Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for December 6, 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, coming to you from the beautiful campus of the Augustine Institute in St. Louis, Missouri. In today’s gospel at the end of the first week of Advent today on December 6th, Jesus shows us what the mission’s all about. He first does the mission himself. He goes around from town to town teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom in curing the sick, healing lepers, raising the dead, exercising demons. And then he looks with pity on the vast multitudes that he couldn’t get to all one by one. And he told his first followers, “The harvest is abundant, but the labors are few. So ask the harvest master for labors for his harvest.” And as soon as those disciples were praying to the harvest master, he began to call some of them. He called his first 12 apostles. He gave them his authority to cure the sick, to proclaim that the kingdom of God was at hand, to raise the dead, to expel demons. And then he gave them instructions. Go first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Go to the people you know. Go to your fellow residents. Go to your co-religionist. Go to the people to whom God had entrusted all of these promises. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of God is here because the King is here. And then know that I’m with you always until the end of time. Without payment, you’ve received. Without payment, you are to give. Don’t try to profit from the gospel, but share it lavishly as lavishly as you’ve received it. That’s what missionaries do throughout the globe. We continue Jesus’ great mission. When He came that first advent in Bethlehem, He came as a missionary. He came as the emissary of God the father, the infullment of God the father’s love. And then he was forming his whole church to continue his mission so that we would be able to go and meet Jesus in the here and now in the sacraments and in prayer. And then he wanted the whole church to get ready to be able to meet him for the eternal nuptial feast of the lamb as bride for Jesus the eternal bridegroom. And that’s what missionaries do. That’s what you and I are called to do by our baptism. Because by our baptism, we have received the prophetic gift of Jesus. And we are ultimately called to be missionary disciples in communion. Without cost, we’ve received this is the greatest gift of our life. And Jesus wants us to pay as lavishly as the gift we have received. Throughout this Advent season, as we prepare to run out to meet Jesus, who is running toward us, let us do so with extraordinary gratitude. And let’s remember that after the encounter with Jesus, Jesus wants us to run with him to the ends of the earth, continuing his mission, the mission of the apostles, the great mission of the church throughout time. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
Gospel
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”