Meditation:
During the story of the flood, we read many times that “Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.” Noah had great faith in God, but he also allowed that faith to transform him through good works. Without faith he would not have known of the flood, and without works he would not have had an ark to save his family. While the foundation of our spiritual lives is faith in God, we must let that faith manifest itself in works to be saved. During Lent, we have a great opportunity to allow our faith to manifest itself in good works such as penance and almsgiving as we develop the virtue of justice.
Reading: Gen 7:1-5
Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive upon the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.
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.
