Mary did not recognize Jesus, not because she was blinded by her tears or because it was still dark. Recognizing the Risen Jesus was not and never is a matter of mere physical sight: it always comes because of the prior gift of faith and love for Jesus in his humanity.

In contemplating the risen Christ, we must note two guiding facts: the Resurrection as an event is not described in the Gospels. The Gospels present accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus. Our prayer, then, is not oriented towards an event but towards the person of Jesus in order to increase our faith and hope in him and our love for him.

The second fact is that Jesus does not appear to those without faith or those who rejected him, such as Herod, the High Priest, Pilate. He appeared to those who believed in him and loved him, even if their faith was sometimes very fragile and their love still required strengthening by the coming of the Holy Spirit - people like ourselves. He appeared to those who were "his own" (Jn. 13:1). He appeared to them to offer them - and to us - his love and acceptance and a new hope which would strengthen them.