Daily Gospel Reflection for July 1, 2024

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Laurann Donahue

Today's Gospel: Matthew 8:18-22

Today’s Gospel is about following Jesus. We are to follow Jesus and give up our worldly attachments. Jesus had no place to lay His head. Jesus told His disciples to “let the dead bury their dead.” He was asking them to follow Him and not look back.

I must mention St. Junipero Serra in this context. Today is his feast day. St. Junipero Serra gave up all for his love of Christ. He joined a Franciscan monastery in Spain at the age of 17. He was ordained a priest eight years later in 1738. He earned a doctorate in theology in 1742. After working as a professor at the same university, he traveled to the Americas as a missionary. He landed in Vera Cruz, Mexico, on December 7 and walked 250 miles to Mexico City. He volunteered to go to the territory now called California. During his many years of missionary work, he founded very familiar-sounding missions: San Diego, San Carlos (Monterey-Carmel), San Antonio, San Gabriel, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Clara, and San Buenaventura. St. Junipero Serra learned some native languages and communicated with people of several other languages. He protected the native population against the Spanish royal representatives. He brought the Gospel to the place we now call California. He followed Jesus there without hesitation.

This diminutive man is a model for many people who want to follow Jesus with their whole heart and life. St. Junipero Serra did not look back. He never went back to Spain and never forced Spanish culture on the natives in the Americas. His dedication, hard work, and drive are exactly what Jesus was talking about in saying ”let the dead bury their dead.” Be a model of this kind of whole-hearted devotion to your children. Don’t look back.

Ponder:

Could I give up my country and all that is familiar for Jesus?

Pray:

Dear Lord, help me to give up everything to follow You. Let me be like St. Junipero Serra and be an example of devotion to all around me.

Copyright 2024 Laurann Donahue