Go and teach all nations

  Today, July 1, as our Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Juniperra Serra, priest, we are first invited to first read and reflect on a passage from the first letter of the apostle Paul to Tomothy (5: 17-22: 6: 10-14) entitled "The good fight of priests and men of God". Our treasure, which follows, is from the decree on the missionary activity of the Church of the Second Vatican Council. Junípero Serra (1713–1784) was a Spanish Franciscan priest and missionary who dedicated his life to proclaiming the Gospel in what is now Mexico and California. After serving as a professor of theology in Spain, he volunteered to become a missionary in the New World. Despite suffering from a painful leg injury for much of his adult life, he traveled thousands of miles on foot to preach the Gospel and establish Christian communities. He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015. Saint Junípero Serra's greatest contribution to the Church was his missionary witness. He founded nine of California's twenty-one Spanish missions, including the historic Mission San Diego de Alcalá, Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, and Mission San Francisco de Asís. These missions became centers for evangelization, worship, education, agriculture, and community life. His work helped establish the Catholic faith along the California coast and laid the foundation for many of today's Catholic dioceses and parishes in the region. The Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church, Ad Gentes, is one of the sixteen documents of the Second Vatican Council. Promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965, it explains the Church's mission to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples and to establish the Church wherever Christ is not yet known. The purpose of Ad Gentes is to remind the Church that mission is not an optional activity but belongs to her very nature. Because the Father sent the Son and the Son sent the Apostles, the Church is likewise sent into the world to proclaim salvation in Jesus Christ. The decree emphasizes that every baptized Christian—not only priests, religious, and missionaries—shares responsibility for the Church's missionary mission through prayer, witness, charity, and, when called, direct evangelization. The principal message of our first reading from 1 Timothy (5:17–22; 6:10–14) is that those who lead God's people must live lives of holiness, integrity, and faithful perseverance. Saint Paul the Apostle urges Saint Timothy to honor faithful priests, correct wrongdoing with justice, avoid favoritism, and lead by example. Paul also warns that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and calls every "man of God" to flee greed and pursue righteousness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. The central takeaway is that Christians, especially those in leadership, are called to "fight the good fight of the faith" by remaining faithful to Christ, living with integrity, and trusting in God rather than in worldly wealth or success.