By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Homily by Archbishop Thomas Wenski at Mass with Archdiocese of Miami priests at annual Priest Convocation. Doral, FL Sept 17, 2025.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus criticizes the cynicism and the self-contradictory attitudes of those who reject both him and John the Baptist. Using what must have been a common ditty sung by children in the streets, Jesus tells them they don’t know what they want. Jesus knows he’s not going to win the hearts of those who have decided not to believe in him.
As we read in the Gospel, both Jesus and John the Baptist attracted crowds – but neither one sought to be "people pleasers." We all know them – people pleasers – in trying to please everybody they end up pleasing no one and frustrating themselves. Of course, I don't believe that either Jesus or John sought to antagonize people, just for the sake of antagonizing them. (And we know those types too.) But both Jesus and John the Baptist did not fulfill the expectations of the people of their time – at least, not in the ways that the people thought they should.
"Wisdom is vindicated in her children," Jesus says. The ultimate judge of the ministry of Jesus and John were not the crowds, not the people pleased – or even the people upset – by them. Their lives were lived in obedience to the will of the Father – the fruit of that obedience is how the wisdom of God, by which we were created for life with God, is truly vindicated.
But both Jesus and John not only "thought outside the box" – they also lived "outside the box." They both acted with considerable freedom. The freedom that comes from the Holy Spirit that allowed them – and allows us – to live beyond the constraints of culture and custom – therefore to swim against the tide of people’s expectations or demands.
St. John Paul II told priests that the people look to them for the “word lived” before the “word proclaimed.” The days are long gone when what “Father said” or “What teacher said” was law.
People today will not follow “blind guides” as Jesus described the Pharisees; but they will follow pastors whose authenticity is revealed in their transparency. And when all is said and done, it is witness that convinces, not words.
Of course, today, the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine. He lived during the time of the Protestant Reformation – what he would probably have called “the Protestant revolt”. Robert Bellarmine was perhaps the most effective theologian and apologist for the Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation battles with Protestantism He generated a lot of controversy - you could call him a 16th Century Catholic version of Charlie Kirk.
Known as the “Hammer of Heretics”, he vigorously defended the truths of Catholicism against the positions of the reformers and successfully brought many back into the Catholic Church.
As Jesus said, “Wisdom is vindicated in her children.”
