The Fifth Sunday of Easter – Second Reading – 05/03/2026

Peter's letter to the churches in Asia Minor gives us rich biblical images of the Church with Christ as the living cornerstone, and we as living stones, built into a spiritual temple.

Transcript

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Howdy, and welcome to Bob the Lector. I'm Bob. The purpose of this podcast is to inspire Catholic lectures to bring their proclamation of God's Word to life. This episode is for the May 3rd Sunday Mass's second reading. It's the fifth Sunday of Easter, year A. A reading from the first letter of St. Peter. Beloved, come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings, but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and like living stones. Let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in Scripture, Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame. Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall. They stumble by disobeying the word as is their destiny. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. The word of the Lord. Welcome to the fifth Sunday of Easter, y'all. We continue with 1 Peter, which gives us some rich biblical images of the church, with Christ as the living cornerstone, and we believers as living stones, built into a spiritual temple. So let's get to it, shall we? I always start my own lecture practice with preparation, which is not the external proclamation, but the internal discernment of the message. What is God saying to us? What is his purpose? What is the meaning of this reading? Because if it doesn't mean anything to us, how can we as lectors make it mean anything to the congregation before us? This reading contains an invitation, a commissioning, and then closes with some joyous affirmation. At a more detailed level, it reminds us every baptized person shares in Christ's priesthood. Our Catholic identity is both a gift and a responsibility. Our Christian faith is both communal and missionary. Peter gives us ample opportunities to connect directly with the congregation in a heartfelt and joyous manner, but also in a serious and sober one. Let's bring this good news to life and rouse the hearts of the souls before us. What do you learn from this reading? We begin. Beloved, come to Him, a living stone, rejected by human beings, but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. It opens with beloved, so use a warm, loving, and joyful tone and demeanor. Pause after beloved to give this greeting some time to land with the congregation. The first segment of this long opening sentence is an invitation. Emphasize beloved, come, living stone, rejected, chosen, and precious. Insert small pauses after beloved, Him, beings, and God. Use eye contact and continue with measured joy as you proclaim, come to Him a living stone, speaking directly to the congregation. Then shift to sorrow with rejected by human beings. Add a touch of grief in how you stress rejected. Reset your tone again with joy as you say, but chosen and precious in the sight of God. Come to a full stop after God, as if you're replacing that comma with a period. The second segment of this first sentence is Peter's commissioning of his readers, and your commissioning of your listeners, continuing with his metaphor of the church as a building. As such, use a warm and welcoming tone and demeanor. When you read, and like living stones, read it straight through without a pause for the comma. For the remainder of this sentence, use a thoughtful tone and direct eye contact. Make your listeners know you're talking to them. Emphasize yourselves, holy, and spiritual. Insert small pauses after house, priesthood, and sacrifices. Use a similar cadence for to be a royal priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices, to draw attention to their parallelism. Next we have, for it says in Scripture, Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame. Use full pauses before and after this sentence, so your audience knows Peter is quoting Scripture. Speak with a strong and confident tone of voice and demeanor. Also, keep a smile. This is good news. This is a direct quote from Isaiah 28, 16. See, I am laying a stone in Zion, a stone that has been tested, a precious cornerstone as a sure foundation. Whoever puts faith in it will not waver. Isaiah is speaking of Christ Himself. Highlight, behold, cornerstone, chosen, precious, whoever, and not. When you get to whoever, make eye contact with the people in the pews before you. Isaiah is talking to them. Next we have, therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall. Continue your joy and eye contact through, therefore its value is for you who have faith. Then shift your tone to one of deep gravity and seriousness, but not condemnation, for the rest of this sentence. Insert small pauses after faith and plus fall to delineate these passages as quotations of Scripture. The first is Psalm 118.22. Jesus Himself quotes this scripture in Matthew 21. The second is Isaiah 8.14. You overachievers are free to look them up on your own time. Stress, for you, rejected, cornerstone, stone, rock, stumble, and fall. Use a cadence and tone to draw attention to the parallelism of a stone that will make people stumble plus a rock that will make them fall. The last section They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. This section has two diametrically opposed sentences. The first one should continue with the serious gravity of the preceding section, but also as if you're clarifying the meaning of the aforementioned scriptures. Emphasize they stumble, followed by a small pause, then read the balance of that sentence straight through without any eye contact. Follow with a full pause as you transition from these disobedient they to the faithful believers before you. Emphasize the contrast between the two. The next sentence is Peter's statement of affirmation for the church of here and now. Use direct eye contact and an abrupt shift to a tone of joy. Smile broadly. Highlight the first you, chosen, royal, holy, people, the second you and his wonderful light. If you can do so authentically, add a tremble in the back of your throat for his wonderful light. Insert small pauses after the first you, race, priesthood, nation, and own as you are reciting a list. Read so that you may announce the praises of Him who called you out of darkness straight through, at a small pause after darkness. Read this last sentence with as much eye contact as you can muster or memorize, building up to a veritable crescendo of joy. Well, that's all for now. Thanks for listening. My hope is these ideas will help you find your authentic voice, so your proclamation of God's word will transform your listeners, whether they're in pain and broken, or just going through the motions. Because the good news deserves great delivery. Visit us on the web at bobthecture.org and we'll see you at the Ambo. 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