Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Even though we celebrate Ash Wednesday tomorrow, our First Reading points to a need for purging in the hearts of all humans due to their wickedness. Just as we go to Confession to wipe clean the slate, God notes it is necessary to have a completely fresh board to work with, especially when humans only have evil desire in their hearts (Genesis 6:5). This desire for purity is noted by the Lord’s request to bring seven pairs of animals onto the ark (Genesis 7:2) and waiting seven days before the rains will come (Genesis 7:4) points to the numerical purity that often permeates the Scripture. In what would have been tomorrow’s First Reading (Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22), we find out that one “restart” is enough as the Lord says, “Never again will I doom the earth because of man… nor will I ever again strike down all the living beings” (Genesis 8:21). Thus, as we enter into the sacred time of Lent, let us take a moment beforehand to think about what are the things or desires in my own life that need to be purified.