Thursday of the First Week of Lent

“Esther and Ahasuerus”
by Bernardo Cavallino,1645-50

 
Readings for Thursday of the First Week in Lent [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary: [3]
 
Reading 1*: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25
 
Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish,
had recourse to the LORD.
She lay prostrate upon the ground, together with her handmaids,
from morning until evening, and said:
“God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am taking my life in my hand.
As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers
that you, O LORD, always free those who are pleasing to you.
Now help me, who am alone and have no one but you,
O LORD, my God.
“And now, come to help me, an orphan.
Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion
and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy,
so that he and those who are in league with him may perish.
Save us from the hand of our enemies;
turn our mourning into gladness
and our sorrows into wholeness.”
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Commentary on Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25
 
In this prayer from the Book of Esther we find the queen in great distress. She is praying for the deliverance of the people of Israel.  They have been condemned to be slaughtered by her husband, the king, who was influenced by his trusted adviser (Haman).  She hopes to go before the king to plead for them.  But going into the presence of the king without an invitation from him is forbidden, on pain of death. She places all of her trust in God’s mercy, confident that he will intercede. This open and direct prayer form is similar in style to those found in the New Testament.
 
CCC: Est 4:17b 269
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
 
R. (3a) Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
 
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
 
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
 
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
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Commentary on Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
 
Psalm 138 is a psalm of thanksgiving. It contains the same sense as if it were a continuation of the prayer of Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25. It praises God for his saving works and expresses confidence in his saving help. It also supports the rescue of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:22ff) who prayed and whose prayers were answered by divine intervention. (“When I called, you answered me.”)
 
CCC: Ps 138 304; Ps 138:2 214
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Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12
 
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Ask and it will be given to you;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Which one of you would hand his son a stone
when he asked for a loaf of bread,
or a snake when he asked for a fish?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good things
to those who ask him.
“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the law and the prophets.”
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Commentary on Mt 7:7-12
 
In this passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew Jesus explains that, if the faithful pray to the Father, what they ask for will be given (within the context of “good gifts”). This universal truth, he explains is because of God’s infinite love for us. In this case, he uses the analogy of a father feeding his child, and how even sinful parents give good things to their children.
 
Almost as an afterthought, the Lord then delivers what has been called since the 18th century the “Golden Rule.” No Old Testament quote exactly correlates to this quote so we must accept it as an interpretation by the Lord, probably of the Mosaic Law in Leviticus.
 
CCC: Mt 7:7-11 2609; Mt 7:12-13 2821; Mt 7:12 1789, 1970
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Reflection:
 
We all know the Golden Rule.  We have heard it since we were children.  It is similar in intent to the more recent: “What would Jesus do?” We have all heard it, we all know it.  Then why is it so difficult to do in practice?
 
The difficulty we have in treating others as we want to be treated comes from a couple of different sources within us.  First, we take a look at our own motives in life.  We want to have the very best of everything.  We want to have the best material things.  We want to do the best at school, at work, and in our social settings.  In other words, we want to be first, and if we are first others must be second.  How can we treat others with deference when we really want deference from them?  Sitting behind that motive are greed and gluttony.
 
“The same person who is insistent in knocking at his Father’s door is the one who simultaneously is running to open his door to his neighbor, anticipating his approach. The same person who hopes his Father will give him a loaf of bread and a fish, even when, perversely, he nurses a fetish for stones and snakes, is the one who sees through his neighbor’s hostility or indifference and recognizes there the same indigence that gapes in his own heart before God. Prayer opens the gate of my heart to admit the bountiful presence of God.” [4]
 
Next we must look at our natural impulses.  When a person treats us badly, even though Jesus says “turn the other cheek,” we do not enjoy being put in that situation.  Do we treat others who treat us badly the way we want to be treated?  It is unlikely; our natural impulse is to avoid them, or worse, reciprocate with the way we were treated, a kind of inverse application of the Golden Rule. Treat others as you have been treated by them.  Behind these impulses we find wrath and pride.
 
This being the Lenten season we need to hold ourselves up to a mirror of faith and ask God, first of all, for forgiveness.  We then must ask him for the strength to do as his Son would do, to be so dominated by our love of others that greed, gluttony, wrath, and pride find no place in us.  We pray that out of our love for others, we find the grace and strength to receive hatred and bitterness with compassion, looking always for the good in others.
 
The Golden Rule is a difficult rule for us.  We are challenged by the Lord to put on his mind, to banish self-serving thoughts and actions, thinking always of God’s greater glory instead of our own.  We pray for the strength and courage to make strides in that direction. It is that path that leads to the Father.
 
Pax

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* Alternate notation from the published index: Esther 4:17, n; p-r; aa-bb, gg-hh

[1] The picture is “Esther and Ahasuerus” by Bernardo Cavallino,1645-50.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 pp. 302-03.