Pope Leo XIV urged young Catholics to embrace Jesus as their hope and embark on a lifelong adventure with Him toward eternity.
Newsroom (05/08/2025 Gaudium Press ) During the Mass for the Jubilee of Young People, Pope Leo XIV delivered a stirring homily, urging young Catholics to embrace Jesus as their hope and embark on a lifelong adventure with Him toward eternity. Speaking to thousands gathered under the Roman sun on Sunday morning, the Holy Father emphasized that Christ is “gently knocking” at the window of their souls, inviting them to a transformative encounter.
The Pope framed his message around the day’s liturgy, which, while not explicitly referencing the encounter with the Risen Christ, prompts reflection on how such a meeting reshapes lives, affections, and aspirations. Drawing from the Book of Ecclesiastes, he highlighted humanity’s confrontation with its limitations and the transient nature of earthly things. “We are not made for a static life where everything is taken for granted,” he said, “but for an existence constantly renewed through self-giving love.”
Pope Leo cautioned against seeking fulfillment in “cheap imitations” that fail to quench the “deep and burning thirst” for meaning. Instead, he encouraged the youth to transform this longing into a “step stool” to peer through the “window of encounter with God.” He evoked the image of Christ patiently waiting, “knocking gently on the window of our soul,” ready to guide those who open their hearts.
Quoting St. Augustine, the Pope recalled the saint’s introspective search for God: “You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you… You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness.” This, he said, mirrors the questions young people often grapple with: “What is true happiness? What is the true meaning of life? What can free us from meaninglessness, boredom, and mediocrity?”
Addressing the vibrant experiences of the Jubilee, Pope Leo noted that true fulfillment lies not in accumulating possessions but in joyfully welcoming and sharing God’s love. “Buying, hoarding, and consuming are not enough,” he said. “We need to lift our eyes to the ‘things that are above.’” Quoting St. John Paul II from the 2000 Jubilee , he reminded the youth that Jesus stirs in them the desire to “do something great with their lives” and to make the world “more human and fraternal.”
The Holy Father urged the young faithful to remain united with Christ through prayer, adoration, Eucharistic Communion, frequent Confession, and acts of charity, citing Blessed Piergiorgio Frassati and Blessed Carlo Acutis—soon to be canonized—as models of holiness. “Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are,” he exhorted. “Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you.”
In closing, Pope Leo entrusted the youth to the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying that they return home with joy, walking in the Savior’s footsteps and sharing their faith with others. His message resonated as a call to action for a generation seeking purpose, inviting them to answer Christ’s gentle knock with courage and enthusiasm.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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