Rome: In a moving Mass celebrated for the Jubilee of Young People at Tor Vergata, Pope Leo XIV addressed thousands of youth with a heartfelt invitation: to let Jesus gently knock at the window of their soul and journey with Him toward eternity.
Speaking under a bright Roman sky, the Holy Father centered his homily on the theme of inner longing, hope, and the transformative power of meeting the Risen Lord. Though the day’s liturgical reading did not mention the disciples at Emmaus directly, the Pope highlighted how it subtly mirrored their spiritual awakening urging young people to open their hearts to that same divine encounter.
Drawing from Ecclesiastes, Pope Leo spoke of the impermanence of worldly things and the yearning in every human heart for something greater. “We are not made for a life where everything is static and taken for granted,” he declared. “Rather, we are created for renewal through love, sacrifice, and gift of self.”
He warned against the lure of shallow substitutes that promise happiness but leave the soul empty. “Let us not deceive our hearts with cheap imitations,” he urged. Instead, he encouraged youth to embrace their thirst for truth and transcendence as a holy longing—a divine restlessness meant to lead them to God.
The Pope then invoked a vivid metaphor: Christ standing at the window of each soul, knocking gently. “Like children standing on tiptoe to look through a window, we too must stretch ourselves to see the God who waits for us,” he said. In this poetic image, he asked the youth to imagine that sacred encounter: not of noise or pressure, but of quiet invitation.
Recalling the spiritual search of Saint Augustine, Pope Leo reminded young people of the timeless cry of the human heart: “You were within me, but I was outside… You called, You shouted, and You broke through my deafness.”
This same spiritual search, the Pope suggested, is alive in today’s youth who wrestle with questions about truth, happiness, and purpose. “There is a burning question in your hearts,” he said. “What is the true meaning of life? What can lift us out of boredom and mediocrity?”
Returning to the central message, Pope Leo declared, “Jesus is our hope.” Quoting Saint John Paul II’s own words from the Jubilee of 2000 held at the same venue, he affirmed, “It is He who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your life.”
He encouraged young people to remain rooted in Christ through prayer, Eucharist, confession, and acts of charity. Highlighting modern examples of sanctity, he cited Blessed Piergiorgio Frassati and Blessed Carlo Acutis as models of youthful holiness.
The Pope’s call was bold yet tender: “Aspire to great things. Aspire to holiness. Do not settle for less.” He assured the youth that such a path would make the Gospel a living light in their lives and communities.
Concluding the celebration, Pope Leo entrusted the young pilgrims to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With a smile, he prayed that as they returned home, they would carry with them not just memories, but a mission to walk in the footsteps of the Savior, and radiate His joy wherever they go.