Jesus Appears to His Mother
The first of St. Ignatius’ resurrection meditations is on Jesus’ appearance to His mother, a non-canonical, but reasonable appearance, one even recommended by Pope John Paul II. Below is one possible way such events may have happened.
It is early in the morning of the the first day of the week. Mary sits awake near a window in prayer while John, the beloved disciple, lies asleep under a blanket on a mat in the same room. Both are exhausted from the events of the Passover, from the death of the Lord. It is slightly cool outside, the day not yet warmed as the sun has not yet risen. Mary prays audibly, asking the Father what purpose it all served. She does not know all the details of the Lord’s plan, but she knows that the death of her Son is not in vain, for God would not work a miraculous birth, an Incarnation, for naught, and so she asks for a deeper understanding.
In the midst of this prayer and grief, a light and shuffle is heard in the back room. She turns to see a fire lit, a fire that was not there before. She slowly arises and makes her way to the small hallway, places her hand on the wall, and peers into the room to see what this light is. Sitting in front of the fire in a chair is her Son, basking in the warmth of the fire, enjoying one of the creature comforts that having a body allows (the Lord truly enjoyed being man). She says nothing; she makes no movement; she merely watches. She says a prayer of gratitude as her trust in the Lord was once again not misplaced and quietly walks into the back room, beckoned by the mere presence of her Son.
With confidence, she places her hands upon the chair next to His and says, “Son.” He looks up and smiles with exuberance at the site of His mother. She sits and the two say nothing; they simply gaze at one another and smile. This goes on for a time, and then the Lord says, “I must go and visit the others.” She nods, always accepting His will. He then vanishes in order to be about His Father’s business.
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