Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection October 23, 2025
Here is the video of today’s reflection.
The Youtube generated transcript for today’s reflection is:
I’m Monsignor Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. It’s October 23rd. I’m coming to you preaching the gospel at dawn on a Manhattan rooftop. October 23rd is the feast of St. John of Capistrano who well illustrates the gospel Jesus gives us today. He says, “I have come to set the world on fire and how I long until it is accomplished.” He adds, “There’s a baptism with which I must be baptized. And how deep an anguish am I experiencing until it occurs?” That baptism would be his baptism of blood on Calvary in which that fire of love that characterized his whole life shown even more brilliantly as he was willing to do literally anything in order to save you and save me. He said later on some strong words. Sometimes that fire is going to divide those who don’t want to be ignited. He says families can be even divided two against three, three against two. And we see that sometimes when somebody in a family wants to convert to the faith that they may be disowned by others who still want to have the same old same old in the relationship without the true God entering into it. So we have to be alert for the fact that sometimes fire burns but that burn is ultimately meant to help others to come to the source of that eternal flame of love. St. John of Capistrano was somebody who experienced this. He was a young married man. He was a mayor in his early 20s. He was extremely talented. Loved being in charge. He was married to a beautiful woman. had a family. But then he was really moved by the fire of the Lord Jesus. He began to discern what he should do. Eventually, with his wife’s permission, he became a Franciscan. But because he had been a public sinner in many ways, the way he entered the Franciscan monasteries, put himself on a donkey backwards. He put all his sins on his back so that everybody could face him. And somebody led him to that monastery. And along the way all the children were making fun of him. They were throwing things at him etc. And while he was in that monastery because he was a proud man accustomed to leading the Franciscans out of love for him so that he could blaze with the fire of the Lord were really tough on helping him to live a mortified life so he wouldn’t be doing his will but the will of the Lord. And it worked. He came out purified by the consoling fire of the Lord Jesus. and thereafter became a great missionary preacher for the Franciscans, going throughout Italy, but particularly going throughout Hungary, bringing the faith and inspiring people to live with fire, especially at a time where the Muslims were threatening to take over all of Europe. On his feast day, we ask his help so that we might be converted by the same flame of love bursting from the heart of Jesus that he was. And as we reflect on Jesus’ baptism of blood on Calvary, we remember our own baptism in which we entered into his death and entered into Jesus’ resurrection so that we could come out purified and on fire to light the world ablaze. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”