Our daily readings today provide us with many thoughts – and meditations.  David’s Psalms are, in most cases, prayers – and how appropriate are some of them for us in 2023 – especially the final verses of Psalm 9.  “Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you!   Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! “

Then we look at our first reading!  How totally awesome was God’s judgement on humans – God wiped all except Noah and his family, but thankfully  the record then tells us that “the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature …” [8 v.21]

How reassuring to have this promise as our world in 2023 is so comparable to Noah’s days.   As we read on in Matthew’s gospel this month we will encounter an awesome prophecy by our Lord about the attitudes that will have developed on earth at the time of his return.  

We read in ch. 24, “For as were the days ofNoah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” [ch, 24 v,37-39]  

Jesus then goes on to ask, “”Who then is the faithful and wise servant …. Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”  May we all be “faithful and wise” as we pray ever more earnestly, with David,  “Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail” … Put them in fear, O LORD!”  Finally, back in today’s ch. 6 we embrace in our heart the words of Jesus telling us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness …” [v.33] and then the “master … will set (us) over all his possessions.”