Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for September 15, 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. It’s September 15th, the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. And today in the gospel, we have two different gospels we could ponder. One is Mary at the foot of the cross where she was standing sorrowful, mourning what was happening to her son, mourning what all of those who would be entrusted to her by that son were doing to him by their sins. But the other gospel is the one that’s depicted behind me in this beautiful stained-glass window at the church of St. Rafael in St. Petersburg, Florida.
It’s the feast of the presentation where after Mary and Joseph have brought Jesus up to present him on his 40th day to his father in the temple. That’s when Simeon came, saw the son, grabbed him in his arms, and gave God thanks. He said, “Now, oh Lord, let your servant depart in peace, for your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation that you have prepared in the sight of every people, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.” Jesus would be that light. He would be that glory. But then he turned to Mary and said that he would be a sign of contradiction for the ruin and the resurrection of many in Israel. He wants to raise us from the dead, but some will resist it and will receive him to their ruin. And then he said to her, “Behold that a sword will pierce your heart too, so that the thoughts of many may be revealed.” St. John Paul II used to say that at the annunciation, Mary was spoken to for the first time, but her second annunciation was with Simeon, and her third annunciation was by Jesus at the cross. And in every one of those circumstances,
Mary was learning her role. And part of her role is as a sorrowful mother, praying in reparation for all the sins of the world, praying as any great mother would for the conversion of all of us, her sons and daughters. Mary is fundamentally not sad. She is joyful in the cause of our joy. But she does weep over sin and what sins do when they don’t lead ultimately to conversion. So today on this memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, we pray for what she weeps for. And what does she weep for? She weeps for the 5.5 billion out of the eight on the planet who don’t really yet know her son, all that her son did for their salvation, all that the missionaries are doing across the globe to try to bring love and knowledge of him. We join her in those holy prayers, and we have confidence that just like she experienced in Cana her prayers are powerful, and her son can’t refuse them. And so today we pray with her with hearts full of sorrow for all those who are living in sin, for all those who don’t yet know even what the life of grace is. That they might come to experience what we know and what missionaries are striving so hard to bring. God bless you.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based was:
Gospel
Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”