2026-2027 Theme 
Duc In Altum
 

8/25/2026

Fr. Willie, S.J. ’87 | President
 

(Fr. Guillermo García-Tuñón, S.J. delivered this homily at the Mass of the Holy Spirit at the Our Lady of Belen Chapel.)

Only children play on the shore of the sea. They run out with their floaties secured tightly around their arms to the sound of their mother’s screams behind them, reminding them not to venture off too far. With red plastic pails that have white plastic handles, they look down into the water, try to scoop up little minnows, and carry them away harmlessly. Go to any beach in the world, and this is what you will find.  

But men… men put out into deep waters. They’re not satisfied with the shore. In their boats, they weather storms, sail through choppy waters, battle the sun and the rain, and then lower their nets for a catch. Marlin, sailfish, tuna, and wahoo… these big game fish are the prized fish they are eager to catch. Fishermen know that wading in shallow waters will not afford them the kind of catch they are meant to bag. While there is some fear of heading out into deep waters, they know they must face and overcome it to secure the kind of haul that will help feed families.

In today’s gospel, we heard the story of Jesus, who practically bullied his way into Simon Peter's boat. Beached on the shore of the lake after a whole day of fishing, Simon had caught nothing. Frustrated and sunburnt, he was washing his nets when Jesus, the uninvited guest, stepped in. At first, it seemed that Jesus just wanted to sit away from the crowds as he taught, but shortly afterward, he turned to Simon and ordered him, “Put out into the deep and lower your nets for a catch.” “Duc in altum,” “put out into the deep.” You can imagine the confusion, even annoyance, of Peter, the weathered fisherman. “What does this carpenter from Nazareth know about fishing?” he must have thought. “Who is he to muscle his way into my boat and order me around?” But Peter obeys. He lowers his nets and then the miracle happens. He catches so many fish his nets were tearing from the weight. 

What was the difference? Why so many fish now and not any before. The difference was Jesus. On this second expedition, it was Jesus's presence that made the miracle possible. We’ve heard the words of Jesus before, “for man nothing is possible, but for God all things are possible.” Jesus was in Peter’s boat.

Isn’t that always the case in the gospels? Do you know the reason why the wedding feast at Cana was such a success? It was because Jesus was there that simple water turned into splendid wine. Do you know why over 5000 people were fed in the middle of nowhere one late afternoon when there were only five loaves of bread and two fish? It was because Jesus was there and multiplied them. Do you know the reason why the blind could see, the deaf could hear, and the lame could walk along the streets and byways of Israel? It was because Jesus was there to cure them. And do you know the reason why the repentant thief crucified with Christ made his way into paradise that Friday afternoon on Calvary? It was because Jesus was there to save him.

Gentlemen, Jesus is here.

Jesus is here, in our school. He is here, in our chapel. He is here, in our hearts. And because Jesus is here, we can do all things through him who strengthens us. Do not allow the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that reigns over our central patio to be reduced to nothing more than an image of bronze. That is idolatry. Allow that image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to be an outward sign of the power that lies within. Let it be a constant reminder that Jesus is here. The same Jesus who called Peter, James, John, and the other apostles; the same Jesus who called St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier and the martyrs of Florida and North America is here. Not a distant figure demoted to the past, but a living God who is always present, always pushing us to do more, to live better, to be fishers of men.

Gentlemen, do not settle for the shore; it’s not deep enough for a disciple of Christ. Don’t settle for minnows; they’re not big enough for a disciple of Christ. Jesus calls us to venture out of your comfort zones where the water is deep and royal blue. That’s what you are meant for. Don’t simply settle for chemistry; put out into the deep and strive for honors or AP. Don’t simply settle for the required 25 hours of Christian service; put out into the deep and push yourself for 30 or 40 or 50. Don’t simply settle for Mass on Sundays; put out into the deep and give God an extra day in the week. Don’t simply settle for confession twice a year; put out into the deep and humbly go once a month. Don’t simply give the hungry some of your bread, the thirsty some of your drink or the naked some of your clothing; put out into the deep and ask why so many are hungry or thirsty or naked. Put out into deep waters because that’s what men do.

Let’s focus for a moment on the apostle Peter. If he had not met Christ, he would have passed away in obscurity. Simply a poor fisherman who never went farther than off the coast of the Sea of Galilee. Instead, he became a giant among men. He ventured far beyond the confines of his village. He traveled far and wide, preaching the gospel. He made his way to the heart of the empire, preached to millions, converted thousands, and even raised the dead, cured the sick, and led the Church from its humble beginnings to a giant that reaches beyond every border, race, and tongue. If the name of Jesus can be found on the lips and hearts of billions, it is due in great part to the work of this one man.

How does this simple fisherman become the pillar of our faith? How does this poor, illiterate soul become the father of one of the greatest movements in human history? He did it because from the moment he encountered the risen Lord, he never set sail without Jesus in his boat. At every turn, with every word, in every encounter, he called on the name of Jesus Christ, who sat steadily in his boat, who took the wheel, who captained his ship. Without Jesus, Peter caught nothing; with Jesus, Peter caught millions.

Like Peter, there are thousands of men and women who have ventured far and wide to spread the name of Christ, to live the life of a Christian. But these are not simply figures of the past. They are still here. Living, breathing beings who have surrendered their lives to Christ and have set sail into deep waters to accomplish so much. They have not done it alone. They have done it with Christ. This is your legacy, this is who you are, this is why you are here. Not simply to learn the lessons of math and science, but to encounter the person of Jesus Christ in them so you can invite the very Christ of Peter into your boat.

Gentlemen, you can’t do it alone. Without him you will catch nothing. With him, you will catch plenty. This is not the vocation of some. This is the vocation of each and every one of you. If you are here, if your parents brought you to this place and this place has withstood the test of time, it is only because God has called you here to gather the strength and the courage to venture into very deep waters.

So, do not be afraid to put out into the deep. Do not be afraid to push your limits, to strive for excellence, to do the magis, because Jesus is here. This potential that lies within you is part of your very nature, part of God’s intended design for who you are and who you are meant to be.

Brave the waves and the currents and the storms. Do not be afraid of them. On the contrary, let the waves and the currents and the storms be afraid of you. Live a life so submerged in Christ that your very life poses a threat to the evil in the world. Let the first thing the devil thinks when you get out of bed and put your feet on the ground be, “Oh no, he’s up.”

Let us look at this man Peter of Capernaum. An obscure and lowly fisherman, destined to remain obscure and lowly if not for his encounter with Jesus of Nazareth. Like one of hundreds of poor fishermen, living in one of hundreds of poor villages, manning one of hundreds of boats off the shore of a lake in Israel, Peter would never have left his simple life, never would have ventured into deeper waters if not commanded by the Son of God to push the limits of his possibilities.

Yes, it is true, Peter was one of hundreds of fishermen that day mending his nets. But he was the only fisherman that day who ventured out with the carpenter from Nazareth. That miraculous catch one late afternoon, under the scorching sun of the Middle East, was only a foretaste of the bigger fish he was meant to catch. A fisher of men, Jesus proclaimed. That was his true calling, his true vocation.
 

Click here to see pictures of the Mass of the Holy Spirit.