The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – First Reading – 07/12/2026

We’re back with our old friend, the Prophet Isaiah, who poetically promises the powerful potency of God’s word.  Say that three times real fast.

Transcript

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Howdy, and welcome to Bob the Lector. 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 july twelfth, Sunday Mass's first reading. It's the fifteenth Sunday in ordinary time, year A. A reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah. Thus says the Lord, just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down, and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows, and bread to the one who eats. So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. The word of the Lord. Welcome to the fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, y'all. We're back with our old friend the prophet Isaiah. This is a beautiful, practically poetic passage promising the powerful potency of God's Word. Wow, say that three times real fast. 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? One of the tenets of public speaking is to know your audience. Who is the ideal recipient of this reading? Second Isaiah prophesied in Babylon in the 6th century BC while the Israelites were in exile. He is understood to have been a disciple of the original 8th century BC Isaiah. God's chosen people were in dire need of encouragement. This message was a rallying cry, reminding them they were not abandoned, and that God's word, like the rain, always comes in due season. Deliver this message of hope and optimism to those before you who likewise feel dejected and abandoned. Speak to them, so they know they are not forgotten, and that God's word will still bring fruitfulness and purpose to their lives. What lessons do you get from this reading? This passage is one single very long compound sentence. I struggled a bit on how to divvy it up, and rather than splitting it between the two sub sentences, I split it up by its two verses. So verse 10 reads, Thus says the Lord, just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down, and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows, and bread to the one who eats. This message is intended to give comfort through the use of a metaphor familiar to the agrarian Israelites. The consistent and reliable cycle of rain, growth, and harvest symbolizes the consistency and reliability of God's Word, providing an antidote to the Israelites' experience of displacement, loss, and uncertainty during the Babylonian exile. Use a firm and majestic tone when you say, Thus says the Lord. Shift to a gentle tone when you proclaim Just as from the heavens, then to a chant like cadence for the rain and snow come down. Move to a tone of firmness and certainty for, and do not return there. Apply a tenor of warmth as you read, till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows. Add a layer of kind heartedness as you close this verse with and bread to the one who eats. Emphasize thus Lord, just heavens, rain, snow, down, do not return there, watered, fertile, fruitful seed, sows, bread, and eats. Insert micropauses after down, there, fertile, seed, and sows. Verse eleven says, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. Word is translated from the Hebrew Dabar. It describes the spoken word, but in certain contexts also a thing or event. In early Jewish tradition, the Lord's word referred primarily to the covenant commandments, but here the prophet Isaiah uses it to convey the Lord's all-powerful and dynamic presence in history, even in his people's current, seemingly hopeless situation. Use a firm and strong tone for, so shall my word be, that goes forth from my mouth. Continue that tone and add a layer of resolute confidence for the rest of the verse. Highlight, so shall my word be, forth mouth, not void, do my will, and achieving the end. Insert a small pause after B. 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 bobthector.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 and forward this podcast to your fellow lectors, your pastor, and your liturgy director. Thanks so much.