No one questions if Mary Magdalene loved Jesus. She was one of the most ardent disciples. Jesus liberated her from seven demons and forgave her sins. Through it, she deeply experienced the grace of the Lord. And she dearly loved Jesus.

Nevertheless, she could not recognize the risen Jesus when he was standing before her eyes. We all wonder why. The same thing happened to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. They spent even the whole afternoon with Jesus on the road. How did these things happen?

In both episodes, it was Jesus who opened their eyes. Jesus called the name of Mary. The voice of the Good Shepherd opened the eyes of his sheep. By breaking the bread that is feeding his sheep, Jesus opened the eyes of the two disciples. As St Peter testifies, Jesus did not appear to all people in Jerusalem but chose only his disciples to reveal his resurrection. With these facts, we may say the reality of the resurrection is hidden to ordinary eyes. Only when the Lord chooses to reveal we may witness it.

But I think there would be another reason why Mary Magdalene and the two disciples could not recognize the risen Jesus. On their side, they were still bound to the past experiences before the death of Jesus. And those experiences include not only factual events but also subjective impressions, emotions, desires, ideas and reflections. In a sense, Mary Magdalene was looking for Jesus on earth whom she loved. The two disciples missed Jesus, who had caused great miracles and wondrous healings. But now, the risen Jesus is much more than what they had in their minds.

Our faith must grow and mature. We cannot remain in the faith of a young child. The disciples of Jesus had to move forward by encountering the risen Jesus. The faith we received from the Apostles and first disciples of Jesus is not their faith in Jesus before his Passion. What we received is the faith matured after the Resurrection of the Lord. Eastertide is not the time we go back to our former practices of faith or previous levels of maturity. It is time to grow. Perhaps that’s why Eastertide coincides with springtide when everything grows.

Let us pray that our risen Lord may also reveal his resurrection to us in this season so that our faith may become complete and our joy fulfilled.