Reading 1: EST 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, God of Jacob, blessed are you.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you,
for I am takin 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."
(Courtesy of USCCB.org)
This was not my first time hearing this passage from Scripture. Actually, "One Night With the King", a movie based on the Book of Esther, is one of my favorite movies and I've read the book a few times. However, sitting in the pew I was struck by the rawness and humanity of Esther's plea. There is great humility in Esther's prayer. There is great confidence in Esther's prayer. Here is a woman, fearing for her life, pleading with God to hear her request. She isn't angry, demanding God to save her. Instead, she implores His Mercy, calling on God to remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. She prostrates herself on the ground, with her handmaids, from morning to evening, implying that they're fasting all the while. What I find so beautiful about this passage is her humble, child-like confidence in the Lord. Esther's mind is set. She explicitly states that she is taking her own life into her hands because of what she is preparing to do. And yet, she has confidence that the Lord will spare her life because of the covenant God has with her people.
How often do we approach God like this? With child-like confidence? With complete humility? The beauty of Esther's prayer is that even as Queen, she knows who the King of the World truly is and trusts in Him even when there seems to be no hope left. There is something to be said for this kind of prayer and fasting.
As we continue on our Lenten journey, let us pray for continued grace to approach the throne of Our Lord with great humility, knowing that this is pleasing to Him.
Written by Alycia
