First Reading

Reading from the Book of Genesis

Genesis 3, 9-15. 20

After the man and the woman had eaten from the fruit of the forbidden tree, the Lord God called the man and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard your footsteps in the garden; and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid.” Then God said to him, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I forbade you to eat?”
 
Adam replied: “The woman you gave me as a companion offered me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the woman: “Why have you done this?” The woman answered: “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
you will be cursed among all animals
and among all wild beasts.
You will crawl on your belly and eat dust
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
between your offspring and hers;
and her offspring will crush your head,
while you will try to bite her heel”.
 
The man gave his wife the name “Eve,” because she was the mother of all the living.

Gospel

Reading from the holy Gospel according to Saint John

John 19, 25-34

At that time, standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother: “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple: “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and so that Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said: “I am thirsty.” A jar full of vinegar was there. The soldiers soaked a sponge in the vinegar, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to his mouth. Jesus tasted the vinegar and said: “It is finished,” and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.
 
Then, because it was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath—especially since that Sabbath was a solemn day—the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and then of the other who had been crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.