Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for July 24, 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 here at the heart of Poland, which is the Monastery of Jasna Gora, Our Lady of Czestochowa. It’s July 24th, the feast of St. Charbel, and today in the Gospel, Jesus tells us two things. First, the reason why he taught in stories, which was always to challenge us to enter into the story rather than let it pass through the other ear. He said he’d teach us in parables so that those who can hear don’t hear and so that those who can see don’t see because he really wanted to challenge us to use our faculties in order to be able to grapple with what Jesus is saying. It’s a sign for us of how well or not we take his word seriously. The second thing he says that blessed are your eyes because so many people wanted to see what you see but didn’t see it. Blessed are your ears because so many wanted to hear what you hear but didn’t hear it. We are so lucky, he’s saying, to be able to witness Jesus and to be able to hear his words. It’s missionaries who travel all across the globe in order to bring people into contact with the Word of God so that their ears can be blessed by that holy Word so that their eyes can see him as every mass we behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and saves us. Today on July 24th, we celebrate St. Charbel Makhlouf, the great Lebanese saint, great hero of prayer from the 19th century, great miracle worker. We ask his intercession for Pope Leo and for all missionaries all across the globe that they might come to experience the joy of knowing the son of Mary face to face, eye to eye, ear to mouth. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based was:
The disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”