Jonathan Roumie of 'The Chosen' Gives Commencement Speech at CUA

president Kilpatrick members of the Board of Trustees faculty administrators honores families guests and fellow graduates thank you yes fellow graduates CU I'm now one of you so thank you for this esteemed invitation and privilege before I begin my formal remarks I just wanted to say how impressed I am with the Catholic University of America sorry let me let me clarify the Catholic University of America how impressed I am by its staff and its campus its students in experiencing the ethos and commitment of all who are working here to bring together the best of faith and reason in its approach to academics and arts and Beyond it's my first time visiting and uh everyone I've met just radiates warmth and pride for this place I had a wonderful time breaking bread last night with the president's Provost staff trustees and a host of other beautiful guests including uh being humbled by such an amazing array of acclaimed and distinguished honores um I'm I'm just truly humbled when I was first presented with this invitation and told that I would be receiving an honorary doctorate degree I nearly passed out by the way I'm going to milk this degree for everything it's worth till the end of my days especially to my cousin who is an actual MD and went to medical school so maybe Art School wasn't a uh a complete waste of money yeah give it up and you have no idea how over the moon my Egyptian father is that his son who possesses a BFA uh now has a doctorate doesn't matter that it's honorary he just hears the word doctorate and we good I may as well be wearing a stethoscope at this point uh in fact actually I'm just it's for you pop where are the cameras where's the cameras [Applause] give me my best uh sigma look here no cap well maybe this cap it's a nice cap can I keep the cap we okay we'll talk yeah it's fine um so um not to mention I also got this beautiful letter saying that I'd be following the footsteps of luminaries who have received this same degree Giants of humanity and history St Mother Teresa Archbishop Fulton Sheen Reverend Hans ORS Von balazar president kulage President Franklin D Roosevelt president Eisenhower president Johnson uh it's just to clarify just all all of them receiv received this that I there no pressure at all just put this away okay here we are my friends and fellow graduates it is indeed my honor to be with you today the formal remarks you've all been waiting for and welcome to the Sermon on the Mount [Applause] 2024 strap in because it's going to be a long one again uh this is an impressive crowd though it's actually actually a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be so just bear with me um last time I spoke at a crowd this big there were Loaves and fish and um baskets of them so many leftovers grounds Keepers were pissed oh man um so I hope you've all eaten because I got nothing nothing except hopefully a few spiritual nuggets of for nourishment um gluten-free of course those nuggets likely vegan maybe not still not sure where gen Z lands on the whole food consumption thing but if you are hungry I hear there's a chick y just blocks away supposed to be pretty good so options you know I digress when I contemplated what I would share with you today I couldn't help but consider the weight of knowing just how colossal this moment of transition is for all of you how vital it was for whomever would speak to you today that they impart wisdom that was both memorable and practical how consequential the right voice could have on your budding careers and subsequently your lives in general because for some of you that person might be just one of the last responsible professionals to pour into your souls some of the most poignant advice you could ever receive before setting sail into the ocean of life so in contemplation I I couldn't avoid asking myself that existential question all of you here surely asked yourselves in preparation for this momentum momentous occasion but what were you guys thinking I assume Jordan Peterson was booked you're like okay um you are aware that the actor you selected to give advice to the graduating class heading into the workforce did take over 20 years to succeed right I just want to I just need to address that I just need to put that out in the open um was MC he booked cuz he's pretty good but you did it you graduated congratulations in the fir in the uh words of a first century TV Rabbi truly I tell you not too shabby give yourselves another round of applause for getting into this point [Applause] for the past 10 years over the past 10 years I've had the honor of playing Jesus Christ in one media project or another and for the last six of them on a television show called The Chosen I've also had the opportunity to go deeper in exploring Jesus's impact on the world in a documentary I hosted and produced called Jonathan and Jesus and over these last few years I've learned a few things about myself and about Jesus that I thought might be relevant to you as you begin the next phase of your lives Concepts I wish I had heard upon graduating college myself but I went to Art School in New York city so bit of a different vibe there I'd like to share three simple lessons I've learned playing Jesus now I don't expect you to remember this entire speech R most of it but you know make an effort will you um but of just one of these ideas or U stick or you experience a single moment that may impact you going forward then glory to God and if you don't remember a single word of it an hour from now you no need to mention it to anyone just keep it to yourselves so the first and most radical thing I've learned in my time playing Jesus is this you don't need to play Jesus for the world in order to be Jesus to the world I've realized that just because I play Jesus on a TV show doesn't mean I can or I should stop being Christ to everyone I know when the cameras turn off and neither should you just because you're not an actor playing Jesus or you're not a priest or a nun doesn't mean you're not meant to represent him at all times wherever you go of Co sure thank you of course boundaries are important um people ask you for absolution his Eminence is sitting right here um but you get what I'm saying and while we're on the topic of priests and nuns please for the love and the future of holy mother church pray for vocations the church would cease to exist on Earth especially sacramentally if vocations are not prayed for and answered by God and the Holy Spirit Plus I promised a group of cloistered carlite nuns I'd make that pitch so check that box there but honestly please pray for vocations back to you there's that quote attributed to William J Tom's you may be the only Bible people ever read being Jesus to the world doesn't mean God is expecting Perfection from you we all know that was accomplished by only one person on Earth and his mother but you must Endeavor to preach the gospel by the life you live by your actions and the choices you make by the by the political positions you take an advocacy for the causes you champion and yes especially as Catholic Christians that means defending life at all stages by doing this you were brought closer to perfection in his eyes I know what you're thinking but this is insane things are insane people are out of control the world is on fire yes it may appear that way but who do you think is in charge don't let the enemy tempt you to pick up a can of gasoline and add to the Flames of the chaos and the fear be ready with a hose filled with words of comfort and consolation ready to put out those Flames offer a blanket of Peace the Peace of acting in accordance with the Holy Spirit providing the Solace and wisdom of Jesus so desperately needed in our times this is your testing ground pray for those who disagree with you or even condemn you let restraint be your guide especially in the digital age when it is so easy to just react but why should be we be restrained when we are persecuted for our beliefs more than ever perhaps one word one name above all others Jesus he told us this time was coming Matthew 24:6 you will hear of wars and reports of Wars see that you are not alarmed for these things must happen but it will not yet be the end Nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place and he continues you will be hated by All Nations because of my name in times of anxiety and Desperation sometimes our only option is that which leads me to the second radical thing I've learned playing Jesus pray more before I can play Jesus I have to pray to Jesus as my walk with Jesus has gone deeper and gotten more intense so have the spiritual attacks the phrase new levels new Devils comes to mind often so I get to it instead of going around it when life seems cray get on your knees and pray the era we're living in Demands a revolution of deep prayer one of silence and Solitude amidst the D of the world in order to cultivate a sense of peace and Harmony within Jesus exhorted us from the beginning the necessity of praying St Paul reminds us in first Thessalonians pray without ceasing so I do and when things really get tough the gamechanging triumverate prayer fasting and repentance if I'm feeling particularly burdened or attacked spiritually I fast and before I shoot a single frame I take stock of all the ways in which I've fallen short in my life and there are many and I bring bring them into the sacrament of reconciliation regularly followed by the sacrifice of the mass and the receipt of the Eucharist by this I'm granted peace I'm given wisdom in areas of my life experiencing conflict beyond my human understanding and I'm strengthened to go forward and to handle situations I am otherwise overwhelmed by for instance I meet thousands and thousands of people around the world over the course of a year when when they see me often call me Jesus it seems natural now almost it's as if it's as if they're hoping to experience in real time the feeling that the holy spirit gives them when they're watching me play Jesus speak his words his life-changing words on TV or in cinemas and then wish they wish to continue the experience they're having by sharing with me some of their most sacred moments or or telling me some of their most personal struggles or in extreme cases beginning to recount their confessions don't worry fathers I I I don't always give Absolution just so you know I know the words but I won't I just restraint it's what I was talking about earlier but when this kind of experience defines my dayto day as you can imagine it can be overwhelming it's humbling and it's overwhelming and still at times in my weakness in humanity I ask myself why would God give this to me how has he seen me fit to become worthy enough to even share the this Association and with three more seasons to film for the show and a planned expansion to reach a billion people in 600 languages how could I ever expect to handle that kind of responsibility the weight that kind of weight and fame on a global scale I couldn't I can't and I'm not expected to not alone not without him and his strength given to me weekly if not daily in the mass through his real presence in the Blessed Sacrament his real presence in the Blessed Sacrament his real presence in the Blessed Sacrament John chapter 6 it's all there and not without the mantle of protection and intercession of his and all human's Blessed Mother Mary not without the armor and artillery of the Saints and angels angs in heaven going to war with me the minute I bless myself to start each day that's the power of prayer I get asked so often uh so here are just a few of my favorite prayers which you can also pray with me on the Hallow app the Divine Mercy Chaplet the Litany of humility will change your life Padre Pio Stay With Me the surrender Novena and of course the Rosary among many many others speaking of the power and influence of the Blessed Mother Mother a quick Side Story it's interesting we're here on the steps of the Basilica about 20 years or so ago I spoke to a priest here during an annual mass that my Parish in Long Island New York at the time would make a a special field trip here for there was a moment when they had confessions and I recounted to this wise father a dream I had recently had where I was on a train heading to Long Island from New York City and suddenly I found myself as we were pulling into the station walking alongside the train which was about two stories up on an elevated track effectively in the dream I was walking on air and people in the train looked out the window to see me performing this obvious Miracle just Jaws dropped suddenly I found myself inside the in the train walking through the center aisle from car to car and the people who had seen me walking on air now inside the train dropped to their knees and started worshiping me and identifying me as if I were Jesus saying Jesus and I immediately said no no get up don't do that I'm Not Jesus the irony 20 years later God's sense of humor is unmatched when I finished my story that priest just kind of looked at me and said you ever thought about the priesthood I think I said to him honestly well I don't know if I feel called to the priesthood but I'm sure it means something sure enough the prophecy of that metaphor has made it clear to me that God can and use any and will use anyone in any means necessary to call us to himself and to serve and emulate him and in my case quite literally and when you commit to serving God first and not yourselves first but God first that's when your true success will begin but only when you put into action these three things the first two I already mentioned being Jesus to others in the world amping up your prayer life and the third and most radical concept surrender you're not in charge God is I cannot underscore this enough but I would not be standing with you here today if God had not brought me to my knees in utter desperation to surrender my entire life and more specifically my career over to him something I hadn't even considered before you want to know just how perfect God's timing is so this watershed moment that I'm about to describe to you this life-altering experience for me of absolute surrender occurred 6 years ago today this morning absolutely true 6 years ago May 12th was a Saturday on that day God remade me a completely new creature in Christ and here's how for the majority of my life I thought I was in charge and that I was so Solly responsible for my rise and my fall right after graduation Panic set in I needed a job I had no concept of including God in my plans I didn't even ask them maybe that's not you and maybe it is you're at the peak of your potential and you might be sitting there thinking my bro I'm so ready to go Crush Rush this life right now I don't even need advice I've got this fire gig lined up and I've got this sick new Whip and these goals bro green flags all the way my guy and that may be true and your whip might actually be sick and you may be the CEO of green flags because you've slayed it the last four years and your plans are locked in and they truly might be fire but let me ask ask you is God in the fire of it all with you is he with you so in my day today was like I got this the Lord needs me to depend on myself the Lord helps those who help themselves you know which gospel that appears in none of them the gospel of Ben Franklin or alanon Sydney or ancient Greece depending on what source you use I believed in God I went to church I volunteered I ushered and lectured I'd administer at the Eucharist and assisted with rcia I activated an entertainment Ministry I sue cheffed in our soup kitchen but I was still penniless and preoccupied with my own Survival as if as if God stopped counting the hairs on my head lies I'd cry out to him in the worst of times and in my most desperate moments please Lord help me Lord Save Me Lord and then a brief moment of reprieve a booked job the feeling would pass things got better anxiety would dissipate and I'd leave him in the pews again waiting until that next moment of Crisis the pressure of my circumstances continued to mount impossibly until that morning 6 years ago today my moment of deep crisis arrived I found myself in a proverbial hole I couldn't get out of the chosen didn't exist for me I had 20 bucks in my pocket negative $80 in my checking account weeks without without any of the numerous jobs that I was trying to hold down to make ends meet drowning in thousands of dollars of debt enough food to last one day Zero opportunities and not a single Chick-fil-A coupon so I did what I'm telling you to do I dropped to my knees and I poured myself out to the Lord and surrendered everything to him saying I can't do this without you so whatever you will for me I will accept it even if it means quitting acting leaving the Arts whatever it is I Surrender and for the first time I actually meant it and the weight lifted off me immediately it wasn't on me anymore I didn't have to worry about it my circumstances were no different I was still broke but my disposition and my heart for Christ completely changed I entrusted everything to him so I went and spent that last 20 bucks on a killer brunch and I simply waited and I'm like well this should be interesting I came home a couple hours later I opened my mailbox just out of habit and there sat in front of my face four mysterious checks four I went into my apartment dumbfounded set up my phone and recorded myself opening them so I'd have proof later on that I I wasn't imagining this I started my day negative $80 by the end of opening those checks I had $1,100 may have been may as well have been a million dollars at that point you can actually see this moment that I shared in my document umentary because I I wanted to share it for anybody else that is struggling or in crisis or feeling desperate as if God doesn't really know what they're going through he does telling you he does he's listening you just have to completely trust him and surrender unconditionally it's the hardest thing that I've ever done but the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and it will be the most life-changing thing to to ever happen to you if you allow it especially at this point in your young lives look at what he's done for me in six years it's insane imagine what he could do for you if you invite him into that level of intimacy and surrender in your lives I found that surrender leads to Salvation in every way possible your self-reliance won't cure you your will power won't save you your Independence will not deliver you from that which seeks to destroy your faith in God erode your hope in Christ or corrode your love for the Holy Spirit and Humanity itself these are all lies from the enemy the more you commit the deeper he takes you the more you love him the higher you go the more you seek Him the Wilder your journey gets I mean I'm here today graduating with you and I'm a doctor now so in your complete surrender to God you will always succeed because Jesus was is and ever shall be enough oh Jesus I Surrender myself to you take care of everything the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace God bless you I love you and congratulations again [Applause]

Channel: The Catholic University of America

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Keywords: cua, catholic university, catholic, university, education, catholic education, catholic college, catholic schools, catholic university of america, the catholic university of america, catholic campus, washington dc, cardinals, CatholicU, catholic alumni, campus ministry, catholic athletics, catholic university cardinals, jonathan, Roumie, the chosen, jesus, testimony, pray, surrender, love, witenss, the gospel

Id: VtKZzcRGHmM

Length: 28min 0sec (1680 seconds)

Published: Mon May 13 2024