Ben Anderson
“Nolite timere, duc in altum.” That Latin phrase meaning “Do not be afraid, put out into the deep” is familiar to every Mundelein seminarian. It is the saying that can be seen within the St. John Paul II Chapel on campus, where we have Mass and morning prayer every day. When I am in the chapel, I often look at those words and pray with them. Recently, as I was praying with them, I found that the phrase has colored my time in the seminary.
During my first year of seminary, also called the spiritual year, I went on a poverty immersion with one other seminarian during January. We went to work with an organization called “A Simple House.” For this month-long experience, we had no phone, no credit card, few clothes, and about $20 in cash. Our instructions when we arrived in Washington DC, were to find “John in the minivan.” When my partner and I were getting off the plane, I turned to him and jokingly said, “Let’s go find John in the minivan.” Internally, I was thinking that in the busy airport finding “John in the minivan” would be impossible. As we were walking through the airport, I started to pray using the line “Nolite timere” or “Do not be afraid.” I immediately knew that I was doing God’s will in the moment and there was a great feeling of peace over me. From that moment on, I spent the rest of the month “Duc in altum” or “put out into the deep.” I was serving the homeless population of Washington DC. I put my whole self into every day, fully relying on and trusting in God. I still find myself, two and a half years later, looking back, praying with, and learning from the experiences that I had there. However, it was only possible once I was able to get over the fears and trust in God that I was able to “duc in altum” and grow from that month in Washington DC.
This past summer, I was asked to do an immersion in American Sign Language (ASL). This is something that not many seminarians are asked to do. As the summer was approaching, I was filled with excitement. However, on the first day of tutoring, I woke in fear. I went to morning Mass worrying. Following Mass, I started to walk to meet my tutor. During this walk, I was thinking, “Why did I not do a Spanish immersion like most other seminarians?” I was in fear. I did not know what to think or what to expect. This was my feeling for most of my first week of the immersion. However, one day I opened my Bible to see “Do not be afraid” or “Nolite timere.” I was immediately brought back to the John Paul II Chapel. Just like my time in Washington DC, I knew I was doing God’s will and then I was able to truly “duc in altum.” The rest of my summer, from that moment on, was a blessing. I fell in love with the Deaf community and ASL. Now, that summer continues to bear fruits for me as I go to St. Francis Borgia Deaf Center teach religious education, and serve Mass with the Deaf community. It is something that I look forward to every week and it was only made possible once I started to live out “Nolite timere, duc in altum.”
After those experiences and so many more that I have been blessed to have during my three years of formation, the words “Nolite timere, duc in altum” have taken on a new meaning. They are now both a reminder and a driving force of when I am worried or afraid, to not be afraid knowing that God is with me, and once I have that realization I can put out into the deep with Him. That is a good reminder that we can all use and take to heart in our daily life.
