Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 30, 2026
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
Throughout our courtship, engagement, and marriage, the image of a sailboat has been very important to my husband and me.
I remember very vividly one of the first cards that my husband gave me early in our relationship. It depicted a sailboat on the front, and the message penned on the inside invited me to trust the winds of the Holy Spirit to fill our sails and guide our journey. Ever since that time—now more than 25 years ago—the image of the Holy Spirit navigating our lives has been a touchstone for me. It has gotten me through a decade of missionary life, the early years of marriage and family life, career transitions, navigating the waters of parenting adolescents, and the everyday joys and challenges of living as a modern-day disciple.
When life is smooth sailing, though, I often forget how present God is to me. I have fallen into the trap of believing that once I committed myself to following Christ, the road would open up before me and all hardships would fall away. I discern God’s will for me. I do it. God takes care of the rest. Simple, right?
But then the storms blow in. The waves crash over me. My boat fills with water. I truly believe that I might drown. And where is God? The Lord must have fallen asleep on the job, right? Did he forget that I got into the boat with him? Did he forget his part of the deal? It feels as if God has forgotten that I am a member of the crew—as if God is leaving me to bail water and navigate the storm on my own.
Why am I afraid? Why is my faith so little? God is not asleep on the job! The Lord will rebuke the winds and calm the seas—even when that seems to be an impossibility.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, when storms rise and we are afraid, remind us that you are with us in the boat. Our ancestors, our families, and our brothers in Holy Cross have weathered many tempests, yet your presence has steadied us. Teach us again to trust your quiet power—to rest, even when the waves roar. Calm the storms within and around us, and grant us the deep peace that comes only from faith in you. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Theobald left his home in France to pursue holiness in solitude; years later, his parents heard stories of a famous and holy hermit in Italy, and were shocked to learn that he was their son.
He was born in 1017 to a noble family. As a child, he was captivated by the early saints who fled the city to seek a life of solitude and prayer in the desert—saints like John the Baptist, Paul the Hermit, and Anthony the Great. He wanted to follow them in their pursuit of perfection and holiness.
As he grew, he was given a military command commensurate with his noble rank and was asked to lead soldiers into the field. He spoke with his commander and explained that he had made a vow to leave the world and live as a hermit. He spoke so eloquently and passionately that he was released.
Theobald and a friend named Walter left their home region and began living as wandering beggars. They built for themselves two small shelters in the forest and gave their lives to prayer and work, in the monastic tradition. For their labor, they went into the village and hired themselves out as field workers, hauled stones for masons, and cleaned stables. While they worked with their hands, their minds were absorbed in prayer. What little they earned they spent on coarse bread, which was their sustenance.
People began to take notice, and Theobald and Walter became well known for their practices and their holiness. The two friends wanted to escape notoriety and its danger of pride, so they went on pilgrimage. They walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, then on to Rome.
They settled in Italy near Vicenza, and after two years there, Walter died. Theobald took it as a sign that he would soon die as well, so he gave himself even more to prayer and discipline. A number of followers gathered around him, and the local bishop ordained Theobald a priest so that they could celebrate the Sacraments together.
Stories of Theobald started to spread—people spoke of miracles and prophecies—and his parents learned that this famous hermit was their son. They traveled to Italy to visit him, and his mother resolved to stay with him; Theobald built her a small hermitage next to his. It was not long after that Theobald fell ill—he died on this date in 1066.
Theobald was canonized only seven years after his death, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Theobald, you were inspired by stories of Saints who sought perfection in the desert—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Theobald is available for use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license. Last accessed March 19, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
