Category: Uncategorized

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Esther 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.”

The Word of the Lord.

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This is one of the few times we read about the heroic story of Queen Esther, who is paralyzed by fear, in our first reading.

She’s a Jew who’s married to a foreign king, but the king doesn’t know her real identity.

One day while in his court, Esther overhears a plan to exterminate her people. 

If she reveals her Jewish identity, then she, too, may be killed. But if she remains silent, then thousands will be slaughtered.

What is she to do?

What would you do?

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In her darkest hour, she prays, “Help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God.”

“Help me.”

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By the end of the story, Esther finds the courage to speak the truth, revealing her identity, pleading with the king to save her people.

Amazingly, he relents, and the Jews are saved.

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In a sense, this is what Lent is all about: sharing our heart with God, who offers us the strength we need to do what is right, which can sometimes be difficult.

For some of us, that involves the sensitive work of healing a wounded heart; forgiving an enemy; or arresting control over a particular temptation.

But Esther reminds us that prayer is powerful. It changes things. 

As Jesus reiterates in today’s Gospel, “Ask. Seek. Find. The door shall be opened to you.”

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Image credits: (1) America Magazine (2) Queen Esther Art Print, Hugues Merle, Fine Art America (3) MNnews.today

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Gospel: Luke 11: 29-32

While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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A group of Christians were imprisoned during the French Revolution in a darkened dungeon.

For a brief moment each day, the sun rose to a certain angle, allowing a ray of light to penetrate their cell. As the light came in, one of the prisoners was hoisted onto another’s shoulders, where he opened his bible and proclaimed what he read.

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I wonder what verses they heard. Here are a few possibilities:

“For I know well the plans I have for you, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Come to me all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“Whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life.” (John 5:24)

“This is my Body…this is my Blood…do this in memory of me.” (Luke 22:19)

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At the darkest moment of their lives, these Christians turned to the Word of God for strength, and believed.

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for their hardened hearts. They’ve seen him heal people and cast out demons; they’ve heard him preach. Yet his Word is not enough for them. They’re stuck in the prison of unbelief, demanding more “signs.”

“But no [other] sign will be given it, except Jonah the prophet,” he says. Meaning, they should repent and believe like their ancestors.

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At times we’re all tempted to want more proof that God is real. But the words he speaks in the Gospels, along with the countless prayers he’s already answered, should be enough to assure us that God is alive … and in touch.

Like those Christians huddled in a dungeon during the French Revolution, may we hear the Word of God and receive it for what it is: “A lamp for our feet, a light for our path” (Psalm 119). 

This Lent, repent and believe in the Gospel.

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Image credits: (1) Soaking in God’s Word (2) China Institute (3) Bible Hub

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Isaiah: 55: 10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

The Word of the Lord.

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One of my favorite Saints is Damian of Molokai.

Damian was a priest from Belgium, born in 1840. After his ordination, he felt the call to move from his native country, half-way across the globe to the deserted Hawaiian island known as Molokai.

It was home to hundreds of lepers – including children. At that time, when someone contracted leprosy, they were immediately removed from their community, often sent to Molokai, where they’d live and die in despair.

Somehow, word of this hellish island’s existence made its way from Hawaii to Belgium, into Damian’s heart. 

He thought of Christ’s final sermon – the Judgment of the Nations, which we heard in yesterday’s Gospel – and was deeply moved by Christ’s words, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.” 

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Damian left his parish, his family, his native language – his entire life behind – and moved to this island of lepers, where he ministered to them for 16 years.

He built a school, taught the children, celebrated Mass, assembled a choir to worship on Sundays, broke bread with the broken, even dug graves with his bare hands – more than 600 in all.

Damian loved and served them as if they were Christ until he contracted leprosy himself, dying from it at the tender age of 49.

So, what does his life say to us today? That we should be receptive to – and challenged by – the Word of God.

“Thus says the LORD,” the prophet Isaiah proclaims in our first reading, “just as from the heavens, the rain and snow come down and do not return until they have watered the earth…so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void.”

Like Father Damian, how is the Word of God changing my path, my actions, my heart?

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May God’s Word take deeper root in us, making us more and more like Christ.

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Image credits: (1) Agents of Light (2) Damian of Molokai, National Catholic Register (3) Michigan District, LCMS