Seeking Support

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us that prayer is the response to the unsettling and challenging events of life that opens our path to trust and hope in God.

The reading from the Book of Esther is Esther’s Prayer for her people.

Esther’s character matures over the course of the narrative. As a girl she is recruited for the king’s harem because of her physical beauty. But at a key moment in the book (chap. 4), she rises to the challenge to risk her life for the salvation of her people. At that point, she transforms her status as queen from a position of personal privilege to one of power and public responsibility. (Esther, THE BOOK OF ESTHER, n.d.)

Psalm 138 offers Thanksgiving and Praise.

* [Psalm 138] A thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. Divine rescue was not the result of the psalmist’s virtues but of God’s loving fidelity (Ps 138:1–3). The act is not a private transaction but a public act that stirs the surrounding nations to praise God’s greatness and care for the people (Ps 138:4–6). The psalmist, having experienced salvation, trusts that God will always be there in moments of danger (Ps 138:7–8). (Psalms, PSALM 138, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, we are taught to Ask, Search, and Knock in the answer to our Prayers and live the Golden Rule.

* [7:9–10] There is a resemblance between a stone and a round loaf of bread and between a serpent and the scaleless fish called barbut.

* [7:12] See Lk 6:31. This saying, known since the eighteenth century as the “Golden Rule,” is found in both positive and negative form in pagan and Jewish sources, both earlier and later than the gospel. This is the law and the prophets is an addition probably due to the evangelist. (Matthew, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock speaks about her Big Ask of God.

I was heartbroken. this was God’s special cat and with a bum leg to boot. I begged God to show me a sign - a bluebird in my back yard, to assure me she was in heaven with him. Well, about three days later, as I walked through my kitchen I glanced up at the electric wire outside my window - and there sat a BLUE PARAKEET!! It stayed long enough for me to photograph, then flew away. I was stunned and amazed and so grateful that God hears even a prayer about a pet cat with a freed pet bird! (Braddock, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “The gift of being good,” by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"He who has given us the gift of being gives us also the gift of being good. He gives to those who have turned back to Him. He even sought them out before they were converted and when they were far from his ways!" (Commentary on Psalm 103, 2) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8 urges us to think about the big things that are on our heart today.

Lay them before the Lord. Remember how faithful he has been. Invite others to join you in prayer and maybe even fasting. Linger in prayer long enough for God to make your role clear to you. Then let the Lord strengthen you to overcome any nervous hesitation you might feel so that you can do what he inspires you to do.

Like Esther, we can be confident that God has put us here for a reason and that he will give us the strength to do his will.

“Lord, thank you for putting this need on my heart. Show me what you are asking me to do about it. I count on your strength within me.” (Meditation on Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the prayerful efforts of Ester to have the Emperor retract the edict calling for execution of the Jews. Our prayers for intercession recognize that we can’t do it all on our own and that God loves us more than any human. Friar Jude reminds us to ask for what we believe we need as we trust God to respond by addressing our deepest need.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Episcopal priest and writer Mary Earle who finds inspiration for spiritual practice in the sayings of a Desert Mother known as Syncletica of Alexandria. The wisdom of the desert tempers our instinct to avoid boredom and discomfort.

Our ancient mothers knew that when boredom threatened, it could very well be the outward and visible sign of God’s secret, hidden, inner work within the human heart and soul. Consequently, they emphasized staying in the cell, in the little room of daily living, and letting that cell be their teacher…. 

Staying in the cell, or “sitting on the eggs,” means noticing our appetite for overstimulation. The cell teaches us to slow down, …. to notice what is right in front of us. The wisdom the desert mothers offer us is that by staying with ourselves, with our inner ups and downs, with our hurts and our fears, we will bring forth the new life that God is creating within us. (Rohr, 2023)

We are invited by the Spirit to accept the mindfulness and patience that resonate with our prayer as we are challenged by the changes in our journey.

References

Braddock, S. (2023, March 2). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/030223.html 

Esther, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/esther/4?17=#19004017 

Esther, THE BOOK OF ESTHER. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/esther/0 

Matthew, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7? 

Meditation on Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/03/02/621082/ 

Psalms, PSALM 138. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/138?1 

Rohr, R. (2023, March 2). Bringing Forth New Life — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/bringing-forth-new-life-2023-03-02/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Ask and You Will Receive from Your Father in Heaven. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=mar2 

Pray to act

The texts today from the Roman CatholicLectionary include a passage from the Book of Ester. (It is likely that the text today is from the Greek text, not part of the Jewish or Reformed canon). This Book tells the story, which is remembered annually by the Jewish celebration of Purim, of the action of the Ester, Queen of Persia and a Jewess, to convince the King of Persia not to wipe out the Jewish people in an act of genocide which was advocated by one of the advisers to the king, Haman. Ester acts to accomplish this by prayer to “give her” the courage and knowledge to speak in persuasive tongue. Kirk Peck of Creighton University is struck by the desire of Ester to be active in the action requested in prayer from God. He notes that, in keeping with western civilization, we expect immediate gratification from our prayer. The Will of God in the situations of life is the direction we seek in prayer. Our attending to action in support of our understanding of this Will is our part in the process described by Jesus in the Gospel from Matthew today. The daily exegesis blog puts the text in the context of how we treat others as prescribed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. The prudence required of those who act as Jesus disciples is such that we need to avoid judgment of others (Matthew 7:1-5) and do to others as you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12). The Ask, Search, and Knock section in this Gospel is the instruction list for Jesus disciples to acquire the peace, patience and wisdom to move and encounter people according to the Will of God. The psalmist declares and we are invited to experience “When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me” (Psalm 138:3)

The Most Loving Outcome

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary bring the opportunity to reflect on faith and prayer. The passage of the Book of Esther relates the petition of a Queen of Syria who is about to appeal for the life of the Jewish population against an edict of the Persian Emperor that they all be killed. The very action of appeal could cause her own immediate execution. Friar Jude Winkler highlights the difference between prayer through which we acquire faith and trust in the response of God that the outcome of our petitions will be the most loving option and "magic" in which we actually desire control over the Will of God. The praise of the psalmist today is to God who has responded to prayer by strengthening him to be part of the work of the Lord. In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus exhorts us to develop the faith which trusts in prayer as the path to intimate movement toward the Way of life in which we are in accord with the Divine desire for us to be "the most loving". The Golden Rule appended to this dialogue sets the bar for our treatment of others at how we would like to be treated.  The most loving choice is to put the treatment of others at a level of generosity, mercy and kindness that we extend to ourselves. We are not satisfied with giving as good as we get.

Seeking Help

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are a reminder of the tension that people experience between doing and wanting things to go “my way” and seeking help, even Divine help when situations appear to be beyond our understanding and control. How does this tension impact our relationship with the Divine? The ancient evidence like that in the story of Ester is that God hears the cry of people in dire situations. The praise proclaimed by the psalmist today are reminiscent of the well known Psalm 23 in which intimate experience of the nature of God boosts the faith of people that the “right hand of God delivers me’. The less omnipotent image of our relationship with the Divine expressed in Matthew’s Gospel is of the parent who knows what the child needs. The parent and child dialogue about wants and needs. The choice of the child is preserved to provide evidence and support for the good decisions and choices. The consequence of the poor decisions also needs to be understood. The Divine relationship like the parental one is marked by close watching and constant vigilance. The Parent sees the turn to Home while the child is ‘still a long way off”.