Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: August 30th 2026

Winchester Bible Jeremiah, Wikimedia

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 124

Jeremiah as he appears in our first reading today is a very sad figure, and pondering on that passage, we have to accept the very real negativity found there and perhaps honestly admit, that we can be very like Jeremiah in this mood of despondency and internal anger which he articulates by chastising God for having 'seduced', 'duped' or deceived him.

Jeremiah feels that God's deception, resulting in his own sorrow and terror have brought him to to the point of genuine despair.

This rawness is not surprising when we remind ourselves of the opening verses of Chapter 20 where we learn of Jeremiahs punishment for prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem : "Now the priest Pashhur,a son of Immer, chief officer in the house of the LORD,* heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

So he struck the prophet and put him in the stocks at the upper Gate of Benjamin in the house of the LORD" (Jer 20:1,2) It is upin his release that the Prophet continues his ministry but also addresses God about his own faithfulness under this burden of persecution.

But as we discover, despite this complaint (or rather the honest expression of real emotional and spiritual pain) if we carry on reading the Chapter further we begin to understand that despite all of this negativity, Jeremiah nevertheless maintains his confidence in God. I can see myself in that rather petulant and despairing tone prose of the Prophet, when I too am moaning about a God who does not seem to be helping me but whose presence still tugs at my innards, these words of Jeremiah strike home

"I say I will not mention him,
I will no longer speak in his name.
But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding back,
I cannot!" (Jer 20:9) Perhaps you do the same at times?

There is no problem in acknowledging our frustration with God, for as I have often noted in these reflections, the negative areas of our personality and their expression revealed and articulated by ourselves to God by our conscience, and in our spiritual life is also those fundamental virtues of honesty and humility ( the humble and contrite heart so beloved by God) which echoes the teaching of Jesus in his open invitation to us which we find in Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

These all work with us in a living relationship with God which we yearn for and then find in these moments or raw truthfulness. Our faith life is not a box of chocolates, it is a real experience in which our own personality, our faults, failings, goodness, and gifts, become our offering as part of the wholeness of a loving God holding us tight in a relationship of compassionate and merciful love. Even the most dour amongst us can acknowledge this need to belong and find our fulfilment in the Most High.

If anything the second reading from the letter to the Romans gives us a tool to help us get on with our gospel journey, it's a reminder that the intellect is important, seeking God is not only emotional, the mind also matters, so perhaps we can hold this phrase in our own prayers and reflections, it needs little comment: "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect".(Rm 12:2) Yet it is the gospel that enlarges what we have discerned in the short passage from Jeremiah, here we find Jesus rebuking Peter for an emotional outburst, reminding him and each one of us, to think before jumping in to an argument or making our views known.

The scenario is different to that of Jeremiah, yet it brings us back to our necessity of learning and making our own those two virtues of truth and humility. Jeremiah does, and Peter will in time - but often through learning from his mistakes! And that is perhaps what Jesus also tells us when he asks us to accept these conditions of discipleship and follow him: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,* take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?"( Mt 16:24-26 )

Lectio

A prayer of Jeremiah in its rawness
Jeremiah 17:12-18
Jeremiah prays that God would help him

Lord, your beautiful throne is high above.
You have ruled there from the beginning.
That is where we worship you.

You are the one that the Israelites hope in.
Everyone who turns away from you will be ashamed.

They will disappear,
as if their names are written in the dust.

Lord, you give life to your people,
like a spring of fresh water.

But they have turned against you.
Lord, please make me well again.
Then I will be completely well.
Rescue me so that I am completely safe.
You are the one that I praise!

People are asking me questions.
They say, 'Nothing has happened to us yet!
When will the Lord's message become true?'

Lord, I have not stopped taking care of your people.
I have never asked you to destroy them on one final day.
You know that,
and you know everything that I have said.
Please do not make me afraid!
When I am in trouble,
I run to you to be safe.
Please bring shame on those who want to hurt me.
Do not make me ashamed.
Make those people afraid,
but do not make me afraid.
Destroy them with a time of great trouble.
Punish them completely!

The Faith and Task Of Peter ( and ourselves)

John 21:15-17: "When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." [Jesus] said to him, "Feed my sheep."