By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Homily by Archbishop Thomas Wenski at Mass with Pastoral Center staff in thanksgiving for his 75th birthday. Miami Shores, FL Oct. 20, 2025.
The question that the Scriptures place before us today is simply “What matters to you?” And are we rich in what matters to God?
In the gospel reading, someone in the crowd yells out to Jesus: Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me. Instead of dividing the inheritance between the two brothers, Jesus speaks of how the inheritance has divided the brothers. “Take care”, he tells him, “To guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Again, in God’s eyes, it is not what you have that counts, it is who you are, it’s not the quantity of your things but the quality of your character that matters to God.
In Jesus’ parable, the rich man proved himself to be a fool. He talks to himself: “What shall I do with this bountiful harvest?” I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones.” He is rich in material things, but he is also poor in relationships. Lots of barns but no friends. He doesn’t share any of his goods with others, he doesn’t share any part of himself with others. Not even his conversation.
The inheritance Jesus gives us is not to divide brother from brother. That would make us rich fools. The inheritance that we have received is one that we are pledged to give away.
We must understand that we realize ourselves as human beings not through self-assertion or self-seeking but through self-sacrifice and self-giving.
On Saturday, I celebrated my 75th birthday – hard to believe and truth be told, hard to accept. And as canon law requires, I will send to the Holy Father this week a letter offering him my resignation as the fourth Archbishop of Miami. When I leave office and who will replace me will depend on him. But to be sure, I will let him know of my willingness to continue to serve as your Archbishop for as long as he wishes.
Again, we realize ourselves as human beings not through self-assertion or self-seeking but through self-sacrifice and self-giving. Self-sacrifice and self-giving is what should define our service to Christ and his Church, that should be true for all of us lest we become “fools” like the rich man of Jesus’ parable and forget what really matters.
Pope Benedict wrote in Deus Caritas Est: “In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility, we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work: ‘The love of Christ urges us on’ (2 Cor 5: 14).” #35 Deus Caritas Est.
