Happy Easter 2024 🙏 ✟ 🌅

Welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books in less time, to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now here's your host, david Kaiser.

Hello everyone and welcome to the Theory to Action podcast, and happy Easter everybody. Today is the highest holy day for Christians around the world. Today is the celebration because Jesus of Nazareth, the God-made man, has arisen from the dead after being crucified. And in keeping with the tradition we have started many years ago, we will look to a human author to try and capture its meaning of the God-made man arising from the dead on the third day. And our human author of choice is one of my favorites, fulton J Sheen, who has one of the greatest biographies about the God-made man Life of Christ. Let's pick that story up in the 54th chapter.

The Lord now began the first of his 11 recorded appearances between his resurrection and the ascension, sometimes to his apostles, at other times to five hundred brethren at once, at some other times to the women. The first appearance was to Mary Magdalene, who returned to the sepulcher after James and John had left it. The idea of the resurrection did not seem to enter her mind either, though she herself had risen from a tomb sealed by the seven devils of sin. Finding the tomb empty, she broke again into a fountain of tears, with her eyes cast down as the brightness of the early sunrise swept over the dew-covered grass, she vaguely perceived someone near her who asked Woman, why are you weeping? John 20, 13. She was weeping for what was lost, but his question took away the curse of tears by bidding her to stop her tears, she said because they have carried away my Lord and I cannot tell where they have taken him. John 20, 14. There was no tear at seeing the angels, for the world on fire could not have moved her, so much had grief mastered her soul. When she had said this, she turned and saw Jesus standing. She knew not that it was he. She thought it was the gardener, the gardener of Joseph of Arimathea. Believing this man might know where the lost one could be found, mary Magdalene went down on her knees and asked If it is you, sir, that have carried him off, tell me where you have put him and I will take him away. John 20.15.

Poor Magdalene, worn from Good Friday, wearied by Holy Saturday, with life dwindled to a shadow and strength weakened to a thread, she would take him away. Three times did she speak of him without defining his name. The force of love was such as to suppose no one else could possibly be meant. Let's stop here real quick when you are in love. Is that not how you talk of your begotten? In love, love begets love. It's as if everyone else should know the love radiating from your heart, your mind and your soul. All your faculties are pointed towards this love, only this love. Love can move mountains. This Jesus of Nazareth had told us. Down through the ages, poets from every land would try and capture this love, this ache, this soul bursting forth with matter inside of it. Then comes our nugget of wisdom for today.

Going back to the book, jesus said to her Mary. That voice was more startling than a clap of thunder. She had once heard Jesus say that he called his sheep by name. And now to that one who individualized all the sin, the sorrow, the tears in the world and marked each soul with a personal, particular, discriminating love. She turned seeing the red livid marks on his hands and feet. She uttered but one word Rabani, which is the Hebrew for master Christ, had uttered Mary and all of heaven was in it. It was only one word she uttered and all of heaven was in it. It was only one word she uttered and all of earth was in it. After the mental midnight there was this dazzle, after hours of hopelessness. This hope After the search, this discovery, after the loss, this find.

Magdalene was prepared only to shed reverential tears over the grave. She was not prepared for what was to see him walking on the wings of the morning. Only purity and sinlessness could welcome the all-holy Son of God into the world. Hence, mary Immaculate met him at the door of earth in the city of Bethlehem. But only a repentant sinner who had herself risen from the grave of sin to the newness of life. And God could fittingly understand the triumph over sin. To the honor of womanhood, it must be forever said, a woman was closest to the cross on Good Friday and first at the tomb on Eastern Morn. Mary was always at his feet. She was there as she anointed him for burial. She was there as she stood at the cross. Now, in joy at seeing the master, she threw herself at his feet to embrace him. Do those words not move you to tears? They do me. You can feel the heartache of Mary Magdalene's pain. It's your pain, it's my pain In the one word, the word that only love describes real, deep, authentic love.

Love that would only know of a lost sheep. Love that would only know of the deepest longings of the soul, love that would only know of a repentant sinner that had been brought to new life After all. We know elsewhere in the scripture that she had seven devils possessing her. In that one word, jesus called her by name Mary. I couldn't agree more with Fulton Sheen that upon hearing that one word, her name, called by love itself, it was as if the greatest thunderclap in heaven and on earth had been sounded. Love begets love, and love of the eternal God to his creature was captured. And that one word, her name, love begets love, and real, deep, authentic love is responded by real, deep, authentic love.

Mary's tears and today's episode. May we all hear his voice in our hearts, his calling us by our name, and may we also heed his voice as Mary did some 21 centuries ago. If we do, love will beget love and a real, genuine, authentic love will beget real, genuine, authentic love. Perhaps the God made man told Mary Magdalene those same loving words of our Savior said as she was brought forth from the tomb of her own sin and of those seven devils. Perhaps he told her the same words he said to the woman caught in adultery in John 8. Go and sin no more.

Perhaps that was the gravity of our Lord's words and the voice to Mary Magdalene's ears. His voice, his love in his voice. And perhaps on our last day on this earth, his love in his voice, god man, who said to the thief beside him, hanging on his own cross, upon his appeal to remember me when you come into your kingdom. Imagine the response saying to you and me, that same voice that uttered to Mary on Easter morn, that thunderclap of love, horn, that thunderclap of love. Imagine that voice saying to you and me. Truly, I say to you today you will be with me in paradise. Love begets love, real, genuine, authentic love. May we all know this love with a capital L. Happy Easter everyone.

Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this Theory to Action podcast. Be sure to check out our show page at teammojoacademycom, where we have everything we discussed in this podcast, as well as other great resources. Until next time, keep getting your mojo on.