Facing up to death

Week 3 – facing up to death  
May the grace and peace of God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you!  
St John’s Gospel, in chapter 20, records how the Risen Jesus encountered Mary Magdalene in the garden. She was weeping outside the empty tomb when Jesus said to her,   
15 “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbuni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”  
In the National Gallery in London there is a painting by Titian which captures this moment of encounter. It’s title is, “Noli me tangere”, “Do not hold on to me”.  
At the beginning of the Second World War, the Gallery’s treasures were taken for safe keeping to a slate mine in Wales. Later, a decision was made to bring back one painting each month. This painting was the first brought back to hang on those empty gallery walls and started the Gallery’s ‘Picture of the month’ tradition.  
That episode in the garden tells us what an encounter with the Risen Jesus was like. It was above all personal: Jesus spoke Mary’s name. Think of her relief and sheer happiness when she recognises him and says, ‘“Rabbuni” which means “Teacher”’. Jesus then speaks about the wholly new relationship his disciples have with God: Jesus’ Father is their Father; Jesus’ God is their God. Astonishingly, we who are his disciples are invited to share the same relationship with God that Jesus enjoys. He has given us a share in his divine life. It quite takes our breath away!  
During these past weeks when each evening the number who have died has been read out on the radio and TV news, many of us have been brought face to face with death in a way that may not have happened before. Some of those who have died may have been very close to us. These past weeks have brought us face to face with our own fragility and vulnerability and with the inevitability of our own death as well.  
Having that painting with them of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the Risen Jesus gave encouragement to those in war-torn London who went to see it. This painting and the Gospel scene it portrayed set them free to carry on with life. It helped them reimagine death in a way that made it less fearsome. As one day if they too heard their name spoken, would they not also experience relief and sheer happiness? Would not they also be invited into the relationship of love that the Father has with the Son and the Son with the Father?  
This Gospel scene and that painting helped those people many years ago to face up to death and in a way that helped them engage with life that much more. May the prospect of an encounter with the Risen Jesus in which he speaks our name do the same for us today.  
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.

Facing up to death

Week 3 – facing up to death  
May the grace and peace of God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you!  
St John’s Gospel, in chapter 20, records how the Risen Jesus encountered Mary Magdalene in the garden. She was weeping outside the empty tomb when Jesus said to her,   
15 “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbuni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”  
In the National Gallery in London there is a painting by Titian which captures this moment of encounter. It’s title is, “Noli me tangere”, “Do not hold on to me”.  
At the beginning of the Second World War, the Gallery’s treasures were taken for safe keeping to a slate mine in Wales. Later, a decision was made to bring back one painting each month. This painting was the first brought back to hang on those empty gallery walls and started the Gallery’s ‘Picture of the month’ tradition.  
That episode in the garden tells us what an encounter with the Risen Jesus was like. It was above all personal: Jesus spoke Mary’s name. Think of her relief and sheer happiness when she recognises him and says, ‘“Rabbuni” which means “Teacher”’. Jesus then speaks about the wholly new relationship his disciples have with God: Jesus’ Father is their Father; Jesus’ God is their God. Astonishingly, we who are his disciples are invited to share the same relationship with God that Jesus enjoys. He has given us a share in his divine life. It quite takes our breath away!  
During these past weeks when each evening the number who have died has been read out on the radio and TV news, many of us have been brought face to face with death in a way that may not have happened before. Some of those who have died may have been very close to us. These past weeks have brought us face to face with our own fragility and vulnerability and with the inevitability of our own death as well.  
Having that painting with them of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the Risen Jesus gave encouragement to those in war-torn London who went to see it. This painting and the Gospel scene it portrayed set them free to carry on with life. It helped them reimagine death in a way that made it less fearsome. As one day if they too heard their name spoken, would they not also experience relief and sheer happiness? Would not they also be invited into the relationship of love that the Father has with the Son and the Son with the Father?  
This Gospel scene and that painting helped those people many years ago to face up to death and in a way that helped them engage with life that much more. May the prospect of an encounter with the Risen Jesus in which he speaks our name do the same for us today.  
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.