Student Reflection: Mass of the Holy Spirit

Welcome to the first Mass of the 2025-2026 school year. Today we are celebrating a Mass of the Holy Spirit, which is fitting as we embark on a new journey this school year. The Holy Spirit is associated with many symbols in the Church, such as a dove, water, wind and especially fire. As the sophomores might hear in Chemistry class this year, three components are necessary to start and maintain a fire: oxygen, heat and fuel. This is called the fire triangle, and if one of these ingredients is lacking, the fire will die out. Just like starting a physical fire, to start an inner fire in our heart, we need three things:

The first, the oxygen, is Jesus. Oxygen is all around us. It’s the air we breathe, and it’s necessary for us to live, but we can’t see it. Just like oxygen, Jesus is all around us, and sometimes we have to look a little bit to find Him. It’s not always blatantly obvious, but Jesus will make himself known to you in the simplest of ways, whether it’s someone unexpected saying hi to you in the hallway, a pretty sunrise on the way to school, or a time when a classmate willingly helped you in Friar Mentors. Jesus is revealing himself to us through those moments, and the more we recognize that, the closer we will become with Him.

The next thing we need to start an inner flame is ourselves. We are the fuel. Jesus is knocking at the door, and He can’t come in until we open it. In the Gospel today, we hear about the rich man who asks Jesus what he can do to enter eternal life. Jesus lists out the commandments, and the man says that he has followed all of them. Jesus then tells the man that to truly follow Him, he must give his possessions to the poor; much to the disappointment of the rich man. The rich man was being passive in his faith, just going through the motions and following the 10 Commandments like a checklist. More than likely we may find our faith lives to be very similar.

So how can we avoid this indifference in our faith? 

There are so many little, easy ways - like actually paying attention in Theology class, reading the verse of the day on the Bible app, or taking time each day to fill God in on our lives; thanking God every time something good happens in your life; asking Him for strength when things aren’t going so well, and offering an apology and a request for mercy when we mess up.

Through small, daily adjustments in our faith habits, we can be changed by Jesus, just as logs or sticks are physically changed during combustion.

The last side of the fire triangle is the Holy Spirit, the heat. When making a fire, the flame generated by one match can set the whole thing ablaze. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. When we recognize God in our lives and turn to Him, the Holy Spirit will naturally set our hearts on fire. We all know that a fire gives off heat and light. Similarly, we will be provided with overwhelming comfort and guidance if we turn to the Holy Spirit. 

When I was younger, I used to go to a summer camp called Camp Tecumseh, which some of you may have heard of or attended yourself. One year, my cabin did a fire-building activity, where we were given the components to start a fire: matches, kindling and sticks. Maybe it was the fact that it had rained the night before or that ten 13-year-old girls with no experience were trying to build a fire, but we were completely unable to get a fire going. The truth is that starting a fire, whether on the damp ground at summer camp or in our hearts, is very difficult! It requires practice, the correct ingredients, and some good guidance…and that guidance is the Holy Spirit. If we follow the Spirit’s guidance and are faithful to the things that help make us into ready fuel, the Holy Spirit’s fire will light the way through even the darkest of times.

I wish you all a wonderful school year, and remember, whether you are trying to get your inner fire going, or working to maintain the flame, the Holy Spirit is within all of you, so do not be afraid to let your light shine.