Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for December 11, 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 December 11th and today in the Gospel, Jesus talks about St. John the Baptist, one of the great advent figures. And he tells us that of all people born of woman, none was ever greater than John the Baptist. Yet, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. That’s how privileged we are by having a personal relationship with Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah. That we’re able to pray with him and in him and to him. That he’s able to feed us in the sacraments. That he’s able to guide us with his moral teaching. We should always ponder how lucky we are. And that’s one of the reasons why the church’s mission work takes place. We can’t wait to share that gift of the Lord Jesus with as many people as we can. In fact, we hope to do that like the apostles behind me to everyone on earth. Jesus in today’s gospel too says something that we need to understand appropriately. Says that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent are taking it by force. That doesn’t mean, for example, that we’re using bombs and bullets and knives, but that we’re willing to do violence to ourselves, that we’re willing to change in order to be able to suffer through the kingdom for anything that’s really worth our efforts. We’ve got to work for it. And so Jesus is saying that the kingdom is such a treasure that we’ve got to be violent to our old habits. We’ve got to be willing to change. In fact, he says elsewhere, we’ve got to be willing to die and rise. That’s what great missionaries do. They do violence. Sometimes it’s very difficult to leave father and mother, to leave lands and schools and languages and you name it, in order to be able to go across the globe sleeping in jungles, uh being accepted by some and rejected by many. But they’re willing to do that violence precisely in order to receive the prize. We see the same thing obviously in athletics. If you look at every Olympian, the Olympians doing violence. That’s what training involves in order to be able to win a perishable medal. We’re doing it for something far greater. throughout the season of Advent as we mark Jesus is coming to us in history in Bethlehem in mystery and prayer in the sacraments and in majesty on the clouds of heaven and inviting us to run forth to meet him. And each of these three ways we recognize that to leave our place and go out to Jesus requires a decisive choice. Sometimes it may be hard. Sometimes it may even feel like violence. But St. John the Baptist did it in order to be able to go out to the Jordan to prepare a way for the Lord. So many of those who heard his message of conversion did it to be able to embrace Jesus when at last he came. And you and I are called to do it. Not just to be able to embrace the Savior who comes to hug us and never let us go, but also to sacrifice in order to be able to bring that embracer out to those who yet don’t have the privilege to know him. How lucky we are to be members of Christ’s kingdom. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
Gospel
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”