Editor’s note: This is the first in a new periodic column in the Catholic Herald for young adults.
Hello to all! My name is Jon Leonetti. For this first column I have decided to give you a short biography of who I am, allowing readers to know a little bit more about me.
So here it goes . . .
The United States spans some 3,500 miles from coast to coast, and by August 2009, I will have walked it.
I realized that something else needed to be done for our faith and for the young people of the world as we see this MTV generation (those too distracted by the barrage of messages from today’s media to focus on Jesus Christ) growing by the day.
So, leaving everything behind, another friend and I took the advice of the late, great, Pope John Paul II literally and decided to spread the “good news of salvation in the squares of cities, towns, and villages” of America. We set off to walk across the United States, a combined 30 to 40 miles per day, stopping to speak at churches, schools, and youth gatherings along the way.
The cause: to turn hearts and minds away from the empty promises of lust, fame, and greed that are broadcast through too many television and radio stations today, and to turn them towards Jesus Christ.
Along the way we are meeting with bishops, priests, youth ministers, and evangelists, as well as filming a documentary on prayer in the lives of young people.
Through this column I hope to share many stories from this walk, tools for evangelization, as well as ways we can all enter more deeply into this life with our loving God.
Until then, let us all continue to grow in his grace.
God’s peace, Jon
Who are you? Whose are you? What is your purpose? And why does it all matter?
If you have ever asked yourself one of these questions, or all of them for that matter, realize you are not alone. Millions of people, from the beginning of time, have asked themselves these same questions. And it is good to do so.
If we choose not to reflect on these questions, we will never be able to “cast out into the deep” as John Paul the Great asked us to do. We will simply remain on the surface, floating along the waves of mediocrity, confused and empty like so many today.
For many of us, these questions may not be difficult to answer. We have been told from the beginning of our lives that we are children of God. We are told that we are loved. We are told that we should glorify him with our lives and we are told that our souls depend on it. This is all true, but it must go deeper than that.
And in going deeper, we must realize that these questions cannot be answered the same for any two people. Our Lord created an answer to these questions for each and every person he has ever willed to exist.
Yes, I know you can put nice sounding words together to make these answers sound good. But how does your soul answer them?
This week, in this short article, I am simply asking that you take these questions to prayer. Think about them before you go to sleep, when you wake up in the morning, when you brush your teeth, and when you are walking in the mall.
Pray about them before our Lord in the Eucharist, as well as when you are receiving our Lord’s body and blood at Mass. Ask your Blessed Mother to bring these questions to our Lord for you.
There is no more time to waste in understanding the full truth of who we are. And in understanding it, we can live it, giving our entire selves to the one “who is.”
As we continue to walk across the U.S., we continue to pray that the young people of the world will be transformed by the un-failing love of our Lord.
“Live Greater” today. Reflect on this gift of “greatness” our Lord has given you and “do not be afraid” to share it with someone else.
Jon Leonetti, co-founder of Souly Walking, is a Catholic evangelist/radio host who, for the faith, WALKED across the country (beginning in Los Angeles, ending in New Jersey). On his journey, he spoke at churches, schools, and youth gatherings encouraging young people to turn their hearts and minds away from the empty promises of the MTV/Hollywood mentality and to focus on Jesus Christ. Leonetti is continuing his ministry through speaking at conferences, schools, and parishes across the country about his cause and journey. You can visit his Web site: www.VoiceForTheTurn.com