“These are the generations of Noe: Noe was a just and perfect man in his generations, he walked with God. And he begot three sons, Sem, Cham, and Japheth. And the earth was corrupted before God, and was filled with iniquity. And when God had seen that the earth was corrupted (for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth,) He said to Noe: The end of all flesh is come before me, the earth is filled with iniquity through them, and I will destroy them with the earth.”
To walk according to the natural moral law, that of goodness and virtue, is to walk with God as Noe did here. There are many that, before the coming of Christ, walked in virtue and goodness; the Old Testament saints and figures such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle attest to this. To these it is granted the grace to finally discover to what, or to whom, this goodness is oriented: “The hour cometh, wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they that have done good things, shall come forth unto the resurrection of life; but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgement” (John 5:28-29). One meaning of Logos, which St. John uses for the “Word” in His gospel, is right reason, and those who live according to this and reach out for what they were unable to grasp will be granted the resurrection of life, as Jesus came to them in the harrowing of hell to unveil the gospel message to them. To you, however, dearest Theophila, is granted something much greater than this, for the Christian mystery is not simply attaining heaven and avoiding hell, but something much more beautiful: A relationship of love between you and your God, an immersion in the Trinity that opens the love of Abba unto you like unto Christ in the Holy Spirit: “Your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). This is why waiting until the end of life for baptism is, aside from being foolish, makes life less wonderful and filled with love, for in this great sacrament the heavens open and love is poured out upon the one that has entered the life of the Trinity: “And Jesus,” whose life you share, “being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him. And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). The sons of Noe were discussed above, and so turn your eye to the poor state of man in this scene. There is no pile of gems as precious as a single human soul, nothing as beautiful or deserving of reverence, and each was defiled with the sickness of sin. It is an important lesson to realize that when someone sins, it calls for great pity, for sin comes from a wounded heart, one that needs love, and so the great sinner is one in unspeakable pain: “There is no peace in my bones, because of my sins. For my iniquities are gone over my head: and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon me. My sores are putrified and corrupted, because of my foolishness. I am become miserable” (Psalm 37:4-7). Thus, when the world is filled with iniquity, it is corrupted, for like a garment rent, a body filled with sickness, or a home covered in rot, mold, and garbage, so too is the culture or individual plagued with sin. God communicates the work He is about to do to Noe, and in this is seen a mystery that has two types. The mystery is that the Christian walk entails a complete death to self, with the human goodness that has always been present in one’s nature being utterly transformed as all that once was falls away and something new and beautiful arises. Any natural goodness, such as a natural fortitude or prudence, will be transformed in love, taking shape in an entirely new and more beautiful manner. All of this is typified by the Israelites who came from Egypt not making it into the Promised Land, but those that were born in the journey in the desert, and by Christ’s agony in the garden, for He saw in this moment the demands of love, and that it would make Him into something unrecognizable in the end. It is a long, painful process, but Abba, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary, and the saints are all at holding your hand as you are transformed in love: “My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39); “Behold threescore valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel, surrounding the bed of Solomon,” which is the place prepared for you in heaven, “all holding swords, and most expert in war: every man’s sword upon his thigh, because of fears in the night” (Song 3:7-8). Therefore, when the rains come and beat upon your house, Jesus is there: “Be of good heart: it is I, fear ye not” (Matthew 14:27; “Fear not, for I am with thee” Isaias 41:10, loving you through all that life brings forward, understanding intimately your every ache, sorrow, and trial, having endured it to be one with you. In addition, there is no flood without the rainbow, there is no cross without the resurrection, and there is no trial in your life where great grace will not come in tow. Always believe in love. Therefore, God’s message to Noe is also to you, that whatever is contrary to God’s love in you will be rinsed away by the rain, which can represent love, truth, trial, and any combination thereof, but He will uphold you with His loving arms: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather together the lambs with his arm, and shall take them up in his bosom” (Isaias 40:11).