By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
The months of May and June see many of our priests here in the Archdiocese of Miami celebrate the anniversaries of their ordinations to the priesthood. As Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for the troubled and the abandoned, those who seemed like sheep without a shepherd, so too a priest’s heart should be moved. Pastoral charity — and not the desire for fame or fortune — should motivate each of us in our ministry.
When Jesus first sent out his apostles, he told them: “Proclaim the Kingdom of God… Cure the sick, raise the dead, clean lepers, drive out demons.” (Matt 10:8) Quite a job description for the apostles — and for us priests.
For a priest is to “cure the sick”: that is, to attend to the ill and the injured, healing their isolation with a visit and bringing courage to those who are weak. A priest is to raise the dead: that is, to restore hope to those deadened by discouragement and defeat. A priest is to cleanse lepers: that is to befriend the outsider, to extend the hand of friendship to the marginalized and rejected. A priest is to drive out demons: by helping people deal with the various addictions that affect them and by not failing to address any personal demons that may threaten the integrity of his own commitment.
Photographer: FILE PHOTO
Archbishop-to-be Thomas Wenski is shown here being ordained in 1976 by Archbishop Coleman Carroll, Miami's founding bishop.
During this Year of Mercy, may we priests remember that the priestly anointing we received is not meant just to make us “fragrant”; rather, as Pope Francis reminds us, it is meant “for the poor, the prisoners, the sick, for those sorrowing and alone.” The pope insists that a priest is not to build walls but bridges. And he has challenged all of us to “go out of the sacristies and go to the ‘outskirts’ where people of faith are most exposed to the onslaught of those who want to tear down their faith.”
St. Paul says: “For if I preach the Gospel that gives me no grounds for boasting. Necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.” (1 Cor 9: 16) We priests carry the great treasure of our priesthood in “vessels of clay” and it is readily apparent that we were called to this noble vocation in spite of our own unworthiness. This is as true for us as it was for Peter and the Apostles. Simon Peter told Jesus, “Depart from me for I am a sinner.” Nevertheless, Jesus chose him as he has chosen us. Yet, while God doesn’t call the most qualified, he does wish to qualify the called, and for this we need to make ourselves ever submissive to his will.
On May 15, I celebrated 40 years as a priest. Except for the seven years that I served in Orlando as bishop, I have spent my entire priesthood here in the Archdiocese of Miami. I served for three years as parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Parish and then, until my ordination as auxiliary bishop, I worked as the parish priest of the Haitian community here in South Florida for 18 years.
These past 40 years have been years of incredible grace and blessing for me. The protagonist of Bernanos’ famous novel, “The Diary of a Country Priest,” says: “It is all grace.” Thus, we priests can count on the extraordinary graces of the Lord Jesus who remains ever close to us. We also count on the prayers and collaboration of brother priests, deacons and religious men and women; and, especially, we count on the prayers of the faithful whom we were ordained to serve.
As I reflect back on these 40 years, I become ever more keenly conscious of how those prayers, and the collaboration of so many grace-filled people, have made it possible for the Lord to work through me, helping me — often times in spite of myself — to teach, lead and sanctify that portion of the Lord’s flock entrusted to my care.
Oremus pro invicem. Let us pray for one another.
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