By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski's homily at Mass with students from St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Friday, April 17, 2026.
Easter has come and gone – soon its May, final exams, graduations, etc. A lot of activity has us running back and forward, up and down. But in all this, it’s important not to forget where we came from – and where we are going.
Where did we come from? Well, ultimately from God. Each one of us is the result of a thought of God. No one is a mistake. No one is an accident.
If God is our origin, what is our destination? Again, God is. When I was in school, we had a catechism class in which I had to memorize the answers to the questions, who made us; and why did he make us.
God made us – to know him, to serve him, to love him in this life – and to be happy with him in the life to come. In God is our origin and God is our destination. Alpha and Omega. Beginning and End.
And Jesus is the Way, our way to that destination.
So, a question for each of you> Where is your life going to take you? Because you are young, most of your life’s journey still lies before you. Because you are Americans you are offered many opportunities for personal development, and you are brought up with a sense of generosity, service and fairness. But there are also difficulties: activities and mindsets which stifle hope, pathways which seem to lead to happiness and fulfillment but in fact end only in confusion and fear.
What are your plans? What do you want to do with your life? Or as your grandparents might say: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Well, today, I would ask you to consider this question from a different perspective. Instead of asking, what are my plans; what do I want to do; ask instead: What might God’s plan for my life be? What does he want me to do with my life?
God does have a plan for each one of us, for in God’s eyes, as I said, no one is an accident. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. We find a general outline of God’s plan for us in Jesus’ words to his disciples: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”(John 13: 34) God calls each one of us to a future of love. To give your very self as a gift to God and to your brothers and sisters, as Jesus did when he died for us on the cross, is the way to true joy and happiness.
Before you can speak a new language well, you have to learn the grammar. Grammar might seem to be all about rules and regulations. And to love like Jesus means learning the rules and regulations about self-control, purity of heart and mind, it is about learning how to deny oneself, to respect others, to serve instead of being served. And as you learn the grammar, you have to practice, practice, practice.
It’s the same way in learning a new sport. In every sport, there is a GOAT – greatest of all time. You’ve all heard of Messi – he lives not to far from here. He is one of the greatest soccer players of all time. But that does not mean that he can ignore the rules and regulations of soccer. In fact, knowing and keeping to the rules makes it easier, not harder, to play the game. In the same way, the Commandments, the rules and regulations of Christian living, give us the freedom to embrace a future of love.
Just as a Messi can teach us about the game of soccer, the saints can teach us about how to love as Jesus did. We might not all be soccer stars but: we are called to be holy, we are called to be friends with Jesus Christ. In other words, we are called to be the best version of ourselves, that version of ourselves that God wants us to be.
Obeying the commandments, with the help of God’s grace gained through constant prayer, makes love possible and makes life an exciting adventure.
God’s plan is for us to love as Jesus did. To work out the details, to learn how God wishes you to shape that future, to overcome one’s own hesitancy or fears, requires the same discipline needed to excel in a language or a sport. It also requires that you spend some time talking and listening to Jesus as he walks with you along your way. Perhaps, God has a project of love for your future as a husband or wife, a father or mother. But, at the same time, be ready to say “yes” if the project is to follow the path of ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life.
Following God’s plan for our lives not always an easy way; but it is the way, Jesus’ way.
Dare, then, to love as Christ loves. Loving in this way is like learning to speak a new language well or playing a new sport. Keep trying, keep practicing – and you’ll get to your destination.
