Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for July 28, 2026
Here is the video of today’s reflection:
The YouTube generated transcript for today’s reflection is:
I am Monsignor Roger Landry, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. It’s Tuesday, July 28th, the feast of an American, Blessed Stanley Rother, a martyr in Guatemala, but a native of Oklahoma City, Okarche, Oklahoma. I’m coming to you from Undercroft Seminary in Chicago. Today’s gospel, the disciples asked Jesus to explain to them the parable of the weeds and the wheat, which we heard a few days ago. And Jesus gave that explanation. They were doing the work that the parables are supposed to help us to do. Jesus proclaimed his teachings often in parables, so that if we really were seekers of the truth, we’d have to ask the question what the various images in the parable mean. And that’s precisely what the disciples and first apostles were asking Jesus, because they really wanted to get to know the truth. And so Jesus said that in this parable in which a man planted a seed, but at night an enemy went out and sowed weeds among the seeds, and they came and they said, “Should we rip out the weeds?” And he said, “No, leave them until harvest time.” Which is a sign that we should be focused far more on the growth of the wheat, on doing good, on loving than we should on eradicating weeds or opposing evil, or sort of attacking those things that aren’t right. And then Jesus describes all the symbolism, that he is the one who sowed good seed in his field, and that seed are the children of the kingdom, his disciples, those who are faithfully following him. He said, “The devil is the enemy who sowed that bad seed, and the weeds were the children of the evil one.” They weren’t created to be children of the evil one, But they became under the fathership of the devil by doing evil. They began to seek themselves rather than God. To have everybody serve them rather than love others. Then Jesus said his angels would be the harvesters and they would separate the weeds and the wheat at the end of time. The weeds would be sent into a fire. We know that that symbolizes the fires of hell, Jesus says, where the good seed that basically grew into that wheat would shine like the righteous in the kingdom of God. That that we would shine forever in the eternal light of God in heaven. This is what that parable means. But we’ve got to seek it. Are we people who are going to do good? Are we going to be children of the kingdom? Or are we going to behave in an evil way like children of the evil one? Are we going to make the world much better with the gospel of Christ? Or going to be something that’s going to suck up so many of the good things of the world just for ourselves or for vain purposes? Somebody who teaches us how to choose well is Blessed Stanley Rother. Blessed Stanley wanted to be a priest. He entered seminary. But he could never really master Latin. And so he was first kicked out of the seminary. And then he enrolled in Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg where I went for a year for philosophy studies. And he was able to be ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Or the Diocese of Oklahoma City at the time. And then he became a missionary in Nicaragua and Guatemala. And it was there that he died for our faith. He had been rescued when he was put on a hit list. And he wanted to go back to serve the people and eventually got back to Santiago Atitlán to do so. And that’s where he died. A shepherd doesn’t run, he said. He was that type of good shepherd. And even though he couldn’t master Latin, he translated the gospel into the local languages. That’s what children of the kingdom can do. On this feast of this great missionary, Stanley Rother, let’s ask through his intercession that we truly be children of the kingdom, so that like him, we can shine in the eternal kingdom of the Father. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
Gospel
Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said,
“Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man,
the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom.
The weeds are the children of the Evil One,
and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.
The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire,
so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his Kingdom
all who cause others to sin and all evildoers.
They will throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun
in the Kingdom of their Father.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”