Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: 21 June 2026

Jeremiah, Dome of Immanuel,St Mark's Basilica, Venice.

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

1. Jeremiah speaks for our time.

What a relief it is to hear those clear words of the prophet Jeremiah telling us not to listen to the babble of dissonant religious voices. It fills me with a new energy, because far too much, and too often in out present social media world , all kinds of people are allowed to say the most outrageous things about faith, cite scripture and texts out of context, and seem wilfully able to denigrate Church figures such as Pope Francis or Pope Leo, castigate normal Catholics as some deviant sect, and because they are often conspiracy theorists see the devil and all his works where good is. Their words sow confusion and discord !

Jeremiah will have none of this, he tells it as it is :

"I hear the whisperings of many:
'Terror on every side!
Denounce! let us denounce him!'
All those who were my friends
are on the watch for any misstep of mine".(Jer 20:10)

But instead of listening to these detractors and religious , gossips Jeremiah points out a reality at the heart of a living faith. It might seem a robust and slightly vengeful response, but it is the articulation of what may of us feel when bogged down in the more of irresponsible reporting and the mendacity of false prophets :"But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion:

my persecutors will stumble, they will not prevail.

In their failure they will be put to utter shame,

to lasting, unforgettable confusion.. (Jer20:11)

2. An antidote to gossip is found in prayer.

Prayer, particularly liturgical prayer, allows us to articulate these kind of negative feelings in a safe space, freed from the direct venom of anger, but held up before the Lord in all honesty. There is a safety net in the boundaries of our scriptures, psalms, and words from the prophets such as Jeremiah,for they allow the grief and confusion to be articulated, then like a good surgeon excising a cancer, they are removed with the two edged sword of truth, that healing and justice may prevail in some way . Here is `Jeremiah's hope for us in any time of of confusion, that when all is addressed, we at the end turn to the Lord in prayer :

" Sing to the LORD,
praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the evildoers."(Jer 20:13)

3. Psalm and Prophet give us strength

The psalmist prays with us in any time of distress, holding our pain in the words of the psalm and enveloping us with the divine blessing, today it is psalm 69, who comforts us with these ancient words of loving kindness :" Sing to the LORD,

praise the LORD,
For he has rescued the life of the poor
from the power of the evildoers."(Ps 69:13)

Whenever you hear these argumentative dissonant voices remind yourself of those words, evil will not triumph, the truth of the Lord is found when we have an open and penitent heart, then we know that what the prophet Micah tells us is true and is the mark of a friend of God. This is what the Lord asks of us :" to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."(Micah 6:8)

But it is to the teaching of Jesus we go for deeper reassurance and help. His voice is there, always, in the words of the Gospel, in our liturgical and private prayer, speaking to each of us in our daily needs, hopes and fears. What he says to the twelve he says to us, for this is the gentle Lord of the sparrows, the `One who intimately knows and loves these little creatures, but who knows us intimately and desires our love.

4. Jesus teaches us not to fear

Perhaps the opening words of this Sunday's gospel should become our daily prayer this week, a reminder of Jesus' care and concern, but also his protection over us, an antidote to the nonsense purporting to be faith :

" Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.* What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna".(Mt 10: 26-28)

The truth is found in witnessing to the goodness and love of the Risen Lord, proclaiming the Kingdom of God already amongst us, not by denouncing, but by announcing the good news of salvation! Amen.

Lectio

Prayer

O Good Jesus, may we hear and find you in the darkness of our lives,
so that with joy we can proclaim your salvation in the light.

Help us not to hide from the truth,
nor whisper unfounded gossip,
but openly show our love of you to others in word and deed.

And teach us not to be afraid,
but through the gift of your Spirit
rejoice in your abiding presence, encountered in Word, Sacrament,
and in one another but especially the little and least of our world .

For you are the risen Lord, now and forever . Amen

Fr Robert Gibbons Obl OSB

Wisdom from St Francis de Sales

"It is important to resist evil and address the faults of those
placed in our care,
and this must be done constantly and courageously,
but gently and peacefully."
(In III 8)

"You must not only have a kind word
for your neighbours and for strangers, but also for the people
with whom you live and your closest friends."
(In III 8)

"When humility and gentleness are genuine
they keep us from the "swelling" of the heart
which injuries and maliciousness can cause.
If, however, when stung and bitten by others we become proud,
"swollen" and irritated, it is because our humility and our gentleness
are not true and sincere, but false and illusory."
(In III 8)

"If you are speaking with someone who is truly a
slanderer, do not, in order to excuse their behaviour, say that
the person speaks frankly."
(In III 29)

"When I must speak up about another person
I must do so in so balanced and just a way that I do not utter
one word too many."
(In III 29)

"Let us be as precise and balanced as possible
in our words."
(In III 30)

"To speak little does not consist in
uttering few words, but
in not speaking useless ones."
(In III 30)

"Above all, avoid false accusations
and the distortion of truth regarding your neighbour."
(In III 29)