July 1 - Prayer to Junipero Serra

O missionary of the New World inspired to leave your classroom and go forth to win souls for Christ, despite continuous battles with cold and hunger and long journeys with an injured leg, praying throughout the night you persevered and stayed with the thousands you baptized into the fold of Mother Church, bringing them not only the gift of faith but better living conditions as well; fighting ever against the military powers that would have brought only slaughter, you gained rights for these natives in the missions of California – pray we shall have the same zeal for souls that, thinking not of ourselves and without concern for any suffering, we may bear the image of our Lord to the ends of the earth so all might come to salvation.