Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for December 26, 2025
Here is the video of today’s reflection.
The Youtube generated transcript for today’s reflection is:
Happy second day of Christmas. I’m Monsignor Roger Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. It’s December 26th and the church always celebrates the day after Christmas, the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the church for Christ. This has always seemed a little strange to people why we would go from Bethlehem to fast forward about 35 or 40 years to the now St. Stephen’s gate in Jerusalem to talk about the stoning of this deacon who was the first to give the ultimate witness of blood to Jesus. But the saints of the church throughout the centuries have always connected these two because Jesus was born not just so that the angels would sing. Jesus was born ultimately to give his life in order to be able to save ours. And St. Stephen is a witness to that saving mission of the Lord Jesus. He couldn’t deny it. And when people were forcing him to deny Jesus saving life, his passion, death, and resurrection, he gave his life in order to give that martyrdom or give that witness. And we see the conformity St. Stephen had to Jesus, which is a conformity that each of us is likewise supposed to have. As he was being stoned to death, he said two things that were reminiscent of what Jesus said as he was dying for us on Calvary. Jesus’s first words were, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” And St. Stephens were, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And Jesus’ last words were, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And St. Stephen’s last words were, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He had become so conformed to Jesus in life that he was able to give that witness even at the supreme moment of his life. In today’s gospel, the church has us ponder Jesus’ words that just like St. Steven was betrayed by his fellow believers in God, his fellow Jews. So we will eventually be betrayed that we will be handed over um to civil and to religious authorities. Perhaps we will be hated. Jesus says almost by everybody. But he said it will lead to our giving witness. It’ll give us a pulpit by which we’re able to show our faith in him and bring others to faith in him. And we see that that’s precisely what happened in the life of St. Steven. Everybody who was stoning him were laying their cloaks at the feet of Saul of Tarsus. And because of St. Stephen’s prayer not to hold the sin against them, Saul was converted and became the great missionary, the great apostle, St. Paul. When we suffered too, those sufferings shouldn’t be wasted. But we should pray even for those who are causing those sufferings so that they might rather than oppose God’s will do it. On the second day of Christmas, through the powerful example of St. Steven, let’s be witnesses to the good news of great joy that we celebrate during this time. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts
and scourge you in their synagogues,
and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake
as a witness before them and the pagans.
When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will hand over brother to death,
and the father his child;
children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”