Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 20, 2021
On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
He woke up,
rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!”
The wind ceased and there was great calm.
Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified?
Do you not yet have faith?”
They were filled with great awe and said to one another,
“Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”
Over the past several years, I have faced multiple major life storms: the separate and unexpected deaths of two young nephews, my mother battling and dying from cancer, health issues in two of my children, a significant health problem with my brother, and a stage 4 cancer diagnosis in one of my best friends. These crises hit me in rapid succession. Before I could finish dealing with one tragedy, the waves of another storm were breaking over my boat.
But prayer and faith prevail. In the midst of the storm, prayer is my lighthouse and faith is my anchor.
Like a lighthouse, prayer gives me direction. Prayer helps me to direct my thoughts and energy toward Jesus, the one who has power over the storm. Prayer blocks out the wind and the noise, which are the voices of fear and doubt. Prayer helps me focus on the Lord’s promises instead of the problems. Prayer restores my peace. The Bible recommends that we “pray without ceasing,” and so I remain in an attitude of prayer throughout the day. When I am not concentrating on work or family, my mind and soul focus on uniting myself to Christ and our Blessed Mother by continually thanking them for their divine assistance and intercession.
Like an anchor, faith prevents my thoughts from drifting off course and my words from going in the wrong direction. The disciples speak worry, anxiety, negativity, and hopelessness. Jesus speaks faith. When the storm is raging, my thoughts and words are critical to my spiritual strength and the strength of those suffering with me. Faith-based thoughts and words have the power to positively affect any situation. Therefore, speaking my faith anchors my soul and develops a spiritual confidence that conquers fear and doubt.
With Jesus in my boat, and trusting the power of prayer and faith, I can be in the storm without the storm being in me.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, as your Church—the barque of Peter—sails the sea of time, it is often beset by the storms of division and persecution. In our lives, too, we encounter headwinds and squalls: physical illnesses, wounded relationships, the grief of loss, and the shame of our sins. When we can feel as if the waves breaking over us are too much and are filled with fear, rouse our faith in you whom even wind and sea obey, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Blessed Osanna of Mantua was born in 1449 in the Italian city of Mantua.
By the tender age of six, she reported having seen angels appear to her. She refused to marry, despite her father arranging a marriage to her. Instead, at the age of fourteen, she dedicated herself to the Dominican consecrated life by becoming a Third Order Dominican. Osanna was a great admirer of St. Catherine of Siena, a prolific Dominican, and Catherine's example inspired her to join the Dominicans.
Osanna returned home, having informed her father she had made vows. She waited thirty-seven years before taking final vows, caring for her siblings after their parents' deaths.
Osanna had many visions during prayer—she had one in which she saw her own heart before God, another in which she saw the Blessed Virgin, and another in which she saw images of Christ in his Passion.
Osanna bore the marks of Christ's passion upon her head, side, and feet. Osanna was a spiritual guide to the poorest of the poor, the beggars whom she cared for, and to the ruling elite of Mantua.
Osanna died in Mantua in 1505. Her relics were later transferred to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, where they lie today. She was beatified in 1694 by Pope Innocent XII.
Blessed Osanna of Mantua, stigmatic and mystic—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Bl. Osanna of Mantua is in the public domain. Last accessed March 19, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
