For a school Mass, the start of the academic year, or before examinations
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” Luke 2:52
Solomon asked not for riches but for “an understanding mind” (1 Kings 3:9).
“Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor” (Luke 2:52): grow in all three.
“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable… think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Thank teachers; parents are the first teachers.
Dear children, dear teachers, a new year of learning begins. When God asked young King Solomon what he wanted, Solomon did not ask for riches or for victory over his enemies. He asked for wisdom, “an understanding mind”. God was so pleased that he gave him that and much more.
St Luke tells us that the boy Jesus “increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” Notice the three things: wisdom, which is learning; years, which is growing up; and favour with God and people, which is goodness. A good student grows in all three.
St Paul gives a simple rule for the mind: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure… think about these things.” What you watch and read and think shapes who you become.
Let us thank God for our teachers and our parents, and let us begin this year asking, like Solomon, for wisdom. Amen.
Daniel and his friends were trained in the language and learning of Babylon (Daniel 1:3–5).
They kept their faith in a test about food (Daniel 1:8–16).
God gave them knowledge and skill in every aspect of learning (Daniel 1:17).
Faith and learning go together (Daniel 1:20).
Dear students, teachers and parents, at the start of this school year let me tell you about four young students in the Bible: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon, the capital of a great empire, and chosen to study at the king's college for three years (Daniel 1:3–5).
It was a new place, new language and new friends, a bit like a new school or a new class. And there was pressure to become just like everyone else. The very first test was about food: the young men decided not to defile themselves with the king's rich food and wine, because of their faith. They asked politely for a ten-day trial, and at the end they were healthier than all the others (Daniel 1:8–16).
Here is the lesson: faithfulness often begins with small choices. Not copying in an exam. Not joining in when others bully someone. Not using bad language because everyone does. Praying before you study. Small choices make strong characters.
The Bible says that God gave these four young men knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom (Daniel 1:17). When the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the others (Daniel 1:20). Faith does not make you less intelligent; it makes you wiser. Study hard, and offer your study to God.
Teachers, you are shaping minds and hearts; thank you for your patience. Parents, encourage your children without crushing them. And students, begin every day this year with a short prayer: Lord, give me wisdom, help me to learn, and make me good. May this be a year of growth for all of you, in wisdom and in grace.
Faith and reason are like two wings by which the human spirit rises to the truth (Fides et Ratio, introduction).
Truth cannot contradict truth (CCC 159).
Learning is a way of serving God and neighbour.
Diligence, honesty, humility and gratitude.
Dear students, teachers and parents, as we begin a new academic year we ask God's blessing on our studies. It is a good moment to remember how the Church sees learning.
St John Paul II began his encyclical on faith and reason with a beautiful image: faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth (Fides et Ratio). A bird with one wing cannot fly. A faith that refuses to think becomes superstition; a reason that refuses God becomes arrogant and loses its way.
The Catechism teaches that there can never be a real conflict between faith and science, because the same God who reveals the mysteries of faith also gave us the light of reason; truth cannot contradict truth (CCC 159). Many great scientists were believers, and Catholic universities and schools have served the world for centuries. So study physics, history, mathematics and literature with an open mind and a believing heart.
Study is also a vocation. The young Jesus sat among the teachers in the Temple, listening and asking questions, and He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:46, 52). You are not studying only to get a job or to satisfy your parents. You are developing the gifts God gave you so that one day you can serve others.
Let me suggest four virtues for this year: diligence, to work steadily and not only before exams; honesty, never to cheat; humility, to ask for help and to help others; and gratitude, to thank your teachers and parents. Teachers, may you be patient witnesses of truth. Parents, support without pressure. And may the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, guide us all this year.
Lord Jesus, you grew in wisdom and in favour with God and people. Bless our students, teachers and parents this year; give us understanding minds, honest work and kind hearts. Amen.