This week, as has been the tradition at Jesuit academic institutions since 1548, Georgetown celebrated the opening of the academic year with the Mass of the Holy Spirit. The Catholic mass, which was offered in Gaston Hall on the Hilltop, provided an opportunity for students, staff, and faculty to thank God for the gifts of creation and to seek the guidance and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in the coming year.
Mission in Motion previously reflected on last year’s Mass of the Holy Spirit, which was a virtual event and a different setting than this week’s in-person celebration. The context for the gathering was a Catholic worship service, but consistent with the University’s commitment to interreligious dialogue and multi-faith chaplaincy, chaplains from various faith traditions were present in the congregation and were recognized during the service. Along with SCS Dean Otter, I was able to attend the mass with staff colleagues from the Office of Mission and Ministry, who I have not seen in person since March 2020.
The reflections offered at Mass addressed both the challenges and the opportunities of Georgetown’s return to campus in the context of the continuing pandemic. Fr. Greg Schenden, S.J., director of Campus Ministry, and President DeGioia pointed to the uniqueness of this particular moment in the life of the University and how we are invited to respond.
Grounded in the example of the early apostles of the Church, Fr. Schenden’s homily highlighted how all members of the Georgetown community are being invited to some kind of personal transformation in the midst of this “return” to campus. It would be a mistake, he offered, to see this new academic year as a “return to normalcy.” Instead, each of us in the community, regardless of our work or learning modality, can stretch ourselves into becoming more authentic to who we really are. In listening and responding to how we are individually called to deepen in faith, we are then in a better position to be of service to one another.
According to Fr. Schenden, the opportunity inherent in this new semester is to resist old, unhealthy habits and grow into new ones that make us better colleagues to one another. Linking Jesus’s greeting of “peace be with you” to his frightened followers with our situation today, Fr. Schenden reflected on the peace that we are called to share with each other:
“Peace that is Shalom, not the absence of violence, but peace that is a wholeness, a harmony, a rightness of relationship, within ourselves, with one another, and with God. We are being invited more deeply into that new role…Go forth! I’m sending you forth to be heralds, of right relationship, of peace.”
President DeGioia picked up on these ideas in his concluding reflection. More than islands of individuals, the University is strong because of the unity that comes with supporting one another in difficult and uncertain circumstances like this moment in time. President DeGioia’s remarks focused on a critical ingredient for this coming year: hope. Recognizing that hope might have been in short supply during the last 16 months, the University’s president invited us to reflect on the challenging but necessary task of locating reasons for hope today. He reflected:
“Hope is what lies ahead… I think as we all know, at times hope can be difficult, hope can be challenging, no doubt we all experienced moments in these past 16 months when hope seemed hard to imagine. Hope may have been a little more than we thought possible. Endurance in hope. Hope can be very demanding. Fr. Otto Hentz, S.J., who has been a beloved member of this community since the 1960s, in his book “The Hope of the Christian,” begins the introduction and concludes the last sentence of the last chapter with this sentence from Peter: ‘Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you a reason for your hope.’
“Daunting? Well, not with the words we hear today. Not with what we know. Not with what brings us together at the Mass of the Holy Spirit. From Acts: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. We need this power. A power that is promised to us. A power we need for each other. A power of the Spirit that helps us in our weakness, the Spirit that intercedes for us. We need to be hope for each other. From Fr. Hentz: ‘Hoping is always hoping in others. Hoping is always hoping with others because we need each other’s support to maintain our belief and sustain our commitment with courage and perseverance.’ In gratitude we celebrate the gift, the breath, the gift of the Spirit and we celebrate this community, this place that enables us to be here for one another. We’re not alone. We have each other. And together, we can be hope for one another.”
As we continue to journey into the newness of this semester, I invite you to reflect on your reasons for hope. Where are you finding consolations in your life? How are you responding to personal challenges? What resources in our Georgetown community give you hope this fall?
You can find a recording of the Mass of the Holy Spirit on Facebook. For more information about spiritual accompaniment resources, visit Campus Ministry. For more information about the Jesuit mission of Georgetown University and the resources of Ignatian spirituality, visit Mission & Ministry.