Funeral for Jack Curtain

             Jack Curtain was certainly a man of deep faith, a man who knew Christ well, and made many life decisions based on his friendship with God. He worked hard and remained a devoted contributor to the Society’s Common Good because he knew, in the end, all would be raised up on the last day. The Gospel, chosen by the family for the day, echoes his belief, “that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it up on the last day.” This morning, we remember Jack’s whole life in Christ – his person, his words, his actions, his life’s choices – as we commend him back to God as a good and faithful servant. At the beginning of his life, he was brought to this Paschal Candle in baptism, and now at the end of his life, the Church commends him to God before the Christ’s Candle to share in eternal life.

            The First Reading tells us something about eternal life. The Archangel Michael, whose name means, the One who is Like God, reveals that the people who are God’s elect will escape the times of distress, and they shall live forever. The wise shall shine brightly and will lead many to justice. They shall be like the stars forever. Jack Curtain takes his place in eternal life today. Jack knew this secret of life, and as a young man he wrote a short story, called the Farthest Star, which is really his autobiography, that summed up his belief in God and in the precious power that is in each of us, even in those times we doubt our worth.

            At age 25, Jack wrote about a small, very beautiful star, which was way, way up in the sky, the one star that was most high, the most far away, called the Farthest Star. This star never had much of a chance to be like the other stars or to make friends with them. The Farthest Star realized she was different and could not enjoy the same friendships as the other stars, and she realized she was isolated and could not be a part of the fun they were having. Distance developed between her and the other stars because her place in the universe kept her apart, and she began to feel sad about her state, and her light grew dimmer. Michael the Archangel tried to cheer her up, but she did not brighten much. He told her that he did not like his role as Guardian and Fighter because Angels are made to love more than fight, but he accepted that he had been picked to do this unique role. His parting words were, “You are chosen among all others to be the Farthest Star, and every once in a while, you can shine forth to Earth and give bright hints of the vast reaches of God’s Heaven. Every night, you guide us angels homeward, and you stay right here, very close to God. From that day on, on the darkest nights, she was happy shining in her place all of the time.

            Now, on a cold evening, the Farthest Star noticed great excitement among the angels who seemed brighter and happier, and she saw, hanging close to the Earth, a star she knew she had never seen before and would never see again. It was a star made by God for this one night. It puzzled her, and she learned bits and pieces from the angels, that something marvelous happened on earth, in a town called Bethlehem, but that is all she knew. Without having to know why, it was enough that God made the Star for that night, and in her happiness, she burned with a love for all God’s creation, and she shone like never before, rising above all the other stars, so much so, that her brilliance showed the angels their way home, and as they passed, they told her of the news of the birth of the Christ Child. To this day, every Christmas Eve, the Farthest Star shines forth brightly, hoping that all might see her and be reminded of the Star of Bethlehem. So, if you look this year, far, far away, you will find a very bright star sharing her happiness at this special time.

            Jack Curtain is certainly the Farthest Star, as one who often pointed others to Christ and to the way home to God. As the First Reading says, “He is the wise one who shall shine brightly and will lead many to justice.” Jack knew his place on this earth and his role in life and he accepted his responsibility as one who would shine Christ’s light on others, whether through his guidance of many corporations and boards, chair of philanthropies and social justice agencies, his stewardship on non-profits, or simply nurturing the friendship he had with his beloved bride, Nancy, his children, Maura, Maggie, and John, and their families, and all his friends. He gave them what he had received from his parents – the joy of knowing Christ and the belief in the Resurrection. Christ was the element that caused Jack’s star to burn brightly, and he knew to find Christ, one sometimes had to squint, to look deeply, just to get a glimpse of that Farthest Star that revealed Christ to a world that sometimes cannot see Him, but God is there. When we seek God, truly open our souls to God’s presence, we will find God by our side. God wants to do nothing more than to gaze upon us, be filled with wonder for who we are, and be astonished at the gift we are to God.

            Christ is here with us today, and we celebrate what Christ is doing for us and for Jack. He is taking him home, to a place where nothing can separate him from God. Today, Christ rewards Jack for the love he gave to so many people, because in the beginning and the end, it is above love. It is about how we spend time with one another, encourage, support, challenge, care, and most importantly, understand, especially the sufferings of others. Christ’s love is so strong that the grave is no barrier to him. His love penetrates every power in the universe, as we heard in the Second Reading, “Nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”

            This is what we celebrate today – that merciful love that unites us and keeps us close. We are here for one another, and each of us is a gift to ourselves and for one another. This is the love that we must give away to others – no matter our faith tradition. God is reconciling us and drawing us to one another, for when we look upon another in love, we behold God. By this time, Jack knows that God is drawing Nancy closer to God’s own heart, and in due time, their love will be united and borne in a new way. Through our sadness, we can, at the same time, hold our joy because Jack is now returned home to Christ, his life-long friend, and Jack gave us a clue for consolation for those times we will miss him. Look up into the night sky, and peer far, far away. Look deeply for that one star that appears faint at times because it is so far away, but it is burning bright because it is aflame for the love of God, and suddenly that star feels very near.