I’m so pleased to attend my first Mass of the Holy Spirit at The Catholic University of America, and to give a warm welcome back to campus to all of you. What a great blessing to begin each year with a tradition like this one, to come together and reflect as a community before God on the journey that lies ahead. 

Like me, for some of you, this is your first Mass of the Holy Spirit. In the years to come, it will serve as an opportunity to set new goals, to see where you’ve been and where you’re going, and to begin anew and to be renewed. For others, this will be your last Mass of the Holy Spirit as a Catholic University student — one last opportunity to dedicate yourself to making the most of the time that remains. For each of you, regardless of where you are along the way, today is a chance to look at yourself, to ask who you want to be, and how the Holy Spirit might help you get there. Let this be a moment to nurture something new and life-giving in your soul.

Your years in university are unlike any other you will experience. In the years to come, demands on your time and attention will increase. You will face new challenges and new responsibilities — to your boss, to your spouse, to your children, to your vocation. These are wonderful blessings. But this moment has its own blessings. You are young, and free, and relatively unencumbered to dedicate yourself to asking life’s big questions. Who are you? What is the meaning and purpose of your life? Where will your happiness lie? How do you become the person you most want to be? These are among the most fundamental questions you can ask. Whatever your program of study, whatever your background, your life experiences, these questions will determine the trajectory of your life. 

We don’t ask you to pursue them alone. At your disposal you have a world-class faculty, and top-notch graduate instructors. You have a team of dedicated campus ministers. You have access to every book you could possibly hope to consult. And you have intelligent, curious, and compassionate peers who are asking the same questions you are. These years are a rare and precious opportunity to help you form yourself. Do your best to get everything out of them you can. 

Allow me to offer one recommendation for this moment. If they are authentic and truthful answers you seek — the kind that will change your life — ask them in your classes, in the dining commons, and in moments of personal reflection. But most especially, ask them of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit or Advocate is the Lord, the Giver of Life. Jesus, at the Last Supper, said that the Holy Spirit will “teach you all things” if we simply ask the Spirit to do so. We live in a world that offers empty promises. It will tell you what to wear, how to fit in, where to work, and how to succeed. It will pledge to make you an athlete in 30 days; lose 30 pounds in 30 days; get rich overnight; or successful with just a few tricks. It will tell you how to attract the “perfect” partner, how to build a powerful network, and how to come out on top in any deal. It will preach that you are perfect as you are, and then sell you remedies for all the ways you are not. It will distract you from the hard questions. It will promise to make you happy. But it will leave you disappointed.

By contrast, the Holy Spirit will provide answers that are truthful and will fulfill you as a person. “The Word of God and his Spirit are at the origin of the being and life of every creature,” the Catechism says. The Spirit is the root of the life of every creature, the Breath that enlivens us, the one who speaks to our hearts the truth of who we truly and really are.

The Spirit is also the one who transforms you from within, providing life-giving water to cleanse your soul, and fire to set it ablaze. The Spirit is the wind that envelops you with comfort; the light that guides your way; the dove bearing you peace in a world of chaos. The Spirit, as 1 Kings 19 says, is the “gentle whisper.” The Spirit will not prey upon your insecurities or make false and overblown promises. Nor will the Spirit shrink your soul to fit worldly purposes. Instead, the Spirit of the Lord will show you your authentic worth and guide you toward true happiness. The more we receive the Spirit, the more of God’s glory we reflect. That is the kind of transformation that will truly change your life. 

As you begin this new chapter of your university career, invite the Holy Spirit into your life. Allow the Spirit of God to help you discover the meaning of your life. Let God’s Spirit bless and nourish your heart and illuminate and strengthen your mind. I wish you every success in the year to come and look forward to getting to know each of you in the days ahead. May God bless us all with a fruitful and joyful year.