Daily Readings - Mon May 29 2023
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
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.