Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for December 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. It’s Tuesday, December 2nd. I’m coming to you from the campus of the Augustine Institute in St. Louis, a great house of formation so that everybody is able to grow in faith in the capacity to be able to share our faith.
In the Gospel today, on this third day of Advent, we see how we’re supposed to live Advent ultimately with a real childlike spirit. The type of childlike spirit we had as kids as we were waiting for Christmas. For those of us who were raised in the faith, Jesus says, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for what you’ve hidden from the wise and the clever of the world. You’ve revealed to the childlike. Yes, Father, such was your gracious will.” And then Jesus said, “All things have been handed over to me by my father. No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” And we know that for all those who are childlike, for those who have never lost their sense of wonder, for the for the answers to the question why why why why why why the ultimate why is because God loved us enough to create the world.
But it’s only the childlike, those who are not self-sufficient who are going to be able really to approach this reality as it’s meant to be received. Jesus desires that all of us receive the revelation of the father’s love. He’s the incarnation of that revelation and he wants us to grow in not only our relationship with the father through him by the power of the Holy Spirit but to help many others come to that same realization. At the end of today’s passage, Jesus says, “How many people long to see what you see but didn’t see it or to hear what you hear but didn’t hear it.” Do we realize how lucky we are?
In this Advent season, we remember that Jesus came into the world not just for us. He came into the world for everyone. And his plan was not just to save us on the outside and save everybody all by himself, but he wanted to include us in his plan of salvation. He wanted each of us to long to come to him with that childlike simplicity to have a real deep hunger and then to facilitate everybody else’s similar journey. As we look at Jesus coming in time in Bethlehem, we’re called to try to bring all the nations to adore him. Just like the magi coming from afar. As we look at Jesus in prayer in the sacraments, we’re supposed to lead everybody by witness to this extraordinary gift among us that God with us is still very much with us. And as we look forward to Jesus coming at the end of time, Jesus wants us to be ready and to help everybody to get ready with eager longing for the Lord’s appearance so that we together with everyone might be able to see with our eyes and hear what our hear with our ears the full revelation Jesus comes in this three-fold way to give us as we pray for the church throughout the world and particularly all missionaries in this third day of advent. Let’s say together, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Recognizing that we’re supposed to go to him and that the work of the church is to bring the whole church on pilgrimage. God bless you.
Gospel
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
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