Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for September 20, 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 20th and in today’s gospel, Jesus gives us a parable all about evangelization, all about the church’s mission. We’ve heard it many times, but let’s listen to it with new ears. Considering the mission, he described the proclamation of the gospel as a Sower going out to sow seed. And there were four different soils on which that seed could happen.
Today, when farmers farm, they first work the soil, and then they plant the seed. In the ancient world, they’d scatter the seed first and then turn over the soil. And so, the sower goes out to sow the seed. Some, he says, falls on the seed along the path that was hardened because people were constantly walking on that path. The seed couldn’t get down quickly enough, and birds of the air would come and take it away. Jesus described that those who are stubborn to the faith either because of inveterate sin or because they’ve heard it, they think, before. They can’t be changed.
The second type of soil he calls rocky. Now when we think about rocky soil we think about gardens that we’re taking out the little pebbles. But what he meant was about 3 to 5 inches underneath the surface there was a thick layer of limestone. So, when the seeds would be planted there and turned around, the water would be contained for a while, the seeds would receive it. They’d spring up immediately, but in the Middle Eastern sun, they’d be scorched because their roots couldn’t go deep because of that soil. He said that type of soil describes the superficial.
Those who immediately respond to the word of God with joy, but don’t allow it to change them. Don’t allow it to take their life. Those are the ones, for example, who when they hear homilies judge them saying, “oh I liked it” or “that was a great” preacher rather than allowing it to sink deeply in such a way that it really changes their life. We’ll talk about how big soon. Third type of soil was thorny in which the soil is otherwise good but there are thorn bushes in it and eventually it starts, those thorn bushes, to rob all the nutrients, choking the growth of the seed. He doesn’t say that these thorns are sins. He says that they’re worldly tears and anxieties and the lure of riches and pleasure. There are these types of things like our worries or our attractions that can distract us from the word of God. And Jesus wants us to be aware of those. The fourth soil he says is good and fruitful soil, rich soil that bears fruit 30, 60, and 100-fold. The word of God is supposed to change us 30, 60, or 100 ways or more.
This is what the Church does when we go on out. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes people don’t hear and we can take that personally because we care about the people we’re proclaiming the Gospel to. But sometimes that’s just a sign of where their soil presently is, such that they can’t receive this gift of faith.
Today, as we pray for missionaries, as we pray for Pope Leo, let’s ask the Lord to grant us and others that good and fruitful, rich soil that beers fruit 30, 60, and 100-fold into eternity. God bless you.
Gospel
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another
journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable.
“A sower went out to sow his seed.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled,
and the birds of the sky ate it up.
Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew,
it withered for lack of moisture.
Some seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew with it and choked it.
And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew,
it produced fruit a hundredfold.”
After saying this, he called out,
“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
Then his disciples asked him
what the meaning of this parable might be.
He answered,
“Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God
has been granted to you;
but to the rest, they are made known through parables
so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.
“This is the meaning of the parable.
The seed is the word of God.
Those on the path are the ones who have heard,
but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts
that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear,
receive the word with joy, but they have no root;
they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation.
As for the seed that fell among thorns,
they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along,
they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life,
and they fail to produce mature fruit.
But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,
they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,
embrace it with a generous and good heart,
and bear fruit through perseverance.”