Daily Readings - Mon Jun 01 2020

First Reading - Genesis 3.9-15, 20 or Acts 1.12-14

⁹And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: "Where are you?¹⁰And he said, "I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid myself.¹¹He said to him, "Then who told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of the tree from which I instructed you that you should not eat?¹²And Adam said, "The woman, whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree, and I ate.¹³And the Lord God said to the woman, "Why have you done this?" And she responded, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.¹⁴And the Lord God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth. Upon your breast shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all the days of your life¹⁵I will put enmities between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head, and you will lie in wait for her heel.²⁰And Adam called the name of his wife, ‘Eve,’ because she was the mother of all the living

Acts

Chapter 1

¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain, which is called Olivet, which is next to Jerusalem, within a Sabbath day’s journey¹³And when they had entered into the cenacle, they ascended to the place where Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude of James, were staying¹⁴All these were persevering with one accord in prayer with the women, and with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers

John

Chapter 19

²⁵And standing beside the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, and Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene²⁶Therefore, when Jesus had seen his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son.²⁷Next, he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother." And from that hour, the disciple accepted her as his own

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments in Scripture that invite us to reflect on human nature, responsibility, and redemption. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Adam and Eve after they have eaten the forbidden fruit. Their fear and blame-shifting—Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent—reveal the fractured relationships and division that sin introduces into the world. Yet, amidst this brokenness, there is a glimmer of hope: the promise of enmity between the serpent and the woman, and the ultimate victory of her offspring over evil. This passage reminds us that sin separates us from God and from one another, but it also points to the possibility of redemption. The Gospel reading from John shifts our focus to the cross, where Jesus, in his final moments, entrusts his mother to the care of the beloved disciple. This act of love and responsibility speaks to the heart of Jesus' mission: to restore relationships and create a new family bound together by faith and love. Just as Adam named Eve, symbolizing their bond, Jesus here creates a new bond between his mother and the disciple, inviting us to see one another as part of a shared family in God. These readings call us to examine our own relationships and how we respond to challenges. Like Adam and Eve, we often shift blame rather than taking responsibility, but Jesus shows us a different way. By embracing vulnerability and trust, he teaches us to care for one another as a family. Let us strive to build relationships marked by love, accountability, and mutual support, remembering that through Christ, we are called to overcome division and live as one body.