The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. For every single person, it means that we can have a relationship with Christ who is truly alive.

If you are like me, we can often celebrate Easter for one day and then move on — happy that Lent is over and that spring is here. However, the Church guides us to contemplate the resurrection slowly over the course of the 50-day Easter season. A beautiful and profound way to do so is to lean into the details of the resurrection appearances in our daily prayer. Each appearance is filled with theological significance and spiritual food for the journey.

Let’s examine a few of them and highlight some details that can aid us in meeting Jesus as a real, living person who is risen from the dead and alive today.

Appearance to Mary Magdalene

Jesus’ encounter with Mary Magdalene at the tomb offers a reminder of the absolute amazement that would have enveloped the disciples at his rising. Peter and John arrive at the tomb, see it empty, but still do not believe. Mary sees Jesus, but at first thinks he is the gardener. They simply cannot fathom that he could be risen.

Then Mary realizes it is Jesus when he says her name (John 20:16). It is the voice of Jesus that identifies him as the same person who was brutally killed. Mary was present at his death. She saw the brutality of his suffering and pain. She heard his voice cry out from the cross as he neared death. It is that same voice that she hears call her by name.

Each time we are moved to spend time in prayer, Jesus calls our name like that. He loves us individually and seeks to spend time with us personally, every single day.

Appearance in the Upper Room

Jesus’ appearance in the upper room is often summed up by his encounter with Thomas. While the details of the Lord’s interaction with Thomas reveal the pitfalls of doubt as well as the mercy of Christ, it is the initial message and action of Jesus that can be particularly helpful for our prayer lives.

His message was, “Peace be with you,” and his first action is to show them his wounds as he breathes on them (John 20:19-23). This greeting is something he speaks to us each time we begin prayer. His desire is for our hearts to rest within his. The peace — the total well-being — that he offers goes beyond anything this world can give.

His wounds are also meant to draw our gaze to the immeasurable love of our God. Jesus’ wounds identify him. His scars remind us what he was willing to endure in order to save us. They also reveal that our wounds can be redeemed by touching his. In prayer, we are reminded to ask for the grace to move beyond sin and to be vulnerable with the Lord about our doubts, worries and concerns. He truly desires to give us his peace, but that comes through accepting the invitation to allow his spirit — his breath — to enter every aspect of our lives.

Jesus at the Shore 

Jesus asks his disciples as he stands on the shore: “Have you caught anything to eat…?” (John 21:5). He knows they were out all night and that their efforts were futile. He knows that we need him.

This reflects the movement of God’s heart toward us in prayer. He knows that we cannot accomplish the daily tasks of life, nor endure the tribulations of our earthly journey, without his aid. So he gives us his presence in the Eucharist and an encounter with him in Sacred Scripture as means of relying on him.

As soon as the disciples obeyed Jesus’ command, they caught more than they could handle. Their return to fishing was a return to their old way of life. Jesus met them in that movement away from him to show them — and us — that not even the simplest tasks can be done without him.

Connections of the Appearances

All of the resurrection appearances communicate that Jesus is truly alive and that access to him has been radically transformed. His resurrection means the same for us today. Jesus seeks to call us by name and for us to hear his voice, calling us to honesty in prayer. He desires that we experience the abundance of his love by relying on him in all things and committing ourselves firmly to intimacy with him above everything else. That is the best — and only — way to meet him as a real, living person.