Msgr. Roger J. Landry
National Director, The Pontifical Mission Societies
Daily Reflection for September 28, 2025
Here is the video of today’s reflection.
The YouTube generated transcript for today’s reflection is:
This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. I’m Monsignor Roger Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies. It’s Sunday, September 28th. I’m coming to you from a Manhattan rooftop. In today’s gospel, Jesus tells a story to the Pharisees that is one of the most powerful stories he’s told. It’s about a rich man dressed in purple garments and fine linen. So, the best clothes somebody could buy, dining on three sumptuous meals a day, whereas a typical Jew would have one good meal a week. And there was a poor man, Jesus said, named Lazarus, at the rich man’s gate, longing for the scraps of his tables, full of open wounds. that dogs used to come and lick to give the poor man some comfort. And the rich man was totally oblivious to the poor man at his gate, starving ultimately to death. Eventually, in Jesus’s parable, the rich man dies and he’s sent to hell and he sees Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom, a Jewish image of the happy afterlife.
And he begs Abraham to send Lazarus to serve him, to dip his hand in cold water and bring it to touch his tongue because he was being tormented in the flames. And Abraham in the parable of Jesus says, “No, there’s an infinite chasm between us and you and it can’t be crossed.” And then touched a little bit caring for someone, the rich young man says, “Then at least send Lazarus to my brothers. I’ve got five of them. So that they won’t make the same stupid decisions I have.” and omit what good we can do and commit all types of sins of omission. And Abraham says, “No, it’s not possible. They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.” And then Abraham says, “No, but if somebody from the dead goes to them, then they’ll listen.” And Abraham in the parable says, “If they’re not going to listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they pay attention should somebody rise from the dead.” This is about the type of care we’re supposed to have for those who are poor.
We’re supposed to notice if we go with three meals a day, even if they’re not like the rich man in the parable, we’ve still got so many blessings. Do we pay attention to all those around us? Do we know those who are suffering? Do we know those who are at the gates? Do we know those with open wounds? We, unlike the rich man’s five brothers, have had somebody come back to us from the dead, Jesus Christ himself. talking to us about how important this is. Missionaries go throughout the entire world to care for those who are on the outskirts of humanity on the peripheries of life to try to bring them the most important gift of all is the gift of God but also to bring the love of the church to care for them to educate them to open up hospitals for them to feed them. This is the great glory of the church on earth. Today on this Sunday, we ask the Lord to touch our hearts. That as he comes back from the dead to say, “Love one another as I have loved you.” That we might love them enough to go find those who are in need and love them.
God bless you.
At the end of today’s reflection, brothers and sisters, I just want to make a special invitation to you. We’re getting closer to the month of October, which is two things. First, it’s World Mission Month, which we pray for and sacrifice for missionaries, which has its culmination on World Mission Sunday, which this year is October 19th. And secondly, October is the month of the Holy Rosary. In honor of both of these month-long celebrations, the Biblical Mission Societies USA are going to be getting together with anybody who wants to join us from all over the country and world to pray the World Mission Rosary. This was put together by my predecessor, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, when he was director of the Pontifical Mission Societies to pray through our Lady’s intercession, the Holy Rosary for missionaries and those they’re serving in each of the continents of the world. Below on this email, you’ll be able to click on a box which will allow you to sign up to join us. I hope you will pray the World Mission Rosary with us throughout the month of October.
The Gospel reading on which the reflection was based on:
Gospel
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied,
‘My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'”