NOTES for Joh 20:11-18
Standing by the tomb, Mary does not analyze how the enormous stone could have been rolled away; even the sight of angels neither terrifies nor surprises her. All the miraculous and unusual phenomena recede into the background for her: they have no meaning without Christ. Had she become distracted by the surrounding circumstances, she might have failed to notice the Risen One, just as even His closest disciples, who had been there moments before, did not see Him. But because Mary refused to be distracted even by everything miraculous happening that morning, she was able to see Christ standing before her.
Mary recognized the Risen One after He addressed her by name. He had not spoken in vain about the good shepherd who calls his sheep by name and whose voice they know. Yet none of the shepherds on earth, even the best of them, has such unity with those who follow him as Christ does. He asks her not to touch Him, not because He does not want to commune with one of the daughters of humanity, but because the moment has come for Him to go to the Father. Once He has gone to the Father, He will remain in the closest union with His faithful who stay on earth.