In his message for the 40th World Youth Day, Pope Leo XIV reflects on witnessing in friendship with Jesus and building peace: “Christian witness is born of friendship with the Lord.”
Johan Pacheco – Vatican City
“At the beginning of this first message that I am sending you, I wish above all to say thank you,” thus begins Pope Leo XIV in his message for the XL World Youth Day, published this October 7 on the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary.
The Pope thanks young people for their participation in the Jubilee in Rome last August: “It has been a precious event to renew the enthusiasm of faith and share the hope that burns in our hearts.”
Pilgrims of hope
And then he begins his reflection on “the next World Youth Day, which we will celebrate on Christ the King Sunday, November 23, and which will have as its theme ‘You also bear witness, because you are with me’ (Jn 15:27).”
“With the strength of the Holy Spirit, as pilgrims of hope, we prepare ourselves to become courageous witnesses of Christ. Let us begin, then, from now on, a journey that will lead us to the international edition of WYD in Seoul in 2027,” invites Leo XIV.
Thus, the Pope focuses on two aspects of witness: our friendship with Jesus, which we receive from God as a gift; and the commitment of each one in society, as builders of peace.
“Christian witness is born of friendship with the Lord, crucified and risen for the salvation of all. This should not be confused with ideological propaganda, but is a true principle of inner transformation and social awareness,” the Pope points out.
The Pope reflects, recalling that the Lord “does not want us as servants, nor as ‘activists’ of a party; He calls us to be with Him as friends, so that our lives may be renewed. And witness arises spontaneously from the joyful newness of this friendship.”
The Friends of Jesus
The Pope mentions some of Jesus' friends in the Gospel: “the apostle John at the end of the fourth Gospel: ‘This disciple is the one who testifies to these things and who wrote them down, and we know that his testimony is true’ (Jn 21:24).” Also John the Baptist, who “bore witness to the light, so that all might believe through him” (Jn 1:7).
“Dear brothers and sisters,” says Pope Leo, “I invite each of you to continue searching for the friends and witnesses of Jesus in the Bible. As you read the Gospels, you will realize that they all found the true meaning of life in their living relationship with Christ.”
Witnesses and missionaries
Later, the Pope reflects on the witness of missionaries: “You yourselves can stand alongside other young people, walk with them and show them that God, in Jesus, has made himself close to each person. As Pope Francis used to say: ‘Christ shows that God is closeness, compassion and tenderness’” (Encyclical Letter Dilexit nos, 35).
And he exhorts them, “like the saints, you too are called to persevere with hope, especially in the face of difficulties and obstacles.”
Fraternity for peace
The final reflections of the message, the Pope dedicates to fraternity as bonds of peace, affirming that "from friendship with Christ, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit in us, is born a way of living that carries with it the character of fraternity."
“A young person who has found Christ carries with them everywhere the 'warmth' and the 'flavor' of fraternity, and anyone who comes into contact with them is drawn to a new and profound dimension, made of selfless closeness, sincere compassion and faithful tenderness,” the Pope says.
“The witness of fraternity and peace that friendship with Christ awakens in us frees us from indifference and spiritual laziness, helping us to overcome isolation and mistrust.”
The Pope concludes by inviting young people to “fix our gaze on Jesus in the face of the world’s sufferings and hopes. As he lay dying on the cross, he entrusted the Virgin Mary as mother to John, and she to John as son. This final gift of love is for every disciple, for all of us.”
Vatican News - Vatican City
