Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for December 21, 2025
Here is the video of today’s reflection.
The Youtube generated transcript for today’s reflection is:
I am Monsignor Roger Landry national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies is coming to you from the altar of St. Anne at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan as you hear the beautiful music of St. Patrick’s music choir behind us. It’s December 21st and what we have in today’s gospel is the scene of the visitation. Yesterday we had the annunciation in which Mary [music] became pregnant with Jesus within and as soon as the archangel Gabriel left, Mary too left. She went with haste to try to care for her elderly cousin Elizabeth who herself was six months pregnant with the infant John the Baptist. Mary was taking and training Jesus to be the great missionary he would be on this earth before he had formed even the tiniest defeat. And so she was going over the hills in this 65mile journey down from Nazareth to Jericho up 20 miles to Jerusalem and then over Jerusalem to caram in the hill country of Judah where she was greeted by Elizabeth and those words by St. Elizabeth are used by us. Said, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” She recognized not just that Jesus, her Lord was coming, but that Mary, the mother of her Lord was coming. Teaches us that as [music] we get ready for Christmas, it’s not enough in God’s plan for us [music] just to accept Jesus. wants us to accept likewise his mom because his mom will teach us how to receive Jesus. A right. And as soon as Elizabeth had greeted Mary, Mary’s heart exploded. We’re going to talk about that tomorrow in her great Magnificata. Her soul rejoiced in the Lord her savior. Her spirit exalted and magnified the Lord. As we draw closer to Christmas, we’re just four days away. Let’s ask our lady not only to help us to respond well to the coming of her son into the world, but like her take Jesus out to serve others. That is what missionaries are doing all across the globe as they’re trying to bring Jesus to these communities in 1,130 places where the church is new, where the church is poor, or where the church is persecuted. We pray for them through the intercession of our lady that those that they’re serving might likewise be able to echo Mary’s Magnificant for all that the Lord the Almighty has done for us in our humility. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
Gospel
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.