Novelists and writers of fiction love to use a literary device called “the recognition scene.” It consists in staging the meeting of two people who either have been separated for a long time or who were separated under circumstances which made them believe they would never meet again. Such recognition scenes are dramatically quite effective, and it is easy to understand why playwrights and authors use them often.

Today’s Gospel reading contains a famous recognition scene. It is as beautifully written as any of the most artistic ones ever were. But this one is not fiction. It really happened. And it took place between a creature and her God. It is impossible to improve on the drama of such a scene. One can only contemplate this scene with awe and let John’s text operate its mysterious chemistry in our hearts. All of us are involved in the scene.

For at one time in our past, we too have been called by name. We, too, have recognized the voice of the Master. And for us, too, at that moment, we passed from darkness into light, from grief into joy.

Mary Magdalene 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 went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.