Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for August 5, 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. It’s August 5th, the feast of Our Lady of the Snows, or better, the feast of the dedication of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome, the most important church liturgically to Our Lady in the entire world. In the Gospel today, her son walks on water. The apostles were sent in a boat after the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 men, 5,000 women, and 15 to 20,000 kids, and they get in at dusk. It’s about 6:00 pm in the Holy Land. And at the fourth watch of the night, which means at about 3 a.m., they’re still struggling for their lives, soaking wet, trying not to capsize on the Sea of Galilee. That’s when Jesus starts hurdling the waves heading toward them. They at first thought it was a ghost, but then Jesus shouted out, “It is I. Do not be afraid. Take courage.” And so, Peter said, “Lord, if it’s truly you, bid me to come to you across the water.” And he who had been trying not to go overboard for the previous nine hours, jumped overboard. And he was able to do the humanly impossible, walk on water with no surfboard. But as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink, and he cried out to the Lord, “Save me.” And Jesus hugged him, lifted him above the waters, and then brought him back into Peter’s boat, and everything calmed down. Peter’s boat is a symbol of the Church. When we’re with Christ in that boat, things, even in the midst of storms, start to calm down. And as soon as they disembarked, people brought to Jesus all those who were sick and in need of Jesus from everywhere, which shows in essence the mission of the Church to try to bring everybody to Jesus. Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady, her church in Rome, to which pilgrims have gone for the last 16 centuries. Mary shows us how to take courage, to be with Him who became God with us within her womb. And likewise, to bring everybody to Him. That’s what she does with her prayers. Today we pray for all missionaries through the intercession of Our Lady, that they might bring all the crowds to Jesus and that all of us in the Church might have the confidence and the trust that Jesus is with us still, being courageous enough to do the risky things in order to get to Jesus just like St. Peter did. This is the Gospel of the Lord.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based was:
Gospel
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.