She felt a secret presentiment that not only should she find Jesus, but that he was even then near to her; and the presence of the angels seemed not to disturb her in the least; she did not appear even to be aware that they were angels, every faculty was engrossed with the one thought, ’Jesus is not here!  Where is Jesus?’ I watched her wandering about like an insane person, with her hair floating loosely in the wind:  her hair appeared to annoy her much, for she again endeavoured to push it from off her face, and having divided it into two parts, threw it over her shoulders.

She then raised her head, looked around, and perceived a tall figure, clothed in white, standing at about ten paces from the sepulchre on the east side of the garden, where there was a slight rise in the direction of the town; the figure was partly hidden from her sight by a palm-tree, but she was somewhat startled when it addressed her in these words:  ‘Woman, why weepest thou?  Whom seekest thou?’ She thought it was the gardener; and, in fact, he had a spade in his hand, and a large hat (apparently made of the bark of trees) on his head.  His dress was similar to that worn by the gardener described in the parable which Jesus had related to the holy women at Bethania a short time before his Passion.  His body was not luminous, his hole appearance was rather that of a man dressed in white and seen by twilight.  At the words, ‘Whom seekest thou?’ she looked at him, and answered quickly, ’Sir, if thou hast taken him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him; and I will take him away.’  And she looked anxiously around.  Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’  She then instantly recognised his beloved voice, and turning quickly, replied, ‘Rabboni (Master)!’ She threw herself on her knees before him, and stretched out her hands to touch his feet; but he motioned her to be still, and said, ’Do not touch me, for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren and say to them:  I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.’  He then disappeared.

The reason of the words of Jesus, ‘Do not touch me,’ was afterwards explained to me, but I have only an indistinct remembrance of that explanation.  I think he made use of those words because of the impetuosity of Magdalen’s feelings, which made her in a certain degree forget the stupendous mystery which had been accomplished, and feel as if what she then beheld was still mortal instead of a glorified body.  As for the words of Jesus, ‘I am not yet ascended to my Father,’ I was told that their meaning was that he had not presented himself to his Father since his Resurrection, to return him thanks for his victory over death, and for the work of the redemption which he had accomplished.  He wished her to infer from these words, that the first-fruits of joy belong to God, and that she ought to reflect and return thanks to him for the accomplishment of the glorious mystery of the redemption, and for the victory which he had gained over death; and if she