“You are the author of your own life …” – somebody shared that line in a Whatsapp group recently. Those words reminded me of Junipero Serra whom I “met” again during my business trip to Silicon Valley this past week. While Silicon Valley is all about transforming technology, to me Father Serra is about the will to transform oneself.
At age 36, Junipero Serra left a prestigious professorship position in the Island of Majorca, Spain, to become a missionary in Mexico. He sailed through the Atlantic and walked 300 miles through tropical forest and high plateau from the port of Veracruz to México City. Then again at age 55, he left his established position in Mexico, sailed to Baja California and journeyed 900 miles through the arid landscape to start the Catholic missions in California. He arrived in San Diego on July 1, 1769 (hence his feast day is celebrated on that date).
By the end of his life in 1784, Fr. Serra had founded nine mission churches in California, including Mission Santa Clara de Asís that is now inside Santa Clara University campus. (It was the first mission named after a female saint, and that was where I met his statue.) His presence now adorns not only the mission churches in California, but also the US Capitol building in Washington, DC.
Like many other saints, Junipero Serra was not a perfect man. (If you google his name, you can easily find his critics.) But in him, I found an inspiration that it is never too late to transform ourselves as long as we are not too attached to our previous accomplishments. Paraphrasing the famous quote from Andre Gide, a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, “We can discover new lands if we consent to lose sight of the shore.” That, and a great faith in God’s leadership.
Travel Tips
If you happen to be in Silicon Valley and have some free time, visit Santa Clara University campus, a beautiful complex lined with tall palm trees. It is pleasant to stroll along its well-manicured gardens and wind down after a busy day in this high-tech capital of the world. I visited the campus during a summer evening, and the place was very peaceful.
The historic Santa Clara Mission Church, originally founded in 1777, is now a student chapel inside the campus. It is open to visitors from 8 AM to 8 PM, 7 days a week.
Within walking distance of the campus is Franklin Square where you can find restaurants and plenty of parking spots. I had a tasty dinner at Jasmine Thai restaurant there. For more restaurant choices (and shopping!), head to the nearby Santana Row in San Jose.
REFLECTIONS ON LIFE, WORK, AND FAITH IN THE 21ST-CENTURY AMERICA 