Thursday Mar 10, 2022

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Today's readings remind me to always trust in God's goodness. We see this in the first reading's story of Queen Esther, who prostrates herself before God, imploring His intervention to save her people.(Est C:12, 14-16, 23-25) Here's the back story: Esther is a beautiful Jewish maiden selected from all the women in Persia to marry the country's king Ahasuerus. Esther is an orphan, brought up by her uncle Mordechai. Mordechai overhears a plot to kill the king and alerts Esther to save him. As a Jew, Mordecai has refused to bow to the king's first minister, Haman. Haman is infuriated, and convinces the king to kill all Jews in the land. Esther must intercede to save her people.

Esther fasts and prays to God for the right words to change the king's heart and bring justice to her people's enemies. The king is moved by Esther's plea and revokes Haman's evil plan. Then, Mordechai is honoured before the people for saving the king's life, Haman is hanged at the gallows he prepared for Mordechai, and the Jewish people are saved. This story is commemorated each year in the Jewish feast of Purim. God responded to Esther's fervent heart-felt prayer, and rescued her people (His people).

Psalm 138 expresses David's joy to God for having heard his prayer: “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.” David praises the Lord, who has strengthened and saved him, Whose “kindness and truth” endures: “The Lord will complete what He has done for me.” David would have composed this psalm about five hundred years before Esther. How appropriate that it is today's response to Esther's heartfelt prayer and answer by God.

Jesus tells us in today's Gospel reading (Mt 7:7-12) to remember that God is GOOD. God is our good and loving Father. He will not give what is unkind or misleading to those who ask Him for what they need. We can trust God, as Esther did, as David did, and most importantly, as Jesus did throughout His earthly life and on the cross. This is Jesus' promise: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” And just as we are to trust God's goodness, we are to treat each other with the same goodness: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.
This is the law and the prophets.”

My God, I lay all the concerns of my heart at Your feet: my own needs, those of my family, friends, nation and the world. You alone put our spirits at ease, with the promises of Your word. And so, I will praise You today for all the blessings You have poured into my life, and for all that You will continue to do, my good and faithful Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Link to Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/031022.cfm

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