Dear Sisters and
Brothers, Peace and Love of Christ Jesus abide with you always!
Today, we meditate on a
decisive moment in human history and its relationship with God. Since the fall
of Adam, sin entered the world, bringing devastating consequences. The effects
of human disobedience continued to spread, leading to a world consumed by
wickedness.
The passage before us is
both striking and deeply thought-provoking. It reveals the state of humanity
before the great flood, a moment when sin reached such an overwhelming point
that God regretted (nāḥam) making humankind. This is not a casual regret
but a sorrow so deep that it moves the heart of God. We read in Genesis 6:6:
“The Lord regretted that
he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”
Here, the Hebrew verb nāḥam
is often translated as “regret” or “repent,” but it carries the deeper sense of
being deeply pained, emotionally moved to sorrow. This is coupled with the word
(ʿāṣab), meaning “to grieve” or “to be pained.” God’s sorrow is not a
sign of weakness but of love, a divine heartbreak over the corruption of
humanity.
The Depth of Human
Wickedness : Genesis 6:5 sets the stage:
“The Lord saw that the
wickedness (rāʿat) of man was great in the earth, and that every
intention (yēṣer) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil (rāʿ)
continually.”
The word rāʿ
means not just “bad” but morally corrupt, perverse, and destructive. The term yēṣer
refers to the very formation of one’s inner thoughts and desires. The text is
not saying that humanity simply made mistakes; rather, their very imagination,
inclinations, and desires were bent entirely toward evil. Every part of their
being was infected with sin.
This passage challenges
us today. Are we not living in times when wickedness often seems to dominate?
When humanity disregards God’s ways and pursues self-centered ambitions,
oppression, and corruption? Do we not grieve God’s heart when we embrace sin as
a way of life?
Noah: The Exception that
Preserves Hope : Yet, amid this sorrow, one man stands out:
“But Noah found favor (ḥēn)
in the eyes of the Lord.”(Genesis 6:8)
The word ḥēn
means grace, unmerited favor. Noah was not spared because of his own perfection
but because of God’s grace. He walked with God, he listened, and he obeyed.
The Lord then gives Noah
a command to build the ark, a sign of salvation. He obeys without hesitation,
despite how foolish it may have seemed. When the flood finally comes (Genesis
7:10), it marks both divine judgment and divine renewal, a wiping away of
corruption but also the beginning of a new covenant.
Lessons for Us Today
God is not indifferent to sin : The
grief of God in Genesis 6 reminds us that sin is not just about breaking rules,
it wounds the heart of God. If God is love, then sin is betrayal. Are we
conscious of how our choices impact our relationship with Him?
The world’s wickedness
does not erase God’s grace: Just as Noah found
grace, we, too, are recipients of God's mercy through Jesus Christ. In a world
drowning in corruption, we must be the ones who “walk with God.”
Obedience brings
salvation: Noah did not question God’s command. He built the ark even
when there was no sign of rain. Faith calls us to act before we see results.
Are we willing to trust God even when His commands seem irrational to the
world?
The flood is a shadow of
baptism.: Just as the flood cleansed the world, baptism washes away
sin and initiates us into a new life with Christ (1 Peter 3:20-21). Are we
living out the newness of life that we have received?
God's Grief, Our Call to
Repentance
Today’s first reading reveals both the justice and mercy of
God. It shows a God who is moved by love, who does not desire the destruction
of humanity but longs for our return. The grief of God is not the sorrow of
defeat but the sorrow of a loving Father who watches His children turn away.
Yet, even in judgment, He prepares a way for salvation.
Today, the world is once
again like the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37). Corruption, violence, and moral
decay abound. But the question is: Will we be like the generation that
ignored God’s warnings, or will we be like Noah, walking faithfully,
trusting in God's grace, and obeying His voice?
Mary, the Ark of the New
Covenant: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan
Just as Noah’s ark was a
vessel of salvation, preserving life through the waters of the flood, so too is
Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, through whom God brings the fullness of
salvation in Jesus Christ. In Noah’s time, the ark carried the hope of a new
beginning, sheltering the righteous from destruction. In the fullness of time,
Mary, by her fiat, became the living ark who bore within her the Savior
of the world, the One who would conquer sin and death definitively.
God, who grieved over
human wickedness in the days of Noah, did not abandon His plan for salvation.
Through Mary, He completed what He began, offering not just temporal rescue but
eternal redemption. Just as Noah obeyed God and became the instrument of a new
creation, Mary’s perfect obedience made her the vessel through which God
Himself entered the world to bring about the final and complete renewal of
humanity.
Today, as we reflect on Noah’s faith and God’s mercy, we
are invited to look to Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant; who leads us to her
Son, the true and lasting source of salvation. In her, the promise of renewal
reaches its fulfillment, and through her intercession, we are called to enter
the true ark of salvation, Christ Himself.
The ark of salvation is open. Will you enter?
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