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     Today is the Thirteenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time and the Feast of the First Martyrs of Rome and tomorrow we celebrate the feast of Blessed Padre Junipero Serra. For the readings, liturgy and meditations for both days, including the story of these martyrs and Fr. Serra, click on LITURGY FOR THE DAY.

Tuesday June 30: Thirteenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time and
Feast of the First Martyrs of the Roman Church

Green and red vestments

First Reading: Amos 3: 1-8; 4: 11-12
Psalms: Psalm 5: 4-9
Gospel Reading: Matthew 8: 23-27

      In an effort to commemorate all of the early martyrs in the first days of the Church, a special feast has been set aside which follows the day after the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and was established for the entire Roman Calendar by Pope Paul VI in 1969. Prior to that it had only been observed in the city of Rome. The Jerome Martyrology lists 979 martyrs who died in the famous fire set by the nefarious Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. as well as countless others who shed their blood to sanctify the faith with the blood of its martyrs." Their deaths were the "seeds of faith." Historians Tertullian and Tacitus give accounts of how many willingly gave their lives for their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the dastardly acts of being thrown to the lions and other beasts in the arenas, or burned at the stake as "human torches;" while others were crucified, and still others banished to remote islands without food or water. All in all there is no set number how many martyrs they were but they are all remembered in this special feast as the "first martyrs."

Wednesday July 1: Thirteenth Wednesday in Ordinary Time and
Feast of Blessed Padre Junipero Serra, Franciscan missionary

Green and White vestments

First Reading: Amos 5: 14-15, 21-24
Psalms: Psalm 50: 7-13, 16-17, 23
Gospel Reading: Matthew 8: 28-34

      Considered the founder of the California missions that still flourish today along the west coast, Blessed Junipero Serra was born Jose Miguel Serra in 1713 in the village of Petra near Mallorca, Spain. The son of a farmer, he received the name Junipero upon joining the Franciscans in 1730. After receiving his doctorate in theology as a priest and teaching at the Lullian University at Palma de Mallorca, he was finally given the assignment he had prayed for - missionary work which took him first to San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1749. For the next eight years he traveled throughout Mexico, holding numerous administrative offices including Commissary of the Holy Office of the Inquisition. In 1767 the Jesuits were expelled from Mexico and the Franciscans were given the spoils with Junipero being named president of the missions in Lower California. Two years later Spain took over Upper California and Blessed Serra accompanied the Conquistadors to San Diego where he founded the first mission in 1769 - Mission de Alcala in Mission Valley which is still considered the "mother of all California missions." Following the traditional Spanish rule for administering the missions, Serra had more than a few run-ins with Spanish leaders and military forces regarding the Indians whom he ministered to and loved. Because of his dedication to the Beatitudes, perseverance, and loyalty to the Indians resulted in countless conversions. Riding by mule and horseback, Blessed Junipero established nine more missions along the California coast from Oceanside to Carmel where he established his headquarters and where he died peacefully in 1784 at the age of 71. At Serra's beatification ceremony in 1988, Pope John Paul II said Blessed Junipero "is a shining example of Christian virtue and the missionary spirit. His great good was to bring the gospel to the native peoples of America, so that they, too, might be consecrated to the truth." It is fitting that the Church established his feast day on the first day of the month America celebrates her heritage and independence.

Events Today in Church History

     For events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on TIME CAPSULES: ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME

Historical Events in Church Annals for June 30:

1139 A.D.


Death of Saint Otto, bishop and missionary from Bamberg who strove to heal the breach between Pope Paschal II and the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V during a time when there were five succeeding antipopes. Otto was canonized by Pope Clement III in 1189.

1741 A.D.


Pope Benedict XIV releases the second official encyclical - Quanta cura which treats the subject of forbidding traffic in alms.

Lutheran pact pleases Pope while prospects of Pope and Patriarch meeting dim

     Not since before Martin Luther plastered his confessions on the door at Augsburg have Roman Catholics and Lutherans been this close to justification and this greatly pleases the Holy Father, but there is sadness that his hoped-for meeting with the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church has hit so many snags that it now seems implausible they will ever meet as the Moscow head continues to sandbag the Vicar of Christ. For more, click on Ecumenism

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- In his Sunday Angelus address, Pope John Paul II proclaimed his delight with the new Catholic-Lutheran accord on the nature of justification.

      "We can rejoice," the Pope said, "at an important ecumenical achievement." He observed that the new statement, to be signed jointly by the Holy See and the World Lutheran Federation, is the result of a dialogue which began soon after Vatican II.

      While the joint declaration does not resolve all disagreements, the Pope continued, it does "express a consensus on the fundamental truths" of the doctrine of justification.

      The Pope said that the new accord is "a gift of the Holy Spirit," and voiced his hope that it would prompt a new impetus toward Christian unity.

      Meanwhile in Moscow it was announced that Pope John Paul II and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Aleksey II are unlikely to hold an historic meeting soon, according to Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran after meeting with the Patriarch on Sunday.

      "A meeting will not take place in the near future as there still remain certain circumstances preventing it," the archbishop said. He added that the possibility of such a meeting had not even been discussed. "Certain progress has emerged in relations between the two churches. The meeting is very timely and the development of dialogue will do good for both churches."

      A key point preventing the meeting or a papal visit to Russia or Ukraine is the demand by Ukrainian Catholics that property seized by the Soviets under Communist rule be returned. "To make the meeting possible (between the Pope and Aleksey) one should find real means to improve the situation in western Ukraine," said a senior Russian Orthodox Church official. "The negotiation process, which is not very easy, has so far not produced the desired results."

Portuguese Catholics stage a voter boycott to defeat Abortion iniative

     The Mother of God promised at Fatima that her beloved Portugal would be preserved if they keep the faith and the Portuguese are not letting Our Lady down, evidence of the fact that enough Catholics stayed home to completely nullify an abortion referendum that would have eased abortion restrictions. Parliamentary procedures demand a large turnout to make any initiative legal and the Catholics of praying and staying home proved provided the Divine intervention that keeps abortion a crime in Portugal. For more, click on Portugal.

      LISBON (CWNews.com) - A planned vote to legalize abortion in Portugal failed on Sunday because most of this Catholic country's voters stayed away from the polls in record numbers.

      Just 32 percent of registered voters turned out, and of those who voted 51 percent favored keeping abortion illegal. The National Electoral Commission said the turnout was the lowest in any national referendum since 1974. Because of the low response, the results of the referendum are not legally binding on parliament.

      Portugese law currently allows abortion only for rape or specific medical reasons until the 12th week of pregnancy, but the parliament passed a law in February legalizing the procedure on demand. That law was blocked when critics forced a public referendum to either ratify or overturn the legislation. Members of parliament must now decide whether to enact the new law without the ratification of a referendum.

Violence breaks out in East Timor a week after Bishop met with Indonesian president

     Less than a week after Bishop Carlos Belo of Dili, former Nobel Prize winner, was personally assured by Indonesia's President B.J. Habibie that special concessions and courtesies would be granted the Catholic country of East Timor, violence broke out when Indonesian troops opened fire on a group of student protesters who are demanding independence from this Muslim country which annexed their country illegally. For more, click on East Timor.

      DILI, East Timor (CWNews.com) - One Timorese protester was killed on Monday as Indonesian soldiers opened fire on a demonstration demanding independence for the mainly Catholic territory.

      The incident occurred outside the cathedral in Bacau just after three European ambassadors arrived there for a meeting with Bishop Basilio dos Nasciemento of Bacau. The ambassadors to Indonesia from Britain, Austria and the Netherlands are on a trip to East Timor to review political developments in the troubled former Portuguese territory.

      A spokesman for the bishop said one person was killed and five others were injured when the troops tried to disperse the large crowd with bullets and tear gas. Earlier on Monday, Jakarta-appointed East Timor governor Abilio Soares said authorities would get tough on protests, which he said had led to anarchy in the enclave. Street protests have become frequent in Dili since the Indonesian government announced earlier this month that it was willing to give East Timor special status if Indonesian sovereignty over the region was recognized by Portugal and the United Nations. Many Timorese instead want a referendum to decide the future of the territory.

      The shooting comes less than a week after Nobel Peace Prize winner Bishop Carlos Belo of Dili met with Indonesian President H.J. Habibie to discuss an increase in freedoms for East Timor. Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, invaded the former Portugese colony in 1975 and annexed it the following year in a move not recognized by the United Nations.

Swiss Guard installation toned down after eight week delay

     What had intended to be a grand and glorious celebration of Swiss Guard installations and the elevation of the new commandant back in early May went off nearly two months later in the relative seclusion of only immediate family and friends because of the shocking murder of the Holy Father's personal pick commandant-elect Alois Estermann. For more, click on Swiss Guard.

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The Swiss Guard received 37 new recruits for service on Sunday, June 28.

      The new members of the Swiss Guard were sworn in quietly this year, after the annual public ceremony was postponed because of the shooting of their commandant. Instead they attended a Mass at the Vatican, followed by a buffet for friends and families.

      The number of new members was slightly down from the 40 originally anticipated. However, the Swiss Guard explained that 3 recruits had dropped out for reasons of health or family difficulties; the attrition had nothing to do with the recent shootings, officials said.

For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site. CWN is not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.

   Dear children! Today I desire to thank you for living my messages. I bless you all with my motherly blessing and I bring you all before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.

For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE

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PRAYERS & DEVOTION

June is the month of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts. For the final day of Consecration to the Two Hearts click on Consecration

      Jesus, we know that You are merciful and that You have offered Your Heart for us. It is crowned with thorns and with our sins. We know that You implore us constantly so that we do not go astray. Jesus, remember us when we are in sin. By means of your Heart make all men love one another. Make hate disappear from amongst men. Show us Your love. We all love You and want You to protect us with Your Shepherd's Heart and free us from every sin. Jesus, enter into every heart! Be patient and never desist. We are still closed because we have not understood Your Love. Knock continuously, O Good Jesus, make us open our hearts to You at least in the moment we remember Your Passion suffered for us. Amen.

(Dictated by Our Lady to Jelena Vasilij on November 18, 1983)

      O Immaculate Heart of Mary, ardent with goodness, show Your Love towards us. May the flame of Your Heart, O Mary, descend on all mankind. We love You so. Impress true love in our hearts so that we have a continuous desire for You. O Mary, humble and meek of heart, remember us when we are in sin. You know that all men sin. Give us, by means of Your Immaculate Heart, spiritual health. Let us always see the goodness of Your maternal Heart and may we all be converted by means of the flame of Your Heart Amen.

(Dictated by Our Lady to Jelena Vasilij on November 28, 1983)

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June 30, 1998 volume 9, no. 126   DAILY CATHOLIC