Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for October 26, 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, coming to you from a Manhattan rooftop on Sunday, October 26th. Today’s gospel, Jesus gives us a memorable parable about prayer and the humility we need to pray well. He says, “Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee.” We know who the Pharisees were. They were the greatest religious models for the Jews. Whereas the typical Jew prayed once a day, the Pharisees prayed three times a day. Whereas the typical Jew fasted once a year, the Pharisees fasted twice a week. Whereas a typical Jew just tithed on the things that were prescribed to be given 10% back to the temple, the Pharisees tithed 10% of everything that they had. So on the outside, they were very virtuous people. And the Pharisee went close to the sanctuary in the temple and thanked the Lord in his supposed prayer for not making him like all the rest, the adulterers, the drunkards, the thieves, etc. Or even, he says, like this tax collector in the back, the notorious publican who used to rip off his own people for the Romans. But he didn’t realize when he was praying that he was so arrogant and proud. The second, the publican didn’t think that he was worthy to pray. Didn’t think that he was worthy to be in the temple, but went up as a sinner, and he just sat in the back and he beat his breast, saying, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” And Jesus summarized the parable by saying, “Two went up to the temple to pray, two left, but only one’s prayer was heard. Not the religious Pharisees, but the humble publican who was praying for mercy.” That’s first a great sign to us of the way we’re supposed to pray with humility. We don’t deserve anything in prayer. We don’t have a right to it. It always comes from God’s generosity. Even the capacity to pray is already one of the greatest gifts of our life. But then second, we need to pray for mercy. We need to recognize we’re sinners so much in need of the Lord’s merciful love. We know there are five different things we can do when we pray. We can praise God for how lovable he is. We can thank him for all the ways he’s loved us and others. We can make intercession for those who need his help. We can bring our own petitions for the help we need. But then we likewise have to pray for mercy because everything flows from God’s mercy. We’re not entitled to anything even though we’re living in an entitled age. Everything is God’s gift. And when we recognize it’s God’s gift, it changes our whole approach to him. It changes the way we thank him for his gift. It changes the way we want others to be able to receive the gifts of his love. That’s ultimately what inspires missionaries to go throughout the entire world and bring the treasure of prayer and the call to humble receptivity to God’s love to the ends of the earth. Today we humbly on this Sunday pray for them as we know we’re united with our brothers and sisters on this Lord’s day across the globe. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
Gospel
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”