“Feed My Lambs”: Tending to the Heart of Our Youth and Young Adults

Reflections Inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s Digital Encounter with Youth

In John 21:15, the Risen Jesus turns to Peter with a question that is both tender and commanding:
 “Do you love Me?”
 And when Peter answers yes, Jesus entrusts him with a mission:
 “Feed My Lambs.”

This mandate is not only for Peter. It is entrusted to the entire Church—including our Families in Christ Jesus Community here in Virginia. And today, as we reflect on the powerful message of Pope Leo XIV in his recent digital encounter with young people, we hear this call with renewed clarity:

Our youth and young adults are the lambs Christ asks us to feed—
 to know, to accompany, to guide, and to love.

The Heart of Pope Leo XIV’s Message: “You Are Not Just the Future—You Are the Present.”

Throughout his dialogue with youth from across the United States, Pope Leo XIV emphasized a truth that should awaken every parish, household, and ministry team:

“You are not only the future of the Church. You are the present.”

This is not poetic exaggeration; it is reality. Today’s teenagers and young adults are wrestling with real questions, carrying real burdens, and seeking real answers. And yet, as the Holy Father beautifully affirmed, they are also full of hope, joy, creativity, and a sincere longing to encounter Jesus.

To ignore this, or to assume they will “come around eventually,” is to neglect the very mission Christ entrusted to us.

1. Pope Leo XIV Reminds Us: Our Youth Are Hungry for God

The Holy Father expressed deep gratitude when he saw young Catholics prioritizing:

  • Adoration

  • Daily Mass

  • Reconciliation

  • Sincere dialogue about faith, mental health, and the digital world

These are not accidental signs. They reveal that young hearts truly desire Jesus—even if they struggle, even if they wander, even if they feel overwhelmed.

Our mission is not to pressure or judge them, but to open the doors of encounter.

2. “Speak to Them With Love, Listen to Them With Compassion”

Pope Leo XIV acknowledged the reality of:

  • anxiety,

  • loneliness,

  • fear,

  • distraction,

  • confusion,

  • and the difficulty of voicing inner struggles.

And yet, he urged young people not to isolate themselves, but to seek trusted friends, mentors, our community youth & young adult ministers, priests, and family members who can walk with them faithfully.

This matters deeply for our community.

Our youth do not simply need programs.
 They need people who listen.
 They need spaces where they can be honest.
 They need relationships rooted in Christ.

To “feed His lambs” means to nourish them with the food of attention, compassion, encouragement, and presence.

3. “There Are Many Distractions—but There Is Only One Jesus Christ.”

When asked about distractions in prayer, Pope Leo XIV responded simply and profoundly:

“There are all kinds of distractions… but there is only one Jesus Christ.”

In a world of endless screens, AI tools, digital noise, and constant motion, our youth need more than advice—they need models.

They need adults who demonstrate:

  • reverence

  • priority for prayer

  • healthy technology discipline

  • love for the Eucharist

  • surrender to God

How we pray will teach them how to pray.
 How we live will shape how they live.

4. “We Were Not Made for Comfort—We Were Made for Greatness.”

Pope Leo XIV echoed the words of Pope Benedict XVI:

“We were made for greatness.”

Greatness not in fame, but in holiness.
 Not in achievement, but in love.
 Not in worldly success, but in discipleship.

Our youth long for meaning, purpose, mission, and truth.
 And the Church must be the place where they discover who they truly are.

5. The Call to Our Community: Tend, Accompany, and Believe in Them

The entire message of the Holy Father culminates in one essential truth:

God is already at work in the hearts of our young people.

Our task as a community is to:

  • support their spiritual growth,

  • invest in their leadership,

  • accompany them patiently,

  • trust in their gifts,

  • and create pathways for them to serve Christ today.

Youth ministry and Young Adults ministry are not optional side-projects.
 They are central to the survival and flourishing of our Church.

If we want a Church alive tomorrow,
 we must cherish the Church alive in them today.

Let Us Renew Our Mission Together

As Pope Leo XIV reminded the youth:

“Now is the time to dream big… to be open to what God can do through your lives.”

And through our community,
 God wants to guide them, form them, love them,
 and lead them toward the greatness they were made for.

May we—together—answer Christ with all our hearts:

“Yes, Lord… You know that we love You.”
 And because we love You—
 we will feed Your lambs.

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