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Lenten Weekday
Esther C:12, 14
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16, 23
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25
Psalm 138:1
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2AB, 2CDE
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3, 7C
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8
Matthew 7:7
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12
S
UMMARY
Today’s 1st reading describes Esther’s tremendous faith as she prays for
her people, the Israelites. Matthew’s Gospel demonstrates the power of
prayer. The theme of all the readings is expressed in Psalm 138,”
Lord on
the day I called for help, you answered me; Your kindness endures forev-
er”.
R
EFLECTION
It’s not easy being a woman, especially in the Persian Empire in 4
th
c.
B.C.! The Book of Esther tells the story of the plot of Haman, the jealous
and powerful assistant of King Xerxes to destroy, in a single day, all the
Jews in the empire. Exquisite, Jewish Esther was chosen by King Xerxes
-
divine providence surely
–
to be his queen. Esther’s courage to petition
Xerxes illustrates her strong faith in the one, true God. Her prayer is an-
swered when Xerxes issues a decree of extermination against all enemies
of the Jews. What a compelling example, especially for the persecuted
Christians in Syria and Iraq! Jews still commemorate her story
today with the Feast of Purim. Esther is almost a type of Virgin
Mary who saved her people from death by petitioning King Xerx-
es, the most powerful man in the world. Mary also saved man-
kind from death by making an appeal to the King of Kings, her di-
vine Son. Mary has constant access to the King and brings com-
fort and aid to the oppressed and suffering!
In Matthew, Jesus begins with
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”
.
Prayer is how we communicate our needs and desires to God. Of
course, God, being omniscient, knows what we need whether we
ask or not, but prayer is the means God has chosen. The Cate-
chism (2609) says that “Once committed to a conversion of the
heart, the heart yearns to pray in
faith
. Faith is a filial adherence
to God beyond what we feel and understand. It is possible be-
cause the beloved Son gives us access to the Father. He can
ask us to seek and to knock since he himself is the door and the
way”. Matthew 7:12 Jesus gives us the Golden Rule, “Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you: this sums up the