Daily Readings - Mon May 29 2023
First Reading - Genesis 3.9-15, 20 or Acts 1.12-14
Genesis
9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.14And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:15And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.20And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Acts
12Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.13And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.14These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
John
25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.26When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!27Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
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.