Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for December 30, 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 the sixth day of Christmas, December 30th. You know, America’s parish church. Behind me, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. December 30th for those who follow very closely the church’s liturgical calendar is also the feast of St. Roger. So, happy feast of St. Roger to all of you. Today in the gospel, we continue with the scene of the presentation which we heard yesterday. these events immediately after the glorious birth of Jesus humbly in that stable in Bethlehem. And we see Anna, this prophetus, they called her, this one who was always actualizing the word of God, who had lived in the temple after the death of her husband. She was a very committed wife for seven years, St. Luke tells us that after her husband died, she dedicated herself to being a representative of the people of God in response to God’s will to espouse the human race to himself, especially his Jewish people. And so there she was praying and fasting each day and she was there when Jesus came unsurprisingly because she was longing for him. And as soon as she was able to embrace him, she spoke about him to all, St. Luke tells us, who are waiting the redemption of Israel. She spoke of him. She couldn’t keep him to himself. And she knew that people had the desire to be saved. And so she couldn’t restrain herself from doing so. We all have to learn from Anna Fur about how to pray for the Lord, about how to fast and hunger for the Lord. But then when the Lord comes, not to take that incredible gift for granted, but to recognize so many others yet haven’t had the same privilege that Anna and Simeon had at the in the temple that you and I have had in the fulfillment of the temple, which is the church and which is supposed to be you and me when we’re made temples of God when God comes to dwell within us, especially through the awesome privilege of holy communion. So, we’ve got to speak of him because many are awaiting that redemption. At the very end of today’s passage, it says that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph returned in Nazareth where Jesus grew strong in wisdom. We are always blessed by God with the capacity to grow stronger in wisdom. This Christmas, we’re supposed to be different than last Christmas. We’re supposed to be wiser. We’re supposed to be learning how to see things more and more from God’s perspective and acting on what God himself has revealed. As we go through this life, many of the worldly things become less important and the things that endure forever become more important. That’s what we’re supposed to be able to pass on. That’s what we see in Anna in the temple even in her old age. And that is the type of wisdom no matter what our age we’re supposed to bring to the ends of the earth. Please help missionaries everywhere bring that wisdom, wisdom incarnate, Jesus Christ to the people who continue to long for redemption. God bless you all.
Gospel
There was a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.