Do not love from a safe distance!

The story is told of a boy named Sparky. For Sparky school was impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked physics, Latin, algebra and English in high school. He didn’t do well in sports. He was awkward socially. He was astonished if a classmate ever said hello to him. He never asked a girl out for a date for fear of being turned down.

 

There was, however, one thing that Sparky was good at: drawing. Upon graduating from high school he wrote to Walt Disney Studios and was asked to send some of his artwork. He spent a great deal of time carefully drawing cartoons on a theme they suggested, but he was rejected once again.

 

So Sparky decided to write his own biography in cartoons. He described himself as a little-boy loser and chronic underachiever. Sparky’s real name was Charles Schultz, and the comic strip he created was Peanuts —a cartoon about a boy whose kite would never fly and who never succeeded in kicking the football—Charlie Brown.

 

There are many other examples of apparent failures who somehow were able to turn things around. Abraham Lincoln came from very humble beginnings in a tough life of poverty, with very little formal education. He failed at several occupations, ran for various political offices and was rejected many times. And yet, he persevered, read a lot, continually tried to better himself—and ended up becoming one of the greatest Presidents of our nation.

 

Probably having one of the most famous success stories, Oprah Winfrey was born into deep poverty in Mississippi, raised by a single mother living on welfare. She was physically, mentally, and sexually abused during her childhood. One thing not many people know about her is that she ran away from home and got pregnant when she was only fourteen-years-old. She lost the baby shortly after birth. Despite her initial struggles as a young girl, she turned herself into one of the most successful individuals of our time.

 

Today we celebrate the feast of Jesus Christ as our King, and yet the gospel focuses on what appeared to be the low point of his life, being put to death as a common criminal, jeered by passers-by, and abandoned by most of the people who had flocked to him not long before, including his closest friends and disciples. Clearly, this passage is the furthest thing from what we would consider a depiction of a normal king. And yet, the crucifix is prominently displayed in churches all around the world.

 

Of course, we know that the Jesus-story doesn’t end on the cross or in a tomb, for Jesus’ resurrection follows. Easter follows Good Friday. But for this feast of Christ the King, the cross is still being placed before us. Jesus exercises kingship from the cross. While still hanging there, he pronounces a kingly verdict: this day you will be with me in paradise. What’s this all about?

 

I think we are asked not to forget or bypass the cross because Jesus’ success story is quite different from the others I have considered. While Abraham Lincoln’s life moved from a log cabin to the Lincoln bedroom of the White House, Jesus chose to move in the opposite direction. He chose to be more of a log cabin person. As a matter of fact he chose to be homeless. Instead of sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom, I think we’d find him on a bench in a park across the street. Instead of seeking him in Oprah’s mansion, I think he would go to the fourteen year old abused Oprah who was forced to run away from home. I think Jesus would seek out Charlie Brown and offer to hold the football for him and not pull it away. I think he would help Charlie Brown repair his kite and try again. I think the resurrected Jesus surely is in heaven, but he said he would also be found on this earth among those who are hungry and thirsty, naked and deprived of justice, living in hovels rather than mansions.

 

As long as there is suffering, as long as people still live in poverty, as long as there are victims of racial prejudice and injustice, the cross is still real. And for those who are still being crucified, like the so-called good thief on the cross, Jesus is still being crucified right along with them, but promising them from the cross, this day you will be with me in paradise.

 

The image of a crucified king heading to resurrection reminds us that the job of redemption is not completed. We need to bring the resurrection to those that this world is still crucifying—bringing them good news, feeding their hungers, giving them hope, and telling them they are so loved that Jesus has died for them so that they can rise with him. He doesn’t love from a safe distance—and neither should we.

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Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2026

By Charlene Currie • April 25, 2026
Born to Look … Learning to See Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2026 The scoutmaster used to take his troops on hikes along wilderness nature trails. After each hike he would challenge the scouts to describe what they had observed on their excursion. The boys invariably hadn’t seen a fraction of what the scoutmaster had seen. He would wave his arms in great circles and shout, “Creation is all around you, but you are blocking it out. Stop wearing your raincoat in the shower. You were born to look, but you have to learn to see.” You were born to look, but you have to learn to see. One of the questions that always arises about today’s gospel passage is: Why didn’t the two disciples recognize Jesus? Let’s spend some time reflecting on the possibilities. One obvious answer is that they were disheartened. Their lives are at their lowest point. They are sad and confused. The one they had pinned their hopes on had been humiliated and crucified in a horrible way. How could such a disaster be anything but a total defeat? How could a Messiah, or Savior, allow himself to be beaten and put to death? In addition, the two disciples are probably terrorized, full of fear. The leaders of the people, both religious and political, had made their point. Anyone who rocks the boat and challenges authority will be dealt with swiftly and brutally. If the two were recognized as followers of Jesus, his fate could also be theirs. Let me share another story with you, a story which shows how expectations can color what we see and experience. ---------------------------------- A young man from a wealthy family was about to graduate from high school. It was the custom in his affluent neighborhood for the parents to give the graduate a car as a graduation present. Bill and his father spent months looking at cars, and the week before graduation they found the perfect one. Bill was certain that the car would be his on graduation night. Imagine Bill’s disappointment when, on the eve of the big day, his father handed him a gift-wrapped Bible! Bill was so angry, he hurled the Bible across the room and stormed out of the house, vowing never to return again. Bill and his father never saw each other again. Yet it was the news of his father’s death that brought Bill back home again. One night, as he sat going through his father’s possessions that he was to inherit, Bill came across the Bible that his father had given him. He brushed away the dust and opened it to find a cashier’s check, dated the day of his graduation—for the exact amount of the car they had chosen together. ------------------------------- As the scoutmaster said, “You are born to look, but you have to learn to see.” What does today’s gospel passage want us to learn to see? One obvious answer is that the privileged place to encounter Jesus is in the celebration of the Eucharist, or Mass. In the gospel Jesus does two things: he interprets the Scriptures and how they apply to him; and he “breaks bread” with the two disciples. We thus have the two halves of the Mass: the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. The Bible is telling us where to look, and it is teaching us to learn to see. Like the cashier’s check in the Bible, Jesus’ presence is not always obvious or straightforward. So, where and how should we look? The first place is the Bible. We need to take time to read God’s word slowly, savor it, and allow it to speak to us. If you are having difficulty, a commentary will help. Turning to those who know the Bible better that we do, and asking for clarifications and advice, will also help. The second place of encounter with Jesus is the Eucharist. The mystery of Emmaus is that the disciples recognize Jesus in the “breaking of bread,” which was one of the phrases used for the celebration of the Eucharist. Try to enter the Mystery more and more by giving yourself totally, without distractions, to each part of the Mass. Savor what it means to gather with open minds and hearts; to listen to the message of Scripture, the inspired word of God; to take the message of the homily home with you and reflect on it; to ask for forgiveness and to pray for peace; to intercede for our needs and the needs of the whole world; to receive our Lord mindfully, and not just hurry through the motions. Finally, in the Emmaus story, Jesus approaches his people who are depressed, disappointed and broken-hearted. At first, they do not recognize him. But as they listen more and more, their hearts start to burn within them. So, another way to experience the presence of Jesus Christ is to do as he did, to find value in what he taught and how he acted. He clearly said that he could be found in the poor and vulnerable: I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was ill, or in prison, or lonely, and you visited me. Today’s gospel gives us a blueprint for encountering Jesus and feeling his presence. But we have to give ourselves to it wholeheartedly. We were born to look, but we have to learn how to see. The Bible has a treasure in it, and it’s not a cashier’s check. The Eucharist has a presence in it, and it’s something more than bread. The people around us are children of God. They have a spark of the divine within them. We were born to look, but we have to learn how to see.

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter April 12, 2026

By Charlene Currie • April 25, 2026
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