Daily Readings - Mon Jun 01 2020
First Reading - Genesis 3.9-15, 20 or Acts 1.12-14
Genesis
9But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"10He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."11And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"12The man said, "The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."13Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."14So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."20Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
Acts
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city.13When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.14They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
John
25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
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.