Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for July 25, 2025
Here is the video of today’s reflection:
The Youtube generated transcript for today’s reflection is:
Monsignor Roger Landry, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States here at Jasna Gora Our Lady of Czestochowa Monastery in the heart of Poland. It’s July 25th which is the feast of St. James. We know Santiago de Compostela, where the apostle St. James’ tomb is, is one of the greatest pilgrimage spots in the world just like Our Lady of Czestochowa here. Our Lady walked with St. James and St. John, his brother, and the other apostles following in the footsteps of Jesus. She is interceding for all of us who continue to try to follow her son who turns to us and perpetually waves to us with a gloriously scarred hand saying, “Follow me.” Today in the Gospel for the feast of St. James, there’s that scene about the ambition of James and John wanting to sit at Jesus’ right and left when he entered into his kingdom. And Jesus wanted to shift their human ambitions to a divine one. He said, to sit on my right and my left is my Father’s to give. But can you drink of the chalice that I have been given to drink? Can you share in my sufferings? Can you share in my love that will pour out my blood for the salvation of the world? He said that the Son of Man has come not to be served but to serve and to lay down his life as a ransom to save other lives. This is what James and John eventually did. They were able to drink that chalice. And as apostles brought Jesus in his Gospel to the ends of the earth. That’s what Pope Leo is still doing today. That’s what missionaries are doing across the globe. Through the intercession of St. James and Our Lady of Czestochowa, we pray for all missionaries. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based was:
The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons
and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.
He said to her,
“What do you wish?”
She answered him,
“Command that these two sons of mine sit,
one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.”
Jesus said in reply,
“You do not know what you are asking.
Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?”
They said to him, “We can.”
He replied,
“My chalice you will indeed drink,
but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give
but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
When the ten heard this,
they became indignant at the two brothers.
But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”