"He saw and he believed". There is much to learn from reflecting prayerfully, with an open and attentive heart, on what this Gospel says about "seeing" and "believing".

Early in his Gospel (Jn.1:14) John affirms: "We have seen His glory". It is this alone which makes John, or anyone else, an authentic disciple - one who is enlightened by the truth and can testify to it, one whose "seeing" can never be only the ignorant stare of the mere passer-by but must always become "contemplation".

Jesus' first words in this Gospel contain the invitation "Come and see", (Jn. 1:39). A climax comes with the "great beatitude", "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (Jn. 20:29). Thus we understand what "seeing" meant for the disciple at the tomb. It was in seeing beyond the evidence which provoked faith. Indeed the evidence could only "prove" the rather trite and useless fact that the tomb was empty. But the heart of this disciple (and in this he was truly "beloved") penetrated far beyond the superficial evidence of the empty tomb into the mystery of God in Christ, and Christ risen in glory.

We can be negatively plagued in our spiritual lives by looking for evidence, for "signs and wonders" (cf. Jn. 4:48), to underpin our faith in Divine Providence to let us know the "will of God". But what we need is a contemplative heart so that we too may "see and believe".