Wow The Chosen Actor Jonathan Roumie Receives Honorary Doctorate and Tells Students to Surrender to God at Catholic University of America Commencement - VIDEO
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The Chosen's Actor Jonathan Roumie received an honorary degree from Catholic University of America's President Peter Kilpatrick on May 11th, 2024.
He also gave the Commencement Address to Catholic University of America’s 135th annual Commencement exercises.
The actor who portrays Jesus in the series "The Chosen," explained that it was six years to the day since he reached a personal inflection point.
“The Chosen didn’t exist for me,” the star told graduates in his address. “I had 20 dollars, a negative checking account, weeks without any jobs, thousands of dollars of debt, food to barely last a day, empty cupboards, zero opportunities, and not a single Chik-fil-A coupon.”
In that dark moment, Roumie, a faithful Mass-attendee and parish volunteer, got on his knees and prayed to God, promising to surrender his life to Him. He spent his last $20 on brunch and returned home to four life-changing checks in his mailbox.
For protection and guidance, Roumie said he turns to the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints, and the rosary.
“You must surrender,” Roumie shared with students. “You’re not in charge, God is. I cannot underscore this enough. I would not be here with you today if God had not brought me to my knees in utter desperation to surrender my entire life and specifically my career – something I had never done before – over to Him.”
“You don’t need to play Jesus for the world to be Jesus to the world,” Roumie said. “Just because you’re not an actor playing Jesus or a priest or a nun doesn’t mean you’re not meant to represent Him at all times, wherever you go.”
(At the VIDEO Mark 1:17:00 - Roumie Receives the DFA and begins his speech)
Roumie’s life has changed dramatically. He has played Jesus on The Chosen to international acclaim since 2019. He is a contributor to the Hallow prayer and meditation app, where he reads the Gospels as Jesus and leads prayers as himself. Roumie also starred in the 2023 movie, Jesus Revolution.
Roumie received an Honorary Doctorate with fellow honorees Rabbi Jack Bemporad, John Finnis, Teresa Pitt Green, and Father Piotr Nawrot.
“Don’t let the enemy tempt you to pick up a can of gasoline and add to the flames of the chaos,” Roumie said. “Be the one standing by 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!”
He emphasized that unceasing prayer, fasting, and repentance should be integral to graduates’ personal and sacramental lives, as cornerstones in his practice of faith.
“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 that seem otherwise overwhelming,” he said.
Source: Catholic University of America Communications with Screenshot - https://communications.catholic.edu/news/2024/05/chosen-star-tells-graduates-to-surrender-to-gods-will-in-life.html
2024 Commencement Ceremony from Catholic University on Vimeo.
Roumie’s life has changed dramatically. He has played Jesus on The Chosen to international acclaim since 2019. He is a contributor to the Hallow prayer and meditation app, where he reads the Gospels as Jesus and leads prayers as himself. Roumie also starred in the 2023 movie, Jesus Revolution.
Roumie received an Honorary Doctorate with fellow honorees Rabbi Jack Bemporad, John Finnis, Teresa Pitt Green, and Father Piotr Nawrot.
“Don’t let the enemy tempt you to pick up a can of gasoline and add to the flames of the chaos,” Roumie said. “Be the one standing by 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!”
He emphasized that unceasing prayer, fasting, and repentance should be integral to graduates’ personal and sacramental lives, as cornerstones in his practice of faith.
“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 that seem otherwise overwhelming,” he said.
Source: Catholic University of America Communications with Screenshot - https://communications.catholic.edu/news/2024/05/chosen-star-tells-graduates-to-surrender-to-gods-will-in-life.html
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