Why did Mary turn back? When she converses with the angels, what prompted her to turn back? Probably, while she was talking to the angels, Jesus suddenly appeared behind her and caused them to be amazed, and when they saw the Lord, they immediately saw that they had seen the Lord, and this woman (Mary), noticing this, turned back. Perhaps He appeared to the angels in a striking form, but to Mary not in such a form, but in a humble and ordinary form, which is why she considered Him to be the gardener of the very garden in which the tomb was located. Wherefore it saith, Lord, if thou hast borne Him, that is, if thou hast stolen Him, and it does not say, Jesus, but, Him, as if it were to one who knows what is the matter. Therefore, if you have carried it away, that is, taken it and stolen it from here, then tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him and transfer Him to another place, where He will be buried magnificently. Perhaps she was afraid that the Jews would not mock the dead body, and therefore she wanted it to be transferred to another place, unknown to them. A wife's intention is full of love; but it cannot conceive of anything lofty. And since she could not think of anything lofty by herself, the Lord by His voice makes Himself known to her. For He spoke only her name, and thereby imparted knowledge, just as He sometimes made Himself known to the Jews, and sometimes He was with them, and they did not recognize Him. So also in speeches, when He wanted, then He allowed Himself to be recognized. In the same way, now, when He willed, He let Mary know Himself by His voice. Without a doubt, He had said to her loudly before: "Woman, why are you weeping?" And when He willed, she recognized Him by His voice. "She turned and said to Him," How is this? she spoke to him and said, "Tell me where you have laid Him; And now the evangelist says that she was "converted"? It seems to me that she, having said, "Where hast thou laid?" addressed the angels, perhaps with the intention of asking them what they were amazed at. Then, Christ, calling her by name, amazed her with His voice, and turned her away from them to Himself, and she, recognizing Him now, said: Teacher! "She wants to come up to Him, treat Him as before, and perhaps embrace Him as a beloved. But He raises her mind so that she may think something higher and listen to Him with great reverence. "Touch Me not," that is, the circumstances are no longer in the same position, and I will no longer treat you as before. Though He did not say it in words, yet this is the meaning of the words, "I ascend unto my Father." I'm in a hurry to get there. And since I hasten there and no longer have such a body to deal with people, it is necessary to be more reverent for Me, for the highest of ordinary conversation and touch, that is, conversion. Look, then, how many thoughts the Evangelist expressed briefly. The Lord said, "Touch Me not." Then, as if someone were asking: why? therefore, he answers, that My body is no longer such as is proper to be in earthly life, but such as befits heaven and heavenly dwellings. Then the questioner continues, as it were: "Why do You walk on earth, when You have such a body?" Therefore, he answers, I have not yet ascended to My Father, but I will ascend. For this is expressed in the further words: "Go to My brethren and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father," although it will not rise immediately, but after forty days. Why say so? In order to resurrect her mind and convince her that He is going to heaven, and thus console her. Calling the disciples brothers, he adds: "And to your Father." God is also our Father, but by grace, but to the Lord He is the Father by nature. Vice versa. He is God to us by nature, and God to the Lord according to His humanity. For He became His God when He took upon Himself human nature. Mary, having been vouchsafed such speeches, departs and announces this to her disciples. This is how good diligence and constancy are. Be diligent, and perhaps you will learn something higher, and you will become a teacher from the disciples of the Word.

     On the evening of the first day of the week, when the doors of the house where his disciples were gathered were shut, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, "Peace be unto you! Having said this, He showed them His hands and feet and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. And Jesus said to them a second time, Peace be unto you. As the Father sent me, so do I send you. And when he had said this, he blew and said to them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. To whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, they will remain.

When Mary announced this to her disciples, it was natural that they either did not believe her, or, having believed, regretted that they had not been vouchsafed to see Him themselves. For this reason He appeared to them on the same day, because, on the one hand, when they heard from their wife that He had risen, they longed to see Him themselves, and on the other hand, they feared the Jews, and therefore they were even more desirous of seeing this only consolation for them; it is "evening" so that they all have time to gather together; appears "when the doors were shut" in order to show that He was also resurrected while the stone lay on the tomb. Some will wonder why they did not consider Him to be a ghost. But above all, the woman who preceded them produced a strong faith in them. Then, He appeared to them in a meek form, and with His very voice calmed their troubled thoughts, saying, "Peace be unto you," that is, do not be troubled. In this way He reminds them of the word which He said to them before His suffering: "My peace I give unto you" (John 14:27). The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. And of this He also foretold them before His suffering: "I will see you, and your heart shall rejoice" (John 16:22), and since they had an irreconcilable battle with the Jews, He again said to them: "Peace." As He said to the women: "Rejoice" (Matt. 28:29), because their sex was in sorrow, so He gives "peace" to the disciples because of the battle that all had and will have with them. Therefore it is fitting for wives to rejoice, because they are condemned to give birth in sorrow, and for men to be peaceful because of the battle for the work of preaching. He also shows the good effects of the Cross; This is the world. And since peace was gained by the Cross, I send you to preach. And for their comfort and encouragement He says: "As the Father has sent Me, so I also send you." You will take upon you My work; therefore watch, for I will be with you. Note the autocracy. He did not say, "I will pray my Father, and He will send you," but, "I am sending you." He blows and gives them the Holy Spirit. Now He does not give them the perfect gift of the Holy Ghost, for He will give them one at Pentecost, but He makes them capable of receiving the Spirit. For the words, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," are the same as being ready to receive the Spirit. It can also be said that He gave them some power and spiritual grace, only - not to raise the dead and create powers, but - to forgive sins. Wherefore He added, "To whom ye forgive sins, they shall be forgiven," showing that He gave them this very kind of spiritual gifts, the forgiveness of sins. After His ascension, the Spirit Himself descended and abundantly gave them the strength to work miracles and every other gift. - It is worth knowing why He appears to His disciples not in Galilee, but in Jerusalem. For Matthew (26:32) and Mark (14:28) say that He promised to see them in Galilee. How does He appear in Jerusalem? Some answer: what is it? He did not say that I would see you only in Galilee, and I would not see you in Jerusalem. This means that this is the richness of love, and not a reason for reproach for lying. Then we can say that He promises to appear in Galilee to all the disciples, but in Jerusalem He appeared only to those who belong to the twelve. So, there is no disagreement here. For in Galilee He appeared to all, and in Jerusalem to the twelve. And since there were many apparitions, some of the Evangelists described some apparitions, and others others. Sometimes two Evangelists report the same thing, but what is said in one abbreviated way, the other makes up for it. "Notice, perhaps, the dignity of priests, it is Divine. For to forgive sins is the work of God. Thus they are to be worshipped as God. Though they are unworthy; What does it matter? they are ministers of Divine gifts, and grace works through them, as it once said through the ass of Balaam (Num. 22:28-30). Thus, our unworthiness does not hinder grace. And as grace is given through priests, they should be honored.

     But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Twin, was not there with them when Jesus came. The other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said unto them, Unless I see the wounds of the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. After eight days His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas with them. Jesus came when the doors were shut; He stood in the midst of them and said, Peace be unto you! Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger hither, and see my hands; put thy hand and put it in my side, and be not unbelieving, but believing. Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, "You have believed because you have seen Me; Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed. 

Thomas was not with the disciples. Probably, he had not yet returned to them from the former diaspora. What does a remark mean - called a Gemini? This meaning of the name is Foma. For as Cephas means a stone, so Thomas means a twin. The Evangelist mentions this meaning of the name Thomas, by the way, in order to show us that he was somewhat distrustful and had such a disposition from birth, as the name itself shows. When the other disciples spoke of the Lord, Thomas did not believe, not because he considered them liars, but because he considered the work of the resurrection impossible. That is why he is accused of immoderate curiosity. For as soon as it is frivolous to believe, so much to persist is wild and rude. Look, he did not say, "I do not believe my eyes," but added, "Unless I put my hand in." But how did he know that there was a wound in his side? I heard this from the disciples. Why does the Lord appear to him not immediately, but after eight days? In order that heeding the instruction of his fellow disciples and hearing the same thing, he would be inflamed with a great desire and become a stronger believer for the future. The Lord, wishing to show that He was with them even when Thomas expressed the words of his unbelief before His fellow disciples, does not wait until He hears anything like this from him, but Himself Himself fulfills what Thomas desired, and uses his own words. And look, at first He says with reproach: "Give thy hand," but then He admonishes: "Do not be unbelieving, but believing." From this it is clear that the doubt arose from unbelief, and therefore it is in vain that some in defense of Thomas say that he did not quickly believe because of his solidity. For behold, the Lord calls him an unbeliever. See how he who did not believe at first became an excellent theologian by touching the rib. For he preached two natures and one person in one Christ. By saying, "Lord," he confessed human nature; for "Lord" is also used of people, for example: "Lord! if thou hast borne Him" (John 20:15). And by saying, "My God," he confessed a divine being, and thus confessed one and the same Lord and God. The Lord, showing us that faith consists in receiving the unseen, says: "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." Here He alludes to the disciples who did not touch the nail wound or the rib, but believed, and not only them, but also those who would believe later. He said this not in order to deprive Thomas of bliss, but to console those who had not seen. For many say, Blessed are the eyes that have seen the Lord. He comforts them, saying that it is more blessed not to see and not to believe. - How was the incorruptible body found to have wounds and was palpable by the hand of man? All this was a matter of condescension. For the body, which entered through the locked doors, and therefore thin and light, was free from all coarseness. And in order to assure him of the resurrection, the Lord shows him so, and for this purpose He rose again, having the signs of the cross and wounds. Likewise, that He also ate, He did not eat out of need for the body, but for the assurance of the resurrection. Therefore, just as before the crucifixion, walking on the waves (Mark 6:48), He had a body of no other nature, so now He shows it tangible and having wounds. Yet, although it is tangible and visible, it is incorruptible. For this is shown for the sake of confirmation, and not according to necessity and the law of the body. For everything that is eaten enters into the womb and is changed (Matt. 15:17), which Christ did not have after the resurrection; but that which was eaten, which was received only for the assurance of the resurrection, was consumed by some invisible and divine power. Notice also how for one man – Thomas – the Lord did not refuse to descend and show a rib in order to save one unbelieving soul; In the same way, we should not despise either one or the smallest.

     Jesus did many other miracles before His disciples, which are not written in this book. And these things are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing ye may have life in his name. 

What signs does the evangelist speak of here? Is it about those that the Lord did before His sufferings? No, but about those that He did after His resurrection. For the Evangelist adds: "He did before His disciples." The Lord performed miracles before His sufferings not before His disciples, but before all. For this reason the Evangelist now speaks of those miracles which were performed by the Lord after the Resurrection. For by dealing with the disciples alone for forty days, He presented proofs of the resurrection. Just as before His suffering He performed miracles in confirmation that He was the Son of God, so after His resurrection He performed miracles before His disciples in confirmation that He was the Son of Man, that is, He wore a body, although incorruptible and most God-like, and no longer subject to the laws of the flesh. And so, of the many miracles performed after the resurrection, only these are recorded, and this is not for boasting, or for the application of glory to the Only-begotten, but, he says, "that you may believe." And what is the benefit and to whom does it apply? Not to Christ. For what profit does our faith profit to Him? But it serves us. "And believing," he says, "they would have life in His name." For believing that He is risen and alive, we prepare our own life, for He is risen and alive for us. And whoever thinks that He is dead, and not resurrected and not alive, condemns and affirms death and destruction to himself.

Chapter Twenty-One