptive news of the empty tomb, which prompts them to come out of their misery of shame, and talk to each other, if only out of bewilderment and disbelief. Only then does Jesus come to them, unannounced, bearing words of forgiveness and peace. 

Already it is the evening of a new day when he appears, and appears to disciples - gathered in one place, scattered to another - appears once they have begun to share their experiences with each other. His whole ministry has taught them how to share and when they start to share again in earnest, he reveals himself to them.

Personal prayer and communion with God sustains our spiritual lives, but God gives us so much more to enable us to grow into 'the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ'. He gives us each other to share in prayer together. Sharing not just in the formal ritual acts of common worship, but in intimate and personal trust, when hearts are open to each other as well as to God.

No matter how powerful experiences of God may be through personal prayer, experiences that are shared are more powerful still because they can be witnessed to with confirmation from others. Having appeared first to Mary Magdalene, he appears to the eleven disciples and breaks bread with two, travelling on the road to Emmaus. St Paul reports that he also appears to five hundred at one time. Although the detail is scant, the experience conveyed is enough to convince others and lead to the expansion of the church far beyond Palestine. The experience of the individual is confirmed in the experience shared by a group.

The blessings of personal prayer find confirmation or challenge, when shared with others - 

"Where two or three are gather in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt 18:20)

    

Sense of place

The discovery of the empty tomb was so contrary to anyone's expectations that the accounts of what happened to the disciples immediately afterwards are confusingly mixed. It is difficult to establish a coherent time-line, as each evangelist recounts the story slightly differently, although each intends to state with confident certainty that Jesus has returned to life from certain death. 

In each of the accounts the women disciples of Jesus play a prominent part in relaying the good news to the men. They come out of the background of a story which has been told largely from a male point of view. Without the women the message would not have been conveyed to the world the way it has been. The angel at the empty tomb says;

'Go quickly and tell his disciple that he has been raised from the dead and indeed is going ahead of you into Galilee.' (Matthew 28:7)

And a few sentences later

' Then Jesus said to them "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." ' (Matthew 28:10)

  

Jesus also meets with them in Jerusalem was well before they can travel home. To go to Galilee will mean putting behind them the horrors of the last few days, detaching themselves from the empty tomb discovery and facing a different kind of future together.

The religious authorities are already conspiring to spread a false story of conspiracy on the part of the disciples to steal his body, in order the counter the risk that the rumours about his return to life will cause trouble for them with Pilate, and maybe with Jerusalemites hearing these strange stories. They need to put a distance between themselves and dangerous controversy. They need some time and space together to strengthen their grasp on the truth which has caught hold of them so unexpectedly. Matthew is suggesting here that the risen Lord is at work guiding them to a place of safety.

There may often be occasions in the life of prayer when there is no alternative to being exposed to risk and danger, and the Psalms so often contain the pleas of people threatened and under pressure, making a conscious effort to trust in God. There are also other occasions when there is a choice or opportunity presented to quit an exposed position, to withdraw from confrontation and seek God in safe seclusion, where it is possible to relax and let go, and be strengthened by the peace of God's presence. Learning to discern the right moment comes from asking is this right for now? Am I in the right place?

An essential component of realising any vocation on life's path is knowing where you are called to be in order to flourish and be blessed. Sometimes it is not always clear what you're meant to do or how you're meant to act when you're there, but this becomes apparent when the inner impulse to go to a  new right place has been obeyed.

'Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying "Whom shall I send, who will go for us?" And I said; "Here I am; send me!" ' (Isaiah 6:8)