Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 1, 2020
When Jesus came to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” And he said to them, “Go!” So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water.
The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Reading today’s gospel feels a bit like looking at a Chagall painting, a-swirl with cemetery, demoniacs, a herd of swine running into the sea, and villagers chasing Jesus with pitchforks. (Okay, so maybe they didn’t have pitchforks, but they could have.)
What are we to make of this? I suggest that we take each piece and ask where it fits into our own lives.
Where are my tombs? What is my burial place for things I don’t want to own or face? Is Jesus waiting for me there?
Who are the demoniacs in my life? Who are the people I have cast to the margins because they are too difficult or too truthful to live with? Could Jesus be inviting me to listen to them or widen my circle so they can be included?
Or perhaps, it is I who am possessed. What is it that has taken hold of me? Do I dare to ask Jesus to cast it out?
And then there is the swineherd and his or her poor swine. Already an unclean animal in the minds of Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries, they are also scapegoats, sacrificed so that others may be healed. Who has given their life so that mine might be better? Have I let them know my gratitude?
Finally, there are the villagers, rushing at Jesus, begging him to leave. They have seen his power and it is too difficult to have him in their midst. Proverbs 7 states, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” The town folk know this and they are honest about their limitations.
In “A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,” Annie Dillard noted ladies attending Mass in their flowered bonnets. She observed that if they really understood the God upon whom they were calling with their prayers, they would be wearing crash helmets.
How honest am I—how well do I know the God whom I claim to love and serve? Have I domesticated God, locking God into a paradigm I can control? Or dare I let God be God?
“What have you to do with us, Son of God?”
Prayer
God, source of life, help us to live in your peace. May we be your healing presence for those who are suffering, your welcoming presence to those who are strangers. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Saint Junipero Serra was canonized by Pope Francis in a Mass in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 23, 2015—the first canonization to take place on American soil. He is patron saint of vocations to Church ministry, and he played an instrumental role in building the Church on the west coast of America when that area was still mission territory.
Though some controversy has arisen around the saint because of the connection between his missionary activity and the Spanish colonization of Mexico and California, the many investigations into his life show a saintly man who was absolutely dedicated to the indigenous people he served.
Miguel Jose Serra was born in 1713 on the Spanish island of Majorca, and when he entered the Franciscan order at the age of 17, he took the name of Junipero, who was a friend of St. Francis and one of his first followers.
He was a very good student, and rose quickly in his class. After being ordained to the priesthood, he earned a doctorate in theology and taught philosophy for 12 years.
At the age of 37, he traveled to the New World to teach at a university in Mexico City. He was bitten by a snake during this journey, and suffered from a swollen leg for the rest of his life, though it did not stop him from making other trips by foot.
After teaching in Mexico City for some time, he asked to be stationed at a mission 90 miles away that reached native American Indians in the area. He spent nine years there and learned the native language, even translating a catechism. He returned to Mexico City, where he became an effective preacher, encouraging people to turn from sin. He often practiced acts of self-mortification to emphasize his desire for repentance.
At the age of 55, he was given responsibility for a number of missions in what is now the Baja peninsula and California. He worked tirelessly, converting thousands and building 21 new missions. Frequently an advocate for the indigenous people he served, he implored the Spanish authorities to adopt policies that would recognize the dignity of all, even walking over 2,000 miles to Mexico near the end of his life to champion this cause.
Junipero helped bring to California many staples of its current agriculture industry: oranges, lemons, olives, figs, grapes, and vegetables, as well as cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. This statue of Saint Junipero represents the State of California in the National Hall in the U.S. Capitol building.
Saint Junipero was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II in 1988. His feast day is celebrated on August 28 everywhere else besides the United States, where it is honored on July 1.
Saint Junipero Serra, patron saint of vocations to Church ministry and builder of the Church on the west coast—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Junipero Serra is available for use under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Last accessed March 19, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
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