Young person: your testimony is valuable.

Young people are at the heart of the Church. With the motto «"You also must testify, because you are with me" (John 15:27), Pope Leo XIV challenges young people to persevere in faith. Young people, focus on these “two aspects of testimonyOur friendship with Jesus, which we received from God as a gift; and the commitment of each one of us to society, as builders of peace.”

Friends, therefore witnesses

“Christian witness is born from friendship with the Lord, crucified and risen… When Jesus tells us «Bear witness,» he is assuring us that he considers us his friends. Only He fully knows who we are and why we are here… The gaze of Jesus, who always and only wants our good, precedes us (cf. Mc 10, 21)…And the testimony flows spontaneously from the joyful novelty of this friendship.”

This friendship has the following characteristics:

unique, which gives us communion with God;  

loyal, which makes us discover our own dignity and that of others;

eternal, ...which not even death can destroy, because it originates from the resurrected Crucified One.

The testimony we give is a sign of a deep personal connection with Christ: "Christian witness is the fruit of a relationship of faith and love with Jesus, in whom we find the salvation of our lives." You are invited by Christ to follow Him and to sit beside Him, to listen to His heart and share His life closely! Each of you is for Him a “beloved disciple,” and from this love springs the joy of witnessing..

We must be well aware that “A true witness is humble and inwardly free.…to listen, interpret, and also to tell the truth before everyone.”.

Witnesses, therefore missionaries

In our daily lives we encounter difficulties and obstacles, we experience the tension between accepting and rejecting Jesus. Therefore, we rely on the help of the Holy Spirit. This is the ideal environment “to put into practice the highest commandment: «Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you» (Mt 5, 44).

“"Therefore, do not be discouraged: like the saints, you too are called to persevere in hope, especially in the face of difficulties and obstacles."”

Fraternity as a bond of peace.

“A young person who has encountered Christ carries the warmth and flavor of brotherhood everywhere… The Holy Spirit makes us see our neighbor with new eyes: in the other is a brother, a sister!“ The witness of fraternity and peace that friendship with Christ awakens in us draws us out of indifference and spiritual laziness, enabling us to overcome isolation and suspicion. Furthermore, it unites us with one another, impelling us to a joint commitment, from volunteering to political charity, to build new living conditions for all."

(Adapted from Pope Leo XIV's message for World Youth Day)