Daily Readings - Mon May 29 2023

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

The readings today invite us to reflect on the mystery of human frailty and the promise of divine redemption. In the first reading from Genesis, we witness the aftermath of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Their sin leads to separation from God, and the blame-shifting that follows reveals the brokenness of humanity. Yet, amidst this brokenness, God offers a glimmer of hope: the enmity between the serpent and the woman, and the promise that her offspring will crush the serpent’s head. This is the first hint of the redemption that will come through Christ. In the Gospel, we see Mary, the mother of Jesus, standing at the foot of the cross. While Adam and Eve represent the first parents who turned away from God, Mary represents the obedience and faith that will lead to the restoration of humanity. Jesus, in his final moments, entrusts Mary to the care of the beloved disciple, symbolizing the new family of faith that will be formed through his sacrifice. Mary’s presence at the cross, like her presence at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, underscores her role as the mother of all believers. These readings remind us that sin and failure are part of the human condition, but they do not have the final word. Through Mary, we see the fidelity and trust that allow God’s plan of redemption to unfold. In our own lives, we are called to imitate Mary’s faith and openness to God’s will. Like the beloved disciple, we are invited to welcome Mary into our lives as a symbol of the Church and to embrace the mission God has entrusted to us. May we, like Mary, trust in God’s providence and cooperate with his plan to bring redemption to a world still marked by sin and brokenness.