Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for August 3, 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 of the church in the United States. It is Monday, August 3rd, and I’m coming to you from Mundelein Seminary in Chicago. Today’s gospel, Jesus sends the disciples into a boat after he had worked the multiplication of the loaves and fish. He himself went up to a mountain to pray. And as they were out in the water, there was a huge storm. And they battled against the storm for 9 hours. In the fourth watch of the night, which means 3:00 to 6:00 a.m., Jesus started walking on the water toward them. They were so exhausted, so soaking wet, so afraid, they said, “It is a ghost.” After all, what would you say if you were in that circumstance and you saw somebody walking on water? But Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, it is I.” And they heard that. And so Saint Peter, who for the previous several hours was trying not to capsize, not to drown in the stormy Sea of Galilee. He said, “Lord, if it is truly you, tell me to come to you across the water.” Maybe it was a dare. Maybe it was to prove that Jesus wasn’t a ghost. But Jesus immediately said, “Come.” Peter wanted to get to Jesus as quickly as possible. Perhaps that was because he was fearing for his life, but nevertheless, the one who was afraid to go overboard during the storm, all of a sudden jumps overboard and he begins to do the humanly impossible. He begins to hurdle waves just like Jesus. But then what happened? He starts paying attention to the howling wind. Starts paying attention to the storm. He starts saying, “It’s impossible to do what I’m now doing.” And that’s when he begins to sink. In other words, takes his eyes off of Jesus. And that’s when he falls. But thanks be to God, he was wise enough to say, “Lord, save me.” And then Jesus in the water, still walking in the water. Picked Peter up and he embraced him above the waves. And then he brought him into the boat, Peter’s own boat. And when Jesus and Peter were in the boat, the whole storm calmed down. A sign of where we’re really going to find peace, to be with Christ and his church in that boat, even in the midst of what had previously been storms in the outside, there would no longer be storms in the inside. We learned several lessons here from St. Peter. First, the boldness to try to come to Jesus. The confidence we have when Jesus tells us not to be afraid, take courage, it is I. Second, that when we fall, to have the wisdom to cry out to help for help to Jesus, because Jesus wants to embrace us just like Peter. And then the extraordinary lesson of getting into the boat, the boat of the church, the new Noah’s Ark, together with Jesus. As soon as that happened with Jesus and Peter, they come to the shore and they get on out. And Jesus sees the crowd, which had followed him alongside the shore, and he worked many miracles there for the people who’d been coming with faith. Let’s approach Jesus with faith today. We know that missionaries are those who go all across the world to be able to tell these stories about Jesus. In the midst of various external storms, they proclaim the gospel, that it was really Jesus, and help others to take courage to trust him in the midst of sometimes very difficult circumstances of persecution. So many do. And they lead people to Jesus’ embrace in this world through the sacraments from the inside out, and ultimately to the eternal embrace that we await on the everlasting shore. God bless you.
Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.