[In the Dioceses of the United States]
592A
From the Common of Pastors: For Missionaries, or the Common of Holy Men and Women: For Religious
Biographicalinformation about St. Junipero Serra
 |
| St. Junpero Serra Artist and date not cited. |
Readings and Commentary: [1]
(Note: since there is no approved “proper” for St. Junipero, the texts below have been selected by the author.)
Reading 1:
5. For Missionaries (from the Common of Pastors)
How beautiful
upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your sentinels raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
for they see directly, before their eyes,
the Lord restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the LORD comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
all the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
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Commentary on Is 52:7-10
At the time of its writing, the prophet’s intent
was to proclaim the joy of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile to
Judah. He sees the event as salvation for the Hebrew people. God leads them
back to the land he gave their fathers.
“These verses form the famous poem of the
‘messenger of peace’ who ‘brings good tidings.’ The ideas of the first oracle
of this second part of the book (Isaiah 40:1-11) are repeated here very beautifully. The
messenger's feet are praised - a symbol of his speed and surefootedness when
crossing the mountains, which is where important news comes from (cf. Isaiah 40:9). His message (v. 7) is described very
significantly as involving ‘peace,’ which in Isaiah means safety in Israel
after the hardships of exile; ‘good tidings’ or, more literally, ‘news of
goodness and well-being,’ that is, genuine material and spiritual prosperity;
and 'salvation,' which is permanent renewal on all levels. The three words read
together mean the highest degree of happiness imaginable. The core of this
message is the enthronement of God: ‘Your God reigns,’ similar to Isaiah 40:9: ‘Behold your God.’” [2]
From a greater distance and depth of
understanding, we see him announcing the coming of the messiah and the
salvation that comes to the new Jerusalem through Jesus Christ.
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Responsorial Psalm:
8. Psalm 117:1bc, 2 (From the
Common of Pastors)
R. (Mark 16:15) Go out to all
the world and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.
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Commentary on Ps 117:lbc, 2
“This shortest of hymns calls on the nations to
acknowledge God's supremacy. The supremacy of Israel's God has been
demonstrated to them by the people's secure existence, which is owed entirely
to God's gracious fidelity.” [3] Using a refrain from
St. Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:15), the psalm is one of praise for the Good News of
God’s salvation.
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Gospel:
6. For Missionaries (From the Common of Pastors)
Jesus
appeared to the Eleven and said to them: "Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does
not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they
will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord
worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
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Commentary on Mk 16:15-20
The verse just prior to this passage, which is the
ending of St. Mark’s Gospel, indicates that the disciples are still not sure
what has happened (typical of the image we have of the disciples in St. Mark's
Gospel). Jesus comes to them at table, rebuking them for their unbelief. That
sets the stage for this commissioning address by the Lord. Once again the
disciples, now apostles, are sent into the world with God’s blessing. This
action is important because it supports the universal mission of the Twelve. In
response to the Lord's instructions the apostles went into the world,
accompanied by the Holy Spirit ("while the Lord worked with them"). They demonstrated the truth that is
Christ risen.
CCC: Mk 16:15-16 977, 1223; Mk 16:15 888; Mk 16:16 161, 183, 1253, 1256, 1257; Mk 16:17-18 670, 1507; Mk 16:17 434, 1673; Mk 16:18 699; Mk 16:19 659, 659; Mk 16:20 2, 156, 670
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Reflection:
St. Junípero Serra was born Miguel José Serra Ferrer on November 24, 1713 and died on August 28, 1784. While his life of service to the Lord has become somewhat controversial in recent years, his demonstrated excellence in learning, wisdom, administration and determination have given us a saint who has truly earned the honorary title of “The Father of the California Missions.” In looking at his life from over two hundred years in the future we can clearly see God’s “fingerprints” all over him. He rose from humble beginnings, a farmer’s son, on the Spanish island of Mallorca to become a Franciscan priest, scholar and professor of philosophy in his native Spain.
Our Lord clearly saw this young priest of his to be capable of much more. He was caught up in the missionary efforts to the new world and sent to Mexico where he again enrolled in local academic institutions. But he was called to evangelize in an even more fundamental way and took up ministry to the indigenous peoples, learning their language and translating the catechism into it. His missionary zeal and supporting academic excellence propelled him to the great Spanish expansion into the California territory where, in good Franciscan fashion, he walked thousands of miles, evangelizing the Native Americans and establishing missions throughout what was to become the State of California.
In the past year, extremists in California have attacked his character, we believe (hope), out of ignorance, claiming he did not stop the mistreatment of the Native Americans by the Spanish settlers of the region. It is so easy to apply modern standards to historical people, forgetting their level of social and moral development.
We see St. Junipero as one called by God to use the tools and abilities he was given to accomplish, as best he could, the mission handed on to all of us by Christ. We look at his legacy and see the great good it has accomplished. We lament that misguided individuals who see, in tearing him down, only a way to bring attention to themselves, because clearly St. Junipero’s work benefited them in untold ways.
Today, on his feast day, we celebrate his great accomplishments in support of God’s mission. We ask for his intercession. May we be give the strength of purpose and energy to do great good in proclaiming the Word of God to all we meet.
Pax
[1] The readings are
taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its
response which were developed by the International Committee for English in
Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for
private use only.
[2] The Navarre Bible, Major Prophets (Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002), 231.
[3] NAB footnote on Psalm 117.
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