The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Second Reading – 08/16/2026

We have a complex and occasionally confusing message by St. Paul, but he finishes with a beautiful and heartfelt message that God’s mercy is for all.

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 August 16th, Sunday Mass's second reading. It's the twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, year A, a reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans. Brothers and sisters, I am speaking to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry, in order to make my race jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be? But life from the dead? For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable, just as you once disobeyed God, but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed, in order that by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy, for God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. The word of the Lord. Welcome to the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, y'all. I won't kid you. We have a complex and confusing message from St. Paul, which, at the time of its writing, was directed to a specific audience and had a specific context, but to our present-day congregations, it's a tough one. In the last sentence, Paul doubles down on complexity, but finishes with a beautiful, heart-moving close. So let's get to it, shall we? I we 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 read? Because if it doesn't mean anything to us, how can we as lectors make it mean anything to the congregation before us? Some historical context might be interesting. Paul's writing from Corinth around 57 AD to a mixed community of mostly Gentiles, but some Jews, navigating persecution, including martyrdom. His readers are a small minority struggling to survive in the heart of the pagan Roman Empire. This reading provides another layer to Last Sundays, when Paul expressed his grief over the rejection of the gospel by his fellow Israelites. He continues that theme, but finds a silver lining in that their denial opened the way for proclamation of the gospel to us Gentiles. The overriding message for your congregation is God's mercy, which culminates at our reading's close. What lessons do you get from this reading? By the way, insert small pauses at all commas, semicolons, and periods, even if I don't say so. There are some readings where we read through some punctuation, and this has one, but I don't want to hold us up for the others. We begin. Brothers and sisters, I am speaking to you Gentiles. Memorize the introduction in first sentence so you can deliver that entire portion without ever looking down at the lectionary, having eye contact with the congregation the entire time, as if you're having a conversation directly with them. Consider two ways to kick off this reading and choose the one most authentic for you. Brothers and sisters with an upward lilt, or brothers and sisters with a downward one. Whichever option you choose, use a warm and inviting tone of voice and facial expression. When you read, I am speaking to you Gentiles, make it personal and direct, with the tone that you would use in a conversation when you really want to get someone's attention to make a strong point. Highlight speaking and gentiles. Next we have, inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry, in order to make my race jealous, and thus save some of them. As Paul addresses his fellow Christians in Rome, who he has identified as Gentiles, Paul refers to himself as their apostle. He mentions his dream, maybe a fantasy, that the acceptance of the gospel by Gentile outsiders would somehow provoke his Jewish brothers and sisters to jealousy, and they would thereby accept salvation in Christ. Speak with confidence and conviction when you proclaim, inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, inject subtle joy and use a slight smile when you say, I glory in my ministry. Then shift to a serious tone when you say, In order to make my race jealous. Close this section with an optimistic tone when you read, and thus save some of them. Emphasize apostle, glory, ministry, jealous, and save some. Insert a micro pause after ministry. Next up, for if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be? But life from the dead. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. When the Jews rejected the gospel and began persecuting Christians, starting with a martyrdom of Saint Stephen, many Christians fled Jerusalem and began spreading the gospel to outsiders. Nonetheless, all the promises God made to the Israelites remain in effect, because God's gift of grace is irrevocable. Unlike us mortals, God does not withdraw his affections just because its recipients don't respond to his benevolence. Use an explanatory tone when you proclaim, for if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be? Use a sense of wonder for but life from the dead. Use eye contact, a smile, and a tone of voice and facial expression of joy when you read, for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. If you can do so authentically, at a throat tremble for irrevocable, stress rejection, reconciliation, acceptance, life, dead, gifts call God and irrevocable. Insert micropauses after be and God, then just as you once disobeyed God, but have now received mercy because of their disobedience? So they have now disobeyed, in order that by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. The unbelief of the Jewish people paved the way for the proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles, and made it easier for them to accept it outside the context of Jewish culture. This did not happen overnight. Initially, the early church believed that to be saved, you first had to accept Jewish law, including circumcision, before you could become a Christian. This gradually evolved and this barrier to entry removed. Use a reflective tone for just as you once disobeyed God, but have now received mercy, because of their disobedience? Apply uplilts for mercy and there employ a matter of fact and non judgmental tone for so they have now disobeyed, and an explanatory one for the balance of this sentence, in order that by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. Emphasize you once, the first now, the first mercy, their the first they, order, the second you, they too, the second now, and the third and last mercy. Insert micro pauses after God, the first mercy, and disobeyed. Ignore the comma that follows that and read this clause straight through without a pause. We close with, for God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. I gotta tell you, this is a tough nut to crack. At face value you have to ask, does this mean God positively leads people to sin? Paul says he delivered all to disobedience, but that is not Paul's message or intent. He doesn't mean God affirmatively moves people to do wrong. Rather, God created humankind with free will, which permits our fall into waywardness. By doing so, the greater good of God's mercy is introduced for our redemption. This verse is one of many that speaks to the universal sinfulness of humanity. Another famous one is, all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. See Romans 3.23. But the climax of this passage is how God responds to our disobedience. We close with the passage's fifth use of the word mercy. Use a monotone to downplay the line, for God delivered all to disobedience. Shift to direct eye contact and a smile for the balance of the reading, letting your congregation know God's mercy is for them. Use an uplift for the second all. Emphasize mercy and the second and final all. Use a micro pause after mercy. 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 bobthelecture.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 lecturers, your pastor, and your liturgy director. Thanks so much.