Thursday First Week of Lent (Esther 12: 14-16, 23-25) “A God of Surprises”
Thursday First Week of Lent (Esther 12: 14-16, 23-25) “A God of Surprises”
Are prayers answered? At times they are, but not always in the way we would expect. We read today from the Book of Esther. Most of us are probably not familiar with this work of the Bible. Esther is one of the heroines of the Old Testament. At certain moments in Jewish history strong women step in to save the day. That is the way it was with Esther.
Esther lived in Persian in the 5th century before Christ. The Jewish people were in exile there. King Xerxes ruled the land. Because of court intrigue Xerxes became enraged with one of his Jewish advisers. He decided to exterminate the Jews in a fit of rage.
Esther prays to God and asks the Lord to intercede for her people. We read her pleadings today. Her prayer is heard. We notice that Esther’s prayer is an unselfish one. She is willing to sacrifice her very life to save her people.
In a twist of fate (faith) Esther is chosen by Xerxes to be the new Queen. No shrinking violet, she uses her new political clout to reverse the order to exterminate the Jewish people. She also manages to have her father Mordecai made chief adviser to the king. Esther and her father work to improve the lot of the Jewish people in Persia.
Jesus says knock and the door will be open to you. Esther certainly experienced that, but we notice, once again, that her prayer was answered in a most unusual way. One thing is important when we are petitioning God for something, we must not be too specific about what we ask for. The spirit needs room to maneuver and we need to recognize that prayers are often answered in ways we never thought of.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I grown discouraged in my prayer the last year? Does it help to be persistent?
- When have I had a prayer answered in a surprising way? Do I get too specific with my prayers?
Dear Parishioners,
This Sunday our First Communion students will be participating in a Rite of Election. Because of the pandemic we have had to delay this event. The second graders will be publicly stating their intention to receive First Communion in May. This is our opportunity to affirm their decision at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Mass. We remember when we have this rite that the Eucharist is a parish celebration and that we are all in one family.
The preparation for First Communion has been interrupted by the COVID scare. The students were not in class but did a lot of their preparation online. Everyone has made the best of a tough situation. Please pray for all the children, their parents, and our teachers. One of the things that worries me the most about the pandemic is the interruptions in our children’s faith formation. Sometimes we must trust that God’s grace will work and our children will be strong in their faith.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark