What a Friend We Have in Jesus is a newly released album by Javier F. Chento featuring seventeen original songs created especially for teenagers and young people who are searching for meaning, friendship, purpose, and hope in today’s world. Blending prayer, Scripture-inspired themes, contemporary rhythms, and accessible language, the album invites listeners to discover a living relationship with Jesus that speaks directly into everyday life—school, friendships, doubts, service, and dreams about the future.

Throughout the album, Jesus is presented not as a distant figure from the past, but as a real companion walking alongside young people in their questions, struggles, and decisions. Songs such as Jesus is my Shepherd, Light in My Steps, and the title track What a Friend We Have in Jesus highlight trust, courage, and mission, while others explore identity, belonging, justice, ecological responsibility, and the call to serve those most in need.

The album also reflects a strong Vincentian spirit of compassion and commitment to the poor, especially in songs like The Poor Taught Me How to Pray and We Are the Present and the Future, which encourage young listeners to recognize their ability to transform the world through concrete acts of love. At the same time, moments of prayerful simplicity appear in songs such as Holy Trinity, We Adore You, Hail, Mary, and Guide me, Jesus, offering space for personal reflection and community worship.

More than a collection of songs, What a Friend We Have in Jesus is a musical journey of faith, friendship, service, and vocation. It encourages young people not only to believe, but to live the Gospel with creativity, courage, and open hearts—discovering that following Jesus is not about perfection, but about walking together toward hope and becoming agents of change in today’s world.

The album is available, among other platforms, in:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/album/6tgKKf3GE0n2sGmHbmhjGU
• Apple Music & iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus/1888015066

You can listen to some samples below:

The Songs:

Below is a brief introduction to each song.

1. Jesus is my Shepherd: Inspired by Psalm 23, this opening song presents Jesus as a faithful companion who guides, protects, and strengthens young people in every stage of their journey. With imagery of green pastures, overflowing blessings, and fearless trust, the song reassures listeners that they are never alone—even when life feels uncertain. It invites them to walk with confidence, knowing that God’s goodness and mercy accompany them every day.

2. Light in My Steps: This joyful and energetic song celebrates the transforming presence of Jesus in daily life. It speaks about discovering hope, direction, and freedom through faith, especially in moments of confusion or doubt. With vivid urban imagery and a strong rhythm of trust, it encourages young listeners to recognize Christ as the steady light guiding their choices and shaping their future.

3. Earth’s Anthem: Drawing from the biblical call to stewardship in Genesis, this song highlights ecological responsibility as a spiritual mission. It challenges young people to care for creation as part of their vocation as followers of Christ, linking environmental awareness with justice, solidarity, and respect for human dignity. It presents caring for the Earth not as ideology, but as faithful participation in God’s creative work.

4. Six Seven: Using symbolic language drawn from biblical imagery, this song reflects the journey from human limitation (“six”) toward divine fullness (“seven”). It explores identity, pressure from social expectations, and the search for authenticity in a digital world. Through a personal tone, it invites listeners to move beyond superficial validation and discover their true worth in God’s presence and grace.

5. Holy Trinity, We Adore You: This simple and contemplative prayer-song introduces listeners to the mystery of the Trinity through repetition and reverence. Addressing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it creates a peaceful atmosphere suitable for personal prayer or communal worship. Its clarity and musical simplicity help young people enter into a relationship with the living God at the heart of Christian faith.

6. Open Hands: A reflective and deeply human song about generosity, vulnerability, and shared hope. It speaks of living with openness rather than fear, offering one’s gifts, time, and presence for others. The image of “open hands” becomes a symbol of trust, solidarity, and mission, encouraging young listeners to build community through small acts of love that quietly transform the world.

7. What a Friend We Have in Jesus: The title track presents Jesus as a companion in action and mission. Rather than offering comfort alone, this friendship calls young people to stand with the poor, defend the vulnerable, and bring justice into everyday life. With strong energy and conviction, the song invites listeners to recognize that following Jesus means walking together toward a more compassionate world.

8. Love Above All: Inspired by the hymn to love in 1 Corinthians 13, this song reminds listeners that faith, knowledge, and achievement only find meaning through charity. With poetic language and a reflective tone, it highlights patience, humility, endurance, and mercy as the foundation of authentic Christian life. It encourages young people to place love at the center of every decision and relationship.

9. Hail, Mary: This musical setting of the traditional Marian prayer introduces young listeners to a timeless expression of trust in Mary’s intercession. Its calm and meditative structure invites participation and contemplation, helping listeners connect with the universal prayer of the Church while discovering Mary as a close companion on their journey of faith.

10. All My Praise to You: Built on a rhythm of repeated dedication, this song expresses a complete offering of life to Jesus—mind, heart, strength, and future. Its structure emphasizes trust and perseverance, encouraging young listeners to center their lives on gratitude and commitment. It becomes both a declaration of faith and a prayer of daily surrender lived through ordinary moments.

11. The Poor Taught Me How to Pray: One of the most powerful songs on the album, this piece reflects a transformative encounter with Christ through the lives of the poor. It challenges comfortable spirituality and invites listeners to discover authentic prayer in humility, solidarity, and shared suffering. The song expresses a deeply Vincentian insight: the poor are not only recipients of service—they are teachers of faith.

12. We Are the Present and the Future: This energetic anthem affirms the role of young people as protagonists of change in today’s Church and society. Inspired by the witness of the saints and rooted in service to those on the margins, the song celebrates youth as a force of compassion, courage, and hope. It encourages listeners to take responsibility for building a more just and merciful world.

13. Arms Open Wide: A welcoming and community-centered song that presents the Church as a home where everyone belongs. Through images of healing, acceptance, and unity across differences, it highlights the Church as a living family shaped by grace. The song invites young people to rediscover faith communities as spaces of belonging, reconciliation, and shared joy.

14. Guide me, Jesus: Structured as a simple and repetitive prayer, this song expresses trust in Christ’s guidance through every aspect of life—thoughts, decisions, fears, and hopes. Its meditative tone makes it especially suitable for moments of silence and discernment. It encourages listeners to place their journey in Jesus’ hands and walk forward with confidence.

15. Break the Chains: With a strong contemporary style, this song addresses division, wounds, and conflict while proposing forgiveness and reconciliation as pathways toward peace. It invites young people to build bridges across cultures and differences, transforming pain into solidarity. The message highlights courage, unity, and the healing power of choosing compassion over resentment.

16. One Heart, One Way: This dynamic and rhythmic song celebrates unity of purpose among young people walking together in faith. It emphasizes collaboration, shared vision, and perseverance in building something meaningful together. With its energetic tone, it encourages listeners to recognize their collective strength and their ability to move forward as a community inspired by hope.

17. Here I Am, Lord, Send Me: Closing the album with a powerful sense of vocation, this song expresses readiness to respond to God’s call with trust and generosity. Inspired by biblical mission narratives, it reassures young listeners that they do not need to be perfect to say yes. Instead, they are invited to offer their lives as they are and walk forward with courage and faith.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus is more than music. It is friendship turned into melody, prayer set to rhythm, and mission given a voice. Through these songs, young people are invited not only to listen—but to walk with Jesus and become witnesses of His hope in today’s world.

Download all the lyrics by clicking on the following image: