The following morning Mary was completing her preparations to return to Nazareth. It was still quite early though when John and some of the other disciples appeared at the door. May could tell again by their haste and the expressions on their faces that they had news for her they were eager to share. She was almost used to John appearing with unusual news. She knew they were not simply coming to accompany her back to Galilee as they had promised yesterday.
“Mother Mary,” John was the first to speak, “You won’t believe what happened yesterday. We were all gathered at John Mark’s home making preparations for our trip today when two of our group who had been on their way home to Emmaus came in. We could tell they were rather out of breath. They told us they had been home but something had happened and they had hurried back to give us great news. They told an unbelievable story of a man having suddenly come and walked with them. They wondered where he was from as he had not seemed to know what had gone on in Jerusalem these last few days. When they filled him in this stranger had begun to teach them from our Law about how the Son of Man had to be crucified and then rise again in fulfilment of what the law and the prophets had written. When they got home they wanted to hear more and he accepted an invitation to eat with them and continue the discussion. He had taken it upon himself to ask the blessing on the food, like Jesus always did, and just like that, he disappeared. Then it dawned on them; this man was none other than Jesus!”
“But what happened next was even more incredulous! They had barely finished telling us this story when whom should appear but Jesus himself! It was absolutely amazing. We were at first somewhat afraid because suddenly there was this figure in our midst. He had not even knocked on the door, which in fact we had kept locked, as we were still afraid the police would come after us too. It seemed he had not come through it at all. We thought it was a ghost. But then he spoke, telling us not to be afraid. It was the same familiar voice.”
“We had still been eating supper when the friends from Emmaus had arrived, so Jesus asked us for something to eat to prove he was not a ghost. We gave him some of our fish and indeed, he ate it and it was gone. Then Jesus made us all feel a little ashamed for how many people, starting with our sisters Mary from Magdala, Joanna, Susanna and the others had told us in the morning Jesus was resurrected and we had not believed. He invited us to touch him and see that he was real. He actually showed us his hands and feet, which still bore the scars from his crucifixion, but they were all healed! I tell you, we were all so excited we just crowded round him to touch him to see if he was real. Of course, we also wanted to see what he had to tell us. Well, now we believe that he is alive because we have seen him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. That is what is most important.”
Mary could not believe her ears. Was Jesus alive after all? Had he in fact risen from the dead? The conviction with which John and the others told her of what had happened erased all her doubts. Now all she wanted was to see her beloved son for herself. And what did it mean for them all that he was alive again. What would he do now?
“So, Mary,” continued John. “We were going to take you with us to Galilee, remember? Now we all have all the more reason to hurry back there, so we can meet Jesus again.”
Mary nodded and quickly gathered her things together. Then she bid her parents an emotional farewell. They were so happy too. Turning away, she joined the young men who were already making their way out the door. This was indeed going to be another exciting chapter in the book of her life. She could hardly wait.
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