Father Gary’s Sermon

Inspired from Luke 24:13-15

Proclaimed on April 10, 2005

There was a man who applied for and was hired for a new job. It was a simple job. All he had to do was paint the yellow line that runs down the middle of a highway. However, after three days he was called to the office of the foreman. He was then told, “You did great the first day! You painted three miles of that little yellow line. Your second day was bad either. You painted that line for two miles. However, something happened on the third day. You only painted that line for one mile. I am going to have to let you go.” Leaving the office the man began to defend himself, saying, “It’s just not my fault! Every day I just kept getting further from that can of paint!”

This is similar to how we experience God in our lives. As the man kept moving further away from the can of paint, so we keep moving further away from the love of God. Indeed, this phenomenon is what we find in today’s Gospel reading. In this story two disciples of Jesus (Cleopas and a friend) are returning from Jerusalem. It had been a most tragic week. Jesus, the man they believed to be the coming Messiah and the man in whom they had placed so much of their hope, was dead. They had fully expected him to become their King. Therefore, they previous Sunday they had followed him into Jerusalem, believing that he would immediately go to the Fortress of Antonia and defeat the Roman garrison stationed there. Risking their very lives, they even placed palm branches and coats on the ground before him. However, instead of going to the Roman fort, Jesus stopped in the Temple, overturned a few tables, and kicked some moneychangers out. With that done, the expected revolution fizzled out. Soon he was captured and put to death by the High Priests he had earlier offended. At that they went into hiding out of fear for their very lives. Worse than that, his body was no longer to be found in the tomb he had been laid. As such, the Jesus who had become their spiritual can of paint in life and death was no longer available to them. They felt completely abandoned by God.

How true this is even for us. We too have disappoints. Sometimes these come to us because we like that painter do not understand how to use the paint. In essence, we fail to understand the love of God. Perhaps this story can provide some clarification. It is about a little boy who was walking home from Sunday School. As he walked he would stop and kick stones, pick up sticks along the way. As he dawdled, he passed a neighbor who asked him where he had been. The boy told him. He further added that he had been studying about God. The neighbor commended the boy. Then he challenged him saying, “Jimmy, if you can tell me where God is I’ll give you a dime.” Responded Jimmy, “I’ll give you a dollar if you can tell me where God isn’t!” The lesson is simple; God is everywhere, even in our disappointments. God is not limited by space, time, or events.

This is clearly the answer that is provided by our Gospel. As Cleopas and his friend were returning from Jerusalem, a stranger joined them. He inquired as to their sadness. Even as they explained it he opened up the Scriptures as to why these events had to occur. As they were ready to go separate ways, Cleopas asked the stranger to come, eat with them, and stay overnight. Agreeing, the stranger entered their home. As they began eating, the stranger took some bread and broke it. There must have been a special way in which Jesus broke bread for they immediately recognized Jesus as the stranger in their midst. With this recognition Jesus disappeared. They immediately returned to the disciples in Jerusalem, traveling at night. When they arrived, they discovered that Jesus had also been with the disciples. Jesus had apparently been in more than one place at a time! He was limited by neither space nor time.

How does this apply to us? Jesus is present with all the Church at any time or any place. Indeed, this experience of Jesus, though universal, is also localized. This occurs in the sacraments. The Bread and Wine of the Eucharist become points of spiritual intensification where Christ becomes knowingly present and experienced in a specific time and place. He becomes our spiritual can of paint, even though he is everywhere. He is not limited by perceptions or emotions.

Allow me to give you an example. This past Friday the Christian world attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Though it was a funeral, it was most certainly a celebration of a life well lived in the presence of Christ. Indeed, the service was culminated with the Holy Eucharist. Normally reserved for Roman Catholics who had recently made a personal confession, the Cardinals and priests disbursed into the crowds with their buckets of bread and dispensed it to whoever wanted to receive it. My heart leaped with tears of joy as Christ became present even in my home in front of my television. It was a time of celebration. Commentators spoke freely about the Holy Spirit.

In contrast, however, was the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla in England the following day. A time that is normally celebrative seemed more like a funeral. First the future King of England and Head of the Anglican Church got married in a civil service and not a church. Afterwards they went to church to have their marriage blessed. The service began with a very weighty confession. Later there was a brief blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury. However, unlike the burial of the Pope, this service had no sermon to give context to the service. There was also no celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Indeed, Christ seemed to be one of the ingredients missing. Indeed, commentators did not speak of the Holy Spirit, but rather of the Spirit of Diana—the first wife of the Prince of Wales, whom he divorced and who was later tragically killed.

Christ was present in both of these events because he is everywhere. However, Christ was experienced in the burial of a pope because of the Holy Eucharist, but seemed absent in a marriage that lacked any sacramental can of paint. This need not affect us today, however, for soon we will be approaching this altar. Here we will receive the Bread and Wine. Though he is everywhere at all times, his presence will be intensified in our midst through this sacrament. Like the painter’s can of paint, it gives us focus. Through it we are encouraged and strengthened.