Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for October 21, 2025
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, coming to you from a Manhattan rooftop at dawn on October 21st. Today in the gospel, Jesus talks to us about vigilance, about being ready, about being prepared. He says that we should always be living like good and faithful servants who are ready to receive their master when he returns from a wedding. He says, “Blessed are those servants whom his master finds ready upon arrival.” He gives an incredible promise that he will seat them at table and even though he’s the master, proceed to serve them. And he says, “If he comes in the second or third watch of the night, first watch of the night was between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. Second, 9 to midnight. Third, midnight to 3:00 a.m., if he finds them still ready, still awake, blessed will those servants be.” What’s Jesus talking about here? He’s talking about the way we’re vigilant for him. Not just his second coming at the end of time, but every way he wishes to come. He wants us alert for his presence. And if we are alert, how blessed we will be. He will serve us. He promises in heaven to g himself and serve us. But that’s what he already did on earth in the last supper where he took off his outer garments, girded himself with an apel, with an apron, and then began to do the work of a servant, washing the feet of the apostles. Jesus gives us so much more than that. In the sacraments, he washes us clean in baptism and fills us with himself. He feeds us with his own flesh and blood in the holy eucharist. He forgives us and restores our soul to its baptismal beauty every time we make a good sacramental confession. These teachings are so important because there are many across the globe who don’t know how to be alert for God, who don’t know where he’s coming from, who don’t know what he looks like or what he speaks like. There are so many who don’t know Jesus Christ. Two days ago, we celebrated World Mission Sunday and we prayed and we sacrificed for missionaries all across the globe and the mission is still enormous. Out of the 8.1 billion people who live today, 5.5 billion are not Christian. And 80% of that 5.5 billion have never even heard the saving name of Jesus. Just think about that. 2,000 years ago, after his passion, death, and resurrection, people don’t know what he did and why he’s come for them as I whack a fly away from me. That’s why the church’s missionary work is so essential. Please, brothers and sisters, ponder what Jesus is saying about our being vigilance for his arrival. And one of the ways that he comes for us is he comes to ask for help. Two days ago, the vicar of Christ on earth asked all of us to help him help missionaries across the globe. Please step up. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.”