Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for August 2, 2025
Here is the video of today’s reflection:
The Youtube generated transcript for today’s reflection is:
I’m Monsignor Roger Landry, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies here in Napa, California. Today is August 2nd and it’s the feast of St. Peter Julian Eymard, the apostle of the blessed sacrament. We’ll get back to him in a second, but in the Gospel today, we have the scene of King Herod saying that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. He was clearly haunted by the fact that he had had John the Baptist’s head delivered in a platter as part of his birthday celebration and his conscience was exporting that guilt onto who Jesus was because Jesus was calling to conversion just like John did. And then we have the story of John’s martyrdom. What do we know about John the Baptist? John was the precursor of Jesus. His whole life was to point him out in the womb, in his public ministry, in his call to conversion, and even in his death, which is what we’re going to hear about in the Gospel. His whole life said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” That’s what missionaries do. They crisscross the world trying to point everybody to Jesus as the Lamb of God, the one who’s come to suffer for us, to take away our sins, and make eternal life possible. St. Peter Julian Eymard, this great French saint from the 19th century, he himself was a missionary. He was a Marist father and then he left the Marists in order to be able to found the Society of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Their work is to bring Jesus in the holy Eucharist across the globe. Their work is to help everybody learn how to receive Jesus right and how to adore Him. Their work is to proclaim that the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world is still with us in the middle of the world. That’s what missionaries do everywhere. They likewise take Jesus so that people are able to receive Him, not just as individuals but as whole communities, that through the reception of the body and blood of the Lord they become one body, one spirit in Christ. So today through St. Peter Julian Eymard’s intercession. We pray for Pope Leo and we pray for all missionaries that together the entire church might point out Jesus. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based was:
Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus
and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison
on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip,
for John had said to him,
“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod,
the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests
and delighted Herod so much
that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for.
Prompted by her mother, she said,
“Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests who were present,
he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse
and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.