Soul4you \u00b7 Georgina Kovacs \u00b7 \u201eThe Birth of a Choice\u201d series, Article 4\/b \u00b7 Estimated reading time: 5 minutes<\/p>\n
This article is about the An article about Joseph\u2019s forgiveness<\/a> addition. There, we explored that inner shift when the hurt loses its power and no longer determines how we relate to the other person.<\/p>\n I shall now begin with another aspect of Joseph\u2019s story: how does a person\u2019s inner world change, and what might happen in their relationships, when the old image people hold of them no longer reflects who they have become? I would like to explore this first, and then turn to Jesus\u2019s appearances after the Resurrection, where I am particularly interested in the relationship between presence and physical form.<\/p>\n I am not juxtaposing the two stories because the same thing happens to Joseph and Jesus. In Jesus\u2019s appearances, I am seeking the possibility that the one standing before us may not be bound to his visible form in the same way that we ourselves feel bound to our bodies. For me, these scenes suggest that presence may be more than the form through which we perceive it.<\/p>\n Joseph recognises his brothers, but they do not recognise him; he stands before them as a leader in Egypt, and an interpreter mediates between them (Gen 42:6\u20138, 23, SZIT). I also interpret this moment in the story as a metaphor for an inner transformation: we are faced with someone we once knew, but our old memories are no longer enough to understand who is standing before us.<\/p>\n When someone works on themselves in a spiritual sense \u2013 that is, when they strive to understand themselves and shape their life according to their realisations \u2013 it is not necessarily what is visible from the outside that changes first. What may change is what they attach significance to, what they hold to be true, and the basis from which their decisions arise. A question may arise in place of an answer that was once taken for granted. They may realise that what they once wanted to hold on to at all costs no longer serves their life.<\/p>\n In the course of our inner work, we also shed some of our old roles. They may be like a coat that once belonged to us but no longer fits. We are not just changing how we behave in particular situations: what we consider important, how we understand ourselves, and the kind of life we want to live may also be transformed.<\/p>\n Over time, new roles are accompanied by new responses, different decisions and different kinds of connections. This shapes the person we become. From the outside, there may seem to be little change, but on the inside, we are no longer guided by the same thoughts and expectations. Anyone looking for us based on our old self will have to get to know the person standing before them all over again.<\/p>\n This inner change may also be reflected in our conversations. We use the same words, yet we do not mean the same thing by them: love no longer necessarily means conformity; acceptance does not mean resignation; and responsibility does not mean taking everything upon ourselves.<\/p>\n At times like this, the harmony we once shared can be disrupted. The other person may be expecting the usual response, but we are no longer able to say the same thing. This is not necessarily because we are rejecting them. It may simply be that we see the subject we are discussing differently, and we have not yet found a common language to discuss it.<\/p>\n Those around us may perceive this in many different ways. Some may see us as more open, whilst others may see us as more reserved. What feels like sincerity on the inside may appear to be an unusual boundary from the outside. And letting go of an old role brings about change not only for us, but also for those who have connected with us through that role up to now.<\/p>\n If we no longer understand one another as we used to, it may be that we have drifted in different directions and different issues have become important to us. In such cases, the question is not where each of us stands, but whether we can find common ground again. Sometimes this happens over time; at other times, we quietly drift apart. However, the value of the time we spent together is not erased, even if we later relate to one another differently or no longer meet.<\/p>\n This, too, may be part of the change: letting go of the expectation that everyone should see us in the same way that we already see ourselves. And, at the same time, realising that we, too, may be holding on to an image of others that they have since outgrown.<\/p>\n Jesus\u201e post-resurrection appearances raise another question: in the concluding section of the Gospel of Mark, we read of an appearance \u201din the guise of a stranger\u2019, whilst John reports that Jesus appeared amongst the disciples despite the doors being locked (Mark 16:12, SZIT<\/a>; John 20:19, 26, SZIT<\/a>). In Luke, however, he appears in a form that can be touched, and eats in their presence (Luke 24:39\u201343, SZIT).<\/p>\n What fascinates me in these scenes is the freedom of presence. The possibility that whoever appears is not bound to physical form in the same way that we ourselves feel bound. They become visible, interact with others, yet do not appear in the way we would expect based on our everyday experiences.<\/p>\n In my view, a higher spiritual presence can take on a perceptible form here. In this approach, it is not the body alone that determines who can be present and in what way. The form enables us to encounter it, but does not necessarily impose limits on the one who manifests within it.<\/p>\n For me, therefore, the \u201estrange figure\u201d is not merely a question of external change. It draws my attention to the fact that I should not automatically regard the familiar appearance and the person actually present as one and the same. Is it possible to think of existence in such a way that form is not a definitive constraint, but rather one possibility of manifestation?<\/p>\n At first, Mary Magdalene does not recognise Jesus, but when Jesus calls her by name, she replies: \u201eRabboni\u201d, meaning \u201eTeacher\u201d (John 20:14\u201316, SZIT). For me, what is significant in this scene is the personal nature of the encounter: simply looking for a familiar figure is not enough for recognition; it is being addressed that establishes the connection.<\/p>\n With Joseph, I am talking about a person\u2019s inner transformation. With Jesus, I am talking about the possibility that presence is more than just a visible form. The two are not the same.<\/p>\n Yet both of these things prompt me not to regard what I see at first glance as the whole picture. Getting to know a person does not end with recognising their face, nor do I necessarily understand everything about them simply because I encounter them in visible form.<\/p>\n With love, The source of the biblical quotations and historical references is the St Stephen\u2019s Society Bible (SZIT), the Szent\u00edr\u00e1s.eu<\/a> based on the text available on the website. The spiritual interpretation of the stories is the author\u2019s own interpretation.<\/p>\n Genesis 42:6\u20138, 23:<\/strong> Joseph\u2019s leadership role, his failure to recognise his brothers, and the presence of the interpreter. St Stephen\u2019s Society Bible, Genesis 42<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Gospel according to Mark 16:12:<\/strong> Jesus\u201e appearance \u201din the guise of a stranger\u2019. St Stephen\u2019s Society Bible, Mark 16<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Gospel of John 20:14\u201316, 19, 26:<\/strong> Mary Magdalene\u2019s recognition of Jesus and his appearance to her despite the closed door. St Stephen\u2019s Society Bible, John 20<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Gospel according to Luke 24:39\u201343:<\/strong> Jesus invites the disciples to touch him, and eats in front of them. St Stephen\u2019s Society Bible, Luke 24<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I shall now begin with another aspect of J\u00f3zsef\u2019s story: how does a person\u2019s inner world change, and what might happen in their relationships, when the old image people hold of them no longer reflects who they have become?<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s4y_en_tartalom":" Soul4you \u00b7 Georgina Kovacs \u00b7 The Birth of Choice series, Article 4b \u00b7 Estimated reading time: 6 minutes<\/p>\n This is a companion piece to my article on Joseph\u2019s forgiveness<\/a>. There, we explored the inner shift that happens when a grievance loses its power and no longer determines how we relate to another person.<\/p>\n Here, I begin with a different question arising from Joseph\u2019s story: how does a person\u2019s inner world change, and what can happen in their relationships when the old image others hold of them no longer reflects who they have become? I want to explore this first, before turning to Jesus\u2019 appearances after the resurrection, where my focus shifts to the relationship between presence and bodily form.<\/p>\n I do not place these two stories side by side because the same thing happens to Joseph and Jesus. In Jesus\u2019 appearances, I explore the possibility that the one who stands before us may not be bound to his visible form in the same way that we feel bound to our bodies. To me, these scenes suggest that presence may be more than the form through which we perceive it.<\/p>\n Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him; he stands before them as a ruler in Egypt, with an interpreter between them (Genesis 42:6\u20138, 23, NABRE<\/a>). I also read this moment as an image of inner change: someone we once knew stands before us, but our memories are no longer enough to help us understand the person who is here now.<\/p>\n When someone undertakes inner work on a spiritual path, seeking to understand themselves and shape their life around what they discover, the first changes are not necessarily visible from the outside. What they value, what they believe to be true, and the thinking behind their decisions may all change. A question may arise where there was once an answer they took for granted. Something they once wanted to hold on to at any cost may no longer serve their life.<\/p>\n As we do this inner work, we also shed some of our old roles. They can be like a coat that once belonged to us but no longer fits. We do not simply change how we behave in particular situations: what matters to us, how we understand ourselves, and the life we want to live may change as well.<\/p>\n Over time, new roles bring new responses, different decisions, and different ways of connecting with others. Through these changes, the person we are becoming takes shape. There may be little visible difference, yet inwardly we no longer begin from the same thoughts and expectations. Anyone still looking for us in that old coat will need to get to know the person who stands before them now.<\/p>\n Inner change can also make itself felt in conversation. We may use the same word yet mean different things by it: love no longer means accommodating others without question, acceptance is not resignation, and responsibility does not mean taking everything upon ourselves.<\/p>\n The understanding we once shared may then begin to falter. The other person may expect a familiar answer, but we can no longer give it. Not necessarily because we are rejecting them. We may simply see the subject differently, without yet having a shared language for what has changed.<\/p>\n Those around us may perceive this in different ways. One person sees us as more open; another finds us more distant. What feels like honesty from within may look like an unfamiliar boundary from the outside. Leaving an old role behind changes things not only for us, but also for anyone who used to relate to us through that role.<\/p>\n If we no longer understand each other as we once did, we may have changed in different directions, with different questions becoming important to us. At that point, the question is not how far either of us has come, but whether we can find common ground again. Sometimes we do, given time; at other times, we quietly grow apart. Yet the value of the time we shared is not erased if we later relate to each other differently, or if we never meet again.<\/p>\n This, too, can be part of change: letting go of the expectation that everyone will see us as we now see ourselves. And noticing that we, too, may be holding on to images of other people that they have since outgrown.<\/p>\n Jesus\u2019 appearances after the resurrection raise a different question: the closing section of Mark\u2019s Gospel describes him appearing \u201cin another form,\u201d while John recounts his appearance among the disciples even though the doors were locked (Mark 16:12, NABRE<\/a>; John 20:19, 26, NABRE<\/a>). In Luke\u2019s account, he also invites them to touch him and eats in front of them (Luke 24:39\u201343, NABRE<\/a>).<\/p>\n What draws me to these scenes is the freedom they suggest: the possibility that the one who appears is not bound to bodily form in the same way that we feel ourselves to be. He becomes visible and enters into relationship with others, yet his appearances do not conform to what our everyday experience would lead us to expect.<\/p>\n In my reading, these scenes suggest that a higher spiritual presence may take a perceptible form. From this perspective, the body does not entirely determine who can be present or how. Form makes an encounter possible, but does not necessarily limit the one who appears through it.<\/p>\n For me, then, \u201canother form\u201d is not simply a matter of a changed outward appearance. It invites me not to assume that the familiar appearance and the one who is present are one and the same. Can we think of existence in a way that allows form to be one way of becoming perceptible, rather than a fixed constraint?<\/p>\n Mary Magdalene does not recognize Jesus at first; then, when Jesus calls her by name, she responds, \u201cRabbouni,\u201d meaning Teacher (John 20:14\u201316, NABRE<\/a>). What matters to me in this scene is the personal nature of the encounter: looking for a familiar form is not enough for recognition; being called by name opens the way to connection.<\/p>\n With Joseph, I am speaking about a person\u2019s inner transformation. With Jesus, I am exploring the possibility that presence is more than visible form. These are not the same.<\/p>\n Yet both invite me not to regard what I see at first glance as the whole picture. Knowing a person does not end with recognizing their face, and encountering a presence in visible form does not necessarily mean that I understand everything about it.<\/p>\n With love, Biblical quotations and references follow the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), as published on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops\u2019 website. The spiritual interpretation of these passages is the author\u2019s own reading.<\/p>\n Genesis 42:6\u20138, 23:<\/strong> Joseph\u2019s position as governor, his brothers\u2019 failure to recognize him, and the presence of an interpreter. NABRE, Genesis 42<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mark 16:12:<\/strong> Jesus appearing \u201cin another form.\u201d NABRE, Mark 16<\/a>.<\/p>\n John 20:14\u201316, 19, 26:<\/strong> Mary Magdalene\u2019s recognition of Jesus and his appearances despite the locked doors. NABRE, John 20<\/a>.<\/p>\nJ\u00f3zsef: a familiar face, a changed man<\/h2>\n
When the same words come to mean something different<\/h2>\n
Jesus: Presence and Visible Form<\/h2>\n
Georgina
Soul4you<\/p>\nSources<\/h2>\n
Joseph: a familiar face, a changed person<\/h2>\n
When the same words no longer mean the same thing<\/h2>\n
Jesus: presence and visible form<\/h2>\n
Georgina
Soul4you<\/p>\nSources<\/h2>\n