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Christ Pantocrator, Byzantine icon painter

John 20:11

Byzantine icon painter, Christ Pantocrator, 6th century · Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai · Public domainByzantine icon painter, Christ Pantocrator, 6th century, Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai

VerseNew Testament · Read in context

John 20:11 (WEB)

But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb,

Catechism · 1

  • §641Paragraph 2 · On the Third Day He Rose from the DeadRead at vatican.va

    “Thus the women were the first messengers of Christ's Resurrection for the apostles themselves.” — Catechism footnote: Cf Lk 24:9-10; Mt 28:9-10; Jn 20:11-18.

Fathers and councils · 45

Jerome

Ambrose of Milan

Augustine of Hippo

John Chrysostom

Gregory of Nazianzus

Catena Aurea on John

  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    Mary Magdalene, who had been the sinner in the city, and who had washed out the spots of her sins by her tears, whose soul burned with love, did not retire from the sepulchre when the others did: Then the disciples…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    i. e. To the place where they were lodging, and from which they had ran to the sepulchre. But though the men returned, the stronger love of the woman fixed her to the spot. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    i. e. Outside of the place where the stone sepulchre was, but yet within the garden.

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    Be not astonished that Mary wept for love at the sepulchre, and Peter did not; for the female sex is naturally tender, and inclined to weep.

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    The eyes then which had sought our Lord, and found Him not, now wept without interruption; more for grief that our Lord had been removed, than for His death upon the cross. For now even all memorial of Him was taken…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    She then saw, with the other women, the Angel sitting on the right, on the stone which had been rolled away from the sepulchre, at whose words it was that she looked into the sepulchre. (Mat. 28:5.)

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    The sight of the sepulchre itself was some consolation. Nay, behold her, to console herself still more, stooping down, to see the very place where the body lay: And as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the…

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    For to have looked once is not enough for love. Love makes one desire to look over and over again.

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    In her too great grief she could believe neither her own eyes, nor the disciples’. Or was it a divine impulse which caused her to look in?

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    She sought the body, and found it not; she persevered in seeking; and so it came to pass that she found. Her longings, growing the stronger, the more they were disappointed, at last found and laid hold on their…

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    As her understanding was not so raised as to be able to gather from the napkins the fact of the resurrection, she is given the sight of Angels in bright apparel, who sooth her sorrow.

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    But why did one sit at the head, the other at the feet? To signify that the glad tidings of Christ’s Gospel was to be delivered from the head to the feet, from the beginning to the end. The Greek word Angel means one…

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    The Angel sits at the head when the Apostles preach that in the beginning was the Word: he sits, as it were, at the feet, when it is said, The Word was made flesh. By the two Angels too we may understand the two…

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    The Angels who appear say nothing about the resurrection; but by degrees the subject is entered on. First of all they address her compassionately, to prevent her from being overpowered by a spectacle of such…

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    The very declarations of Scripture which excite our tears of love, wipe away those very tears, by promising us the sight of our Redeemer again.

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    But she, thinking that they wanted to know why she wept, tells them the reason: She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord. The lifeless body of her Lord, she calls her Lord, putting the part for the…

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    As yet she knew nothing of the resurrection, but thought the body had been taken away.

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    Here the Angels must be understood to rise up, for Luke describes them as seen standing.

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    The hour was now come, which the Angels announced, when sorrow should be succeeded by joy: And when she had thus said, she turned herself back.

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    But why, when she is talking to the Angels, and before she has heard any thing from them, does she turn back? It seems to me that while she was speaking, Christ appeared behind her, and that the Angels by their…

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    We must observe that Mary, who as yet doubted our Lord’s resurrection, turned back to see Jesus. By her doubting she turned her back, as it were, upon our Lord. Yet inasmuch as she loved, she saw Him. She loved and…

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    To the Angels He appeared as their Lord, but not so to the woman, for the sight coming upon her all at once, would have stupified her. She was not to be lifted suddenly, but gradually to high things.

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? He asks the cause of her grief, to set her longing still more. For the mere mentioning His name whom she sought would inflame her love for Him.

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    Because He appeared as a common person, she thought Him the gardener: She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if Thou have borne Him hence, tell me where Thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him…

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  • Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John

    She was afraid that the Jews might vent their rage even on the lifeless body, and therefore wished to remove it to some secret place.

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    Perhaps, however, the woman was right in believing Jesus to be the gardener. Was not He the spiritual Gardener, who by the power of His love had sown strong seeds of virtue in her breast? But how is it that, as soon…

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    Just as He was sometimes in the midst of the Jews, and they did not know Him till He pleased to make Himself known. But why does she turn herself, when she had turned herself before? It seems to me that when she…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    Or she first turned her body, but thought Him what He was not; now she was turned in heart, and knew who He was. Let no one however blame her, because she called the gardener, Lord, and Jesus, Master. The one was a…

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    The Evangelist does not add what she did upon recognising Him, but we know from what our Lord said to her: Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not. Mary then had tried to embrace His feet, but was not allowed. Why not?…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    But if standing upon the earth, He is not touched, how shall He be touched sitting in heaven? And did He not before His ascension offer Himself to the touch of the disciples: Handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    Touch is as it were the end of knowledge1; and He was unwilling that a soul intent upon Him should have its end, in thinking Him only what He seemed to be.

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  • John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John

    Mary wished to be as familiar with Christ now, as she was before His Passion; forgetting, in her joy, that His body was made much more holy by its resurrection. So, Touch Me not, He says, to remind her of this, and…

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  • Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on John

    Heretics, among their other impieties, misinterpret these words of our Lord’s, and say, that if His Father is their Father, His God their God, He cannot be God Himself. But though He remained in the form of God, He…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    He does not say, Our Father, but, My Father and your Father: Mine therefore and yours in a different sense; Mine by nature, yours by grace. Nor does He say, Our God, but, My God—under Him I am man—and your God;…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    She then went away from the sepulchre, i. e. from that part of the garden before the rock which had been hollowed out, and with her the other women. But these, according to Mark, were seized with trembling and…

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  • Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on John

    So the sin of mankind is buried in the very place whence it came forth. For whereas in Paradise the woman gave the man the deadly fruit, a woman from the sepulchre announced life to men; a woman delivers the message…

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  • Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John

    While she was going with the other women, according to Matthew, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. (Matt 28:9) So we gather that there were two visions of Angels; and that our Lord too was seen twice, once when Mary…

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  • BedeCatena Aurea on John

    Mystically, Mary, which name signifies, mistress, enlightened, enlightener, star of the sea, stands for the Church, which is also Magdalen, i. e. towered, (Magdalen being Greek for tower,) as we read in the Psalms,…

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Cross-references · 4

  • Cited together in Bede on John 20:10–18 (Catena Aurea).

  • Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on John 20:10–18 (4) (Catena Aurea).

  • Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on John 20:10–18 (15) (Catena Aurea).

  • Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on John 20:10–18 (11) (Catena Aurea).

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