Pentecost Sunday – Second Reading – 05/24/2026

Peter writes to a  community struggling with division and disunity.  Sound familiar?

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Howdy, and welcome to Bob the Lecture. I'm Bob. The purpose of this podcast is to inspire Catholic lectors to bring their proclamation of God's Word to life. This episode is for the May 24th, Sunday Mass's second reading. It's Pentecost Sunday, year A. A reading from the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians. Brothers and sisters, no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit. There are different forms of service, but the same Lord. There are different workings, but the same God, who produces all of them in every one. For each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. As a body is one, though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ, for in one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one spirit. The Word of the Lord. Happy birthday, y'all. It's Pentecost Sunday, the birth of the church. Paul is writing to a young Christian community struggling with division and disunity. The more things change, the more they stay the same. 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 is instructional and subtly corrective. The emphasis will be informational rather than emotional. Some historical context. Corinth was a cosmopolitan, morally complex city. Think of it as the Las Vegas of 2,000 years ago. Paul knew the Corinthians quite well. When he arrived there from Athens, he initially approached his own Jewish people, but they opposed him and reviled him. So he shook out his garments and said to him, Your blood be on your heads, I am clear of responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. See Acts 18.6. So he introduced the gospel to the Gentiles and lived with them for about a year and a half. See Acts 18.11. This letter was written about three or four years after he left Corinth, in the year 55 or so. What do you learn from this reading? We begin. Brothers and sisters, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Even our smallest act of faith is through God loving us first. Smile and use a warm and inviting tone and demeanor as you greet your congregation with brothers and sisters. For the balance of this sentence, use a factual and informational tenor and facial expression. Emphasize no one and accept. Also another small pause after Lord. Next we have there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit. There are different forms of service, but the same Lord. There are different workings, but the same God, who produces all of them in everyone. What an awesome sentence. This is a gorgeous expression of the Trinity. One, the same Spirit as the Holy Spirit, two, the same Lord as Jesus Christ. Three, the same God as God the Father. Paul uses some sweet parallel construction here with there are different kinds, there are different forms, and there are different workings, interwoven with, but the same spirit, but the same Lord, and but the same God. Emphasize this practically poetic structure with a cadence and rhythm that draws attention to it. Highlight spirit, service, Lord, workings, God, all, and everyone. Insert small pauses after gifts, service, workings, and God, and a micro pause after them. Next we have, to each individual, the manifestation of the spirit is given for some benefit. Each person has God given gifts, not for our own egos, but for service to the common good. Stress each, given, and benefit. Insert a micro pause after individual. This is followed by, as a body is one, though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. This is Paul respectfully correcting a Christian community struggling with its competition over their respective spiritual gifts. Emphasize the first body, the first parts, though many, the third body, and Christ. When you read, so also Christ, do so with a tone of voice and facial expression of quiet strength. Think of a statement that you believe unequivocal and mirror that. Lastly, for in one spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one spirit. Paul is radically undermining ancient social hierarchies with his statement that in Christ, dignity is universal without regard to nationality, ethnicity, rank, or social status. All belong to Christ. Worldly distinctions have no place among the baptized. Imagine Paul facing your congregation today, and instead of whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, admonishing us with whether Democrat or Republican, alien or citizen. Note again the parallelism that we have with one body at the end of the preceding sentence and in this sentence. Also, one spirit at the beginning and end of the sentence. Use a cadence to draw attention to this exquisite structure. Read this sentence with a firm confidence. Emphasize spirit, all baptized, one body, Jews, Greeks, slaves, free persons, all and one spirit. Insert small pauses after the first spirit and drink. 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 bobthelector.org and we'll see you at the Ambo. By the way, if you like what you hear and are so inclined, please give us five stars on Apple Podcasts. Thanks so much.