Meditation:
Sin begets more sin. Cain’s sin creates a whole civilization of sinful men. The few righteous people left on earth may have felt abandoned. But God did not abandon them. He gave them a new promised line, the line of Seth. It is from this line that Christ would come. It is at this time that men began to call upon the name of Yahweh. This was the name by which the righteous once knew God. But now we have been given a new name to call upon, the name of Jesus. Throughout Lent, let us always keep calling upon the name of the Lord: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Reading: Gen 4:16-26
Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad was the father of Mehuja-el, and Mehuja-el the father of Methusha-el, and Methusha-el the father of Lamech. And Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, hearken to what I say: I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him.” To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the Lord.
Prayer:
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.
