Stepping Into the Deep: Beginning a Year of Formation at Saint John’s Seminary | Sunday Reflection

"Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." These inspiring words from St. John Paul II’s homily on the occasion of his Papal Inauguration remind us all of God’s abiding presence, our call to something greater, and stepping out in trust to be part of His Plan to build the Kingdom of God. We begin a new year at Saint John’s Seminary; our new men moved in yesterday and our returning men in the days ahead.

These early days of Orientation carry a quiet weight—a mixture of anticipation, uncertainty, and the unmistakable pull of something sacred beginning. For the new men arriving at Saint John’s Seminary, this is more than a move-in; it is a stepping into mystery. And for the whole community—returning seminarians, faculty, and staff—the days ahead mark a threshold. The silent retreat that follows Orientation is no mere tradition; it is the deep breath before the plunge, the holy pause before a year of formation. In silence, we are reminded: before the voice preaches, it must listen. Before the soul leads, it must be led.

And so, into that silence, the Word speaks.

Our readings on this Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time give us a place of reflection.

“I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see my glory.”— Isaiah 66:18

In this bold vision from Isaiah, we’re reminded that our journey at Saint John’s is not about our own greatness, but God's expansive and inclusive plan of salvation. Here, where men gather from different dioceses, cultures, and life experiences, we see a foretaste of that promised gathering. The priesthood you are preparing for is not for one kind of people or one corner of the world—it is for the Body of Christ in all its diversity and need. Isaiah’s vision stretches our perspective: the work of formation is not just about your personal sanctification, but about being made into instruments through which God's glory might be made known to the nations.

But this glorious call does not bypass the cross. Before one can be sent, one must be shaped. Hebrews reminds us: “Endure your trials as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” Our sonship is shaped by God’s love—a love that purifies us, sharpens us, and draws us close.

Every seminarian, every formator, every priest knows this truth deeply: formation is not always gentle. It confronts you with yourself. It surfaces attachments and false securities. It calls you to listen when you’d rather speak, to remain when you’d rather run, to forgive when it would be easier to withdraw. And yet, Hebrews offers this radical assurance—this is love. God’s discipline is not the hand of a harsh master but the embrace of a Father who refuses to let His sons settle for mediocrity. When the prayer is dry, when the feedback stings, when the path narrows—take heart. These are not signs of failure. They are signs that God is still shaping you.

But the journey ahead requires more than resilience. It demands resolve. Luke reminds us, and indeed all believers, that we must “Strive to enter through the narrow gate…”

Jesus' words in Luke are jarring. They remind us that it is possible to be near the things of God without being changed by them. “We ate and drank in your company,” some will say, “and you taught in our streets.” But the door remains closed to them—not because God is unwilling, but because they never truly surrendered. The narrow gate is not narrow because God is exclusive—it is narrow because the path of love, truth, and humility is difficult. And yet, it is open. Still open. Even now.

For the seminarians beginning their first days here: know that this year is about authenticity. Your task is to be transformed. Let the silence shape you. Let the community stretch you. Let Christ draw you.

For those returning: allow your heart to be made new again. Do not let familiarity with seminary life dull your sense of wonder or mission. This is still holy ground. This is still your desert and your upper room.

And for the faculty, staff, and formators: your witness may be the very signpost someone needs to find the narrow gate. Thank you for walking this road alongside those discerning, not ahead of them or behind them, but beside them—with wisdom, truth, and grace.

Isaiah ends with a promise that God will send forth witnesses, and from them, draw priests and Levites to serve. That promise echoes through this seminary. It echoes in the chapel. It echoes in the hearts of the men saying ‘yes’ to this next step of discernment. It echoes in every Mass offered here and every vocation prayed for within and beyond these walls.

Today is a new day for our men within these hallowed walls—a beginning to a new chapter in being formed into the likeness of Christ. A day of generosity of spirit. May this generosity and trust lead us all to be one with the Lord. May the words of Saint Augustine inspire us all: "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

So let us begin—quietly, humbly, wholeheartedly.