Daily Readings - Mon Jun 06 2022
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 salvation history that invite us to reflect on trust, responsibility, and the transformative power of love. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Adam and Eve after they have eaten the forbidden fruit. Their fear and attempt to shift blame reveal the brokenness that sin introduces into human relationships. Yet, even in the midst of this brokenness, we see the first glimmer of hope: Eve is named as the mother of all the living, and the promise is made that her offspring will ultimately crush the serpent’s head—a foreshadowing of the redemption that is to come.
The Gospel reading from John shifts our focus to the cross, where Jesus, in his final moments, entrusts his mother Mary to the care of the beloved disciple. This act of love and trust underscores the depth of Jesus’ concern for those he loves, even as he bears the weight of the world’s sins. Mary, the new Eve, becomes a mother to all believers, symbolizing the universal embrace of God’s love and the restoration of the brokenness we saw in the first reading.
These readings remind us that our lives are shaped by trust and responsibility. Like Adam and Eve, we are called to acknowledge our failures and take responsibility for our actions. Like Mary, we are invited to embrace the gift of love and care for one another, even in the face of suffering. As we reflect on these passages, let us ask ourselves: Where do we place our trust? How do we live out our faith in our relationships and in our daily lives? May we, like Mary, accept the gift of love and care for one another, trusting in God’s plan to restore all things.