14th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2022

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
July 3, 2022

My brothers and sisters in Christ,¹

As we know this weekend, we celebrate the 4th of July. And I was reflecting on how it is a moment to especially think on the great gift of our human freedom and the promise of America.

It was interesting because, as you probably know, on Friday we celebrate the memorial of St. Junípero Serra on July 1st. And I think that has something to do with God’s Providence.

And it is very appropriate because this weekend — as celebrate our nation’s independence and founding — it’s appropriate to reflect on the fact that St. Junípero was not only the Apostle to California, but he was also one of America’s founding fathers, as Pope Francis said when he canonized him several years ago.

And it’s special for us because we are in the final months of the Jubilee Year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of St. Junípero Serra’s founding of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

And we remember that before our nation was even established, the missionaries were here, in California, and throughout the country — proclaiming Jesus Christ and his love.

So, today let us especially ask St. Junípero, and all the great missionary saints, to intercede for this great nation. May they help us to continue the work of proclaiming Christ and building an America that lives out its founding principles of equality, freedom, and dignity for every person.

So, St. Junípero and all the missionaries, pray for us!

And then going to our readings for our Mass today — the readings remind us that our Lord has a beautiful plan for our lives, and for our society. We hear the great vision of the Kingdom of God.

In the first reading, the Prophet Isaiah tells us about the tender love that God our Father has for each one of us.

God loves us with the same love that a mother and father have for their babies, for their little children. He wants to see us grow and be happy, God wants to take care of us, just as every mother and fathers loves their children.

He loves you so much, as we know, that he sent his only begotten Son into this world, to share in our humanity. He sent Jesus to live for us, to die for us, and to rise so that us could become “a new creation.”

And that’s what St. Paul is talking about in the second reading today. “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” is price that he was willing to pay for us, it is the sign of how much he loves us.

And now, my dear brothers and sisters, as we reflect on that, we can easily understand that Jesus is calling us to follow him. And as he is calling us, he also is sending us out, to proclaim him to the world.

As we heard in today’s passage of the Gospel, Jesus sent out 72 disciples — to go out into every town and to tell people the good news about the Kingdom of God and the promise of God’s love.

And the mission that Jesus gives to those 72 disciples is the same mission that he gives to every one of us. Jesus is calling all of us to be “laborers for the harvest.”

So he’s telling us, each one of us, “go on our way” and wherever we go, Jesus is giving us the mission to share the good news of God’s love. He is calling us to seek out those who are lost and cannot find their way, those who are looking for answers and cannot find them.

Jesus is sending us to bring his peace, his good news, and his life to our world. And I would say that in a special way, he is sending us to be peacemakers.

As we know, we live in a moment of division and polarization, in a time when people are angry and afraid. Jesus is calling us to bring peace to the troubled “household” of our country.

He tells us today: “Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’”

So we need to work to bring our neighbors closer together, to be more united in understanding that we are all children of God, that he loves us all with a precious love, and that we should love others as he loves them.

Brothers and sisters, in these times of confusion and division in our country, the most important thing we can do is return to Jesus Christ.

We need to seek him, find him, and love him. We need to discover ourselves once again in his gaze of love. We need to open ourselves in new ways to listen for the divine voice that he is speaking to our hearts. 

As we know, God is always present in our lives. And he’s there to help us, to give us his grace.

Jesus left footprints when he walked on this earth. And he is calling all of us now, each in our way, to walk in his footsteps, to follow his path of love.

And he promises us, that if we answer his call, then we will know love and joy, beauty, goodness, and truth. Our lives will become a pathway of love that leads to heaven and eternal life.

My brothers and sisters, Jesus wants us to do great things with our lives and he is calling us use our gifts and talents to proclaim his kingdom and to save souls, to create a beautiful society that is open to God and that serves human dignity and social justice.

It is a beautiful call, and it is personal. So let us ask for the grace to open our hearts to the personal call and to really become missionary disciples — faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ and bring peace and love to the people around us.

So this week, as we celebrate America’s Independence Day, let us try to really respond with generosity to Jesus’ call to be missionary disciples.

Let us go out, as he commands, and live our faith with confidence and joy, serving God with all our hearts, and serving our families and neighbors, bringing peace and telling everybody of God’s beautiful plan of love.

And let us ask God to bless our country!

May there be a new birth of freedom our country, and a new commitment to America’s promise — that all men and women are created equal, and endowed with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

And let us ask, St. Junípero Serra, and our Blessed Mother Mary, the Immaculate Conception, to intercede for us.