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Student Reflection: Votive Mass of St. Thomas Aquinas
Olivia Nybo '25 provided the student reflection at all-school Mass on Friday, January 31.
I’ve been attending Catholic schools since preschool, so this week marks my 14th consecutive year celebrating Catholic Schools Week.
After all these years, it's hard not to get a little nostalgic during this particular week. Catholic Schools Week is more than just a week out of uniform; rather it is a time for all of us to reflect on how lucky we are to receive a Catholic education. My education at Fenwick and the community here has shaped every aspect of who I am today.
It is often easy for us to take for granted how fortunate we are to be part of a school community that supports us and takes such a strong interest in pushing us to be the best versions of ourselves. I often find myself getting lost complaining about things like my theology quiz next period, not being allowed to wear sweatpants, or having to sit though yet another long day at school. I am sure many of you also find yourselves having similar feelings, where you find yourself focusing on the negative instead of the positive.
But we need to remember that there is always a good lesson to be learned and a positive way to look at difficult things. Even though school can be difficult, we should be grateful that at Fenwick, we’re given more than just an education; we’re taught Catholic values, and the four pillars of a Dominican education that will guide us beyond our time here at Fenwick. We might not see it yet, but I believe that these values will continue to be a part of us many years into the future. Saint Thomas Aquinas once said that the greatest gift we could receive is the wisdom to not only understand God, but to love as He loves. Our education is not simply about memorizing 19 lines of Romeo and Juliet or 60 different ions – it's about learning how to love and serve others, how to act with compassion and how to lead with integrity.
This wisdom isn’t something we earn on our own. It’s a gift that comes from God. This morning's first reading comes from the Book of Wisdom: “For He is the guide of Wisdom and the director of the wise. For both we and our words are in His hands.” Essentially, God is the guide of all our wisdom.
Every lesson, every moment of reflection today is an opportunity to grow in that wisdom. The wisdom we receive at school is not just for the classroom but rather it’s something that stretches far beyond the walls of Fenwick: It shapes how we interact with others, how we view the world, and how we live out our faith. We learn how to think critically but we also learn how to love deeply. We learn that our words and actions have power, and that we are called to use them wisely.
Whether we’re helping a classmate, serving in our community, or just living out our daily lives, the education we receive here at Fenwick is a lifelong gift.
As we celebrate our last day of Catholic Schools Week, let’s take a moment to reflect on this gift. Let’s remember that the wisdom we’ve received is meant to be shared with others . As St Thomas Aquinas says, "Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere" which means “To contemplate and to share the fruits of one's contemplation with others.” Just as God guides us through our lives and provides direction for our words and actions, He calls us to use the wisdom we’ve been given to help others. May we be good stewards of all we have been given and faithfully, share God’s love.
Read more student reflections.
After all these years, it's hard not to get a little nostalgic during this particular week. Catholic Schools Week is more than just a week out of uniform; rather it is a time for all of us to reflect on how lucky we are to receive a Catholic education. My education at Fenwick and the community here has shaped every aspect of who I am today.
It is often easy for us to take for granted how fortunate we are to be part of a school community that supports us and takes such a strong interest in pushing us to be the best versions of ourselves. I often find myself getting lost complaining about things like my theology quiz next period, not being allowed to wear sweatpants, or having to sit though yet another long day at school. I am sure many of you also find yourselves having similar feelings, where you find yourself focusing on the negative instead of the positive.
But we need to remember that there is always a good lesson to be learned and a positive way to look at difficult things. Even though school can be difficult, we should be grateful that at Fenwick, we’re given more than just an education; we’re taught Catholic values, and the four pillars of a Dominican education that will guide us beyond our time here at Fenwick. We might not see it yet, but I believe that these values will continue to be a part of us many years into the future. Saint Thomas Aquinas once said that the greatest gift we could receive is the wisdom to not only understand God, but to love as He loves. Our education is not simply about memorizing 19 lines of Romeo and Juliet or 60 different ions – it's about learning how to love and serve others, how to act with compassion and how to lead with integrity.
This wisdom isn’t something we earn on our own. It’s a gift that comes from God. This morning's first reading comes from the Book of Wisdom: “For He is the guide of Wisdom and the director of the wise. For both we and our words are in His hands.” Essentially, God is the guide of all our wisdom.
Every lesson, every moment of reflection today is an opportunity to grow in that wisdom. The wisdom we receive at school is not just for the classroom but rather it’s something that stretches far beyond the walls of Fenwick: It shapes how we interact with others, how we view the world, and how we live out our faith. We learn how to think critically but we also learn how to love deeply. We learn that our words and actions have power, and that we are called to use them wisely.
Whether we’re helping a classmate, serving in our community, or just living out our daily lives, the education we receive here at Fenwick is a lifelong gift.
As we celebrate our last day of Catholic Schools Week, let’s take a moment to reflect on this gift. Let’s remember that the wisdom we’ve received is meant to be shared with others . As St Thomas Aquinas says, "Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere" which means “To contemplate and to share the fruits of one's contemplation with others.” Just as God guides us through our lives and provides direction for our words and actions, He calls us to use the wisdom we’ve been given to help others. May we be good stewards of all we have been given and faithfully, share God’s love.
Read more student reflections.
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