Patience Trust in Providence

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to embrace patience as we trust our prayers will resolve our needs in accord with God’s desire for our best life.

Care for Our Neighbours

The Reading from the Book of Esther 14.1, 3-5, 12-14 Prayer of Esther. 

The Greek version of the book dates from ca. 116 to 48 B.C. (see note on F:11). In the present translation, the Greek additions are indicated by the letters A through F. The regular chapter numbers apply to the Hebrew text.

The book may be divided as follows:

1. Prologue (A:1–17)

2. Esther Becomes Queen (1:1–2:23)

3. Haman’s Plot Against the Jews (3:1–13; B:1–7; 3:14–15)

4. Esther and Mordecai Plead for Help (4:1–17; C:1–D:16; 5:1–5) (Esther, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

5. Haman’s Downfall (5:6–8:2)

6. The Jewish Victory and the Feast of Purim (8:3–12; E:1–24; 8:13–9:23)

7. Epilogue: The Rise of Mordecai (9:24–10:3; F:1–11)

The order of the Vulgate text in relation to the order of the Greek text is as follows:

Vulg. 11:2–12:6	=	A:1–17 at the beginning of the book.
13:1–7	=	B:1–7 after 3:13.
13:8—15:3–19	=	C:1–D:16 after 4:17.
15:1–2	=	B:8, 9 after 4:8.
16:1–24	=	E:1–24 after 8:12.
10:4–13	=	F:1–10 after 10:3. (Esther, THE BOOK OF ESTHER, n.d.)

Psalm 138 is a Thanksgiving to God, who came to the rescue of the psalmist. 

Esther* [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 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew proclaims The Answer to Prayers.

* [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 i n 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 | USCCB, n.d.)

Nancy Shirley shares a focus on our relationship with God and the trust in that relationship.

Our prayers of hope, thanksgiving, desperation, and forgiveness are built upon that trust. It was 20 years ago this summer when I shared my aha moment in looking at the word trust. It was then that I realized the word itself was the key to understanding. It begins and ends with the cross (trust) and U is in the middle or US. Our relationship of trust is steeped in our Savior and His cross. We pray believing that our prayers will be answered, and at times lament that they are not. The truth is that they are always answered, we just don’t always like the answer…

Blessings – Laura Story

Perhaps this song conveys better, in less than five minutes, what I was trying to say in paragraphs!! (Shirley, n.d.)

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.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes Esther is  a queen of Persia and is also Jewish. She is afraid to reach out to the king. She finally realizes that she has to pray to God for strength and the courage of a lion. God could work through her. In Matthew, we are encouraged to knock and ask to receive from our loving parent, God, who will give us the most loving thing possible. It is what we need and the love of God is to be seen in whatever we experience. Friar Jude comments on the widespread proclamation of the Golden Rule to treat others as ourselves with respect and fulfill the Law and the Prophets.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 7:7-12 comments that Everyone receives. Maybe in ways we don’t expect. Maybe in ways we cannot perceive. Maybe in ways we will experience only in heaven. But our heavenly Father hears every prayer we offer. He hears the cries of our hearts. And he gives us the grace we need, the wisdom we need, or the courage or hope or correction or refocus that we need. Sometimes, he even gives us the silence that we need so that we will continue to grapple with our feelings and come to a better grasp of his calling and direction for us.

Jesus promises that God will “give good things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11). He is faithful. He is loving. He is just. He is kind and merciful. Hold onto those truths, no matter what you are dealing with. Grasp them tightly. Inscribe them in your memory. Write them on a piece of paper, and keep it in your pocket as a reminder. Give yourself the gift of time, and ask the Lord to give you the gift of patience. He won’t fail you. Make this your prayer, day and night:

“The Lord will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands” (Psalm 138:8). (Meditation on Matthew 7:7-12, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that  the concept of “nepantla” comes from the indigenous Nahuatl people of central Mexico and nearby regions. It captures a sense of being transformed in and by the wilderness. Spiritual teacher Liza Rankow finds encouragement in the wisdom it offers.

Gloria Anzaldúa wrote about the richly nuanced Nahuatl concept of napantla. She referred to it as a state of in-between-ness, a liminal space where multiple realities simultaneously exist, and transformation can occur. Napantla relates to both our individual journeys and our collective ones….

Nepantla encourages us to embrace the in-between for all we can learn and become in the process:

Wilderness times, like those of napantla, are painful and difficult, and most of us want to get out of them as quickly as we can. Yet to shortchange the process is to pry open a cocoon prematurely because we want the butterfly. All we’re going to find in there is goop, or a half-formed bug body with tiny useless wings. The question is not what we need in order to get out of this wilderness, but rather, what do we need to inhabit the wilderness—for as long as it takes to complete our transition, our metamorphosis. You see, the wilderness is a season not a location. And like the healing of wounds, or the becoming of a butterfly, the wilderness journey is a process, not an event.

In the culture of “life hacks” and instant gratification, the idea of tarrying in the arduous in-between of spiritual wrestling may seem entirely unappealing. It’s so tempting to want to bypass the wilderness and hurry on to the promised land. However, these experiences of formation and transformation are essential, lest we try to enter the new world with the same consciousness that created the old one. 

Wildernesses are crucibles where we become the people who can live into new lands of promise and liberation. (Rohr, n.d.)

We petition God for many needs for ourselves and others and we seek the inspiration to trust that the response of Providence to our Prayer is what we need at the time.

References

Esther, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/esther/4 

Esther, THE BOOK OF ESTHER. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/esther/0 

Matthew, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/7?7 

Meditation on Matthew 7:7-12. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/02/26/1509007/ 

Psalms, PSALM 138 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/138?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-time-for-growth/ 

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 February 26, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Shirley, N. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved February 26, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-february-26-2026 

Signs for Transformation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to be aware of the “signs” present in our society that call us to present Jesus' Way to love and transformation in our environment.

Hope and Transformation

The Reading from the Book of Jonah proclaims Jonah’s Obedience and the Ninevites’ Repentance.

* [3:5] Great and small: the contrast can refer to distinctions of social class (prominent citizens and the poor).

* [3:7–8] Fasting and wearing sackcloth are signs of human repentance; here they are legislated even for the animals—a humorous touch, perhaps anticipating 4:11.

* [3:9–10] Scripture frequently presents the Lord as repenting (or, changing his mind) of the evil that he threatens; e.g., Gn 6:6–7; Jer 18:8. (Jonah, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 51 asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences.

* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33–34. Nearness to God brings joy and the authority to teach sinners (Ps 51:15–16). Such proclamation is better than offering sacrifice (Ps 51:17–19). The last two verses express the hope that God’s good will toward those who are cleansed and contrite will prompt him to look favorably on the acts of worship offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 51:19 [20–21]). (Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus addresses The Demand for a Sign.

* [11:29–32] The “sign of Jonah” in Luke is the preaching of the need for repentance by a prophet who comes from afar. Cf. Mt 12:38–42 (and see notes there) where the “sign of Jonah” is interpreted by Jesus as his death and resurrection. (Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Rashmi Fernando, SJ, comments that the invitation of Jesus, therefore, is to stop searching for extraordinary proofs and instead recognize God’s presence in the ordinary, demanding moments of daily life: in conscience, in Scripture, in the quiet invitations to repent and return. 

 

Lent, then, is not about waiting for a sign but about becoming one. Like Jonah, our lives are meant to point beyond ourselves. Like Nineveh, our communities are called to collective conversion. And like the psalmist, we are invited to trust that God never rejects a heart that turns toward Him—however late, however imperfectly.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Where might God be calling me “a second time” this Lent, and how am I responding?

2. What concrete action—not just intention—can express my repentance and desire for change?

3. Am I seeking signs from God, or am I willing to recognize His presence in what is already given? (Fernando, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “Don't put off conversion - tomorrow may never come,” by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"God is not now so long-suffering in putting up with you that He will fail to be just in punishing. Do not say then: 'Tomorrow I shall be converted, tomorrow I shall please God, and all that I shall have done today and yesterday will be forgiven me.' What you say is true: God has promised forgiveness if you turn back to Him. But what He has not promised is that you will have tomorrow in which to achieve your conversion." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 144,11) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh the capital of Assyria but he wanted to see retribution against the enemies of Israel. Jonah walks for three days through the great city and the people turn away from their sin on the first day. God’s response to sin is to hurt for the damage it does to us. In the Gospel of Luke, people ask Jesus for a sign. Friar Jude notes two versions of the sign of Jonah: who was buried in the belly of the whale for three days and the preaching of conversion to Nineveh as Jesus is Wisdom Incarnate as sought in the Hebrew Testament.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 11:29-32 comments Jesus is looking for people who recognize that “something greater than Jonah” is in their midst (11:32). It’s important to see that Jesus’ reaction to such an attitude is not one of condescension or condemnation; it comes from a heart yearning to see his people turn to his Father.

Ask the Holy Spirit to stir your heart today. Make time for quiet listening so that you can hear his voice in a noisy world. Jesus is greater than Jonah. He is greater than Solomon. He is greater than any celebrity or politician or internet influencer. And yet, as great as he is, he wants to spend time with you.

“Jesus, open my ears and my heart to receive your words!” (Meditation on Luke 11:29-32, n.d.)

Brian McLaren describes some of the modern addictions that keep us from choosing the difficult path to freedom. Author Cole Arthur Riley reminds us of the slow work of liberation.

Could you wander for forty years if it meant freedom? If you listen, you can still hear them groaning—they who were rescued, only to find that freedom is never so easily won. That liberation is a path marked by uncertainty and thirst and grief over all that was lost in the revolution. In Exodus, we are faced with a God of slow rescue…. Perhaps God knew that part of liberation is confronting anything you might hunger for more than it. [1] (McLaren, n.d.)

McLaren continues:

The wilderness journey is always difficult and seems to last forever…. But the truth is, if we arrive before we’ve learned the lessons of the wilderness, we won’t be able to enjoy the freedom that awaits us in the promised land beyond it. There is wisdom we will need there that we can gain only right here. There is strength and skill we will need in the future that we can develop only here and now, on the wilderness road. There is moral muscle we will need then that we can exercise and strengthen only through our struggles on this road, here and now….

We will often be tempted to return to our old lives, but in that tension between a backward pull and a forward call, we will discover unexplainable sustenance (like manna) and unexpected refreshment (like springs in the desert). Against all odds, walking by faith, we will survive, and more: we will learn what it means to be alive. (McLaren, n.d.)

We seek the inspiration of the Spirit to be the sign of the freedom and fullness of life that Jesus offers to all people.

References

Fernando, R. (2026, February 25). Daily Reflection February 25, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-february-25-2026 

Jonah, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/jonah/3?1 

Luke, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/11?29 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-wilderness-journey/ 

Meditation on Luke 11:29-32. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/02/25/1508528/ 

Psalms, PSALM 51 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/51?3 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Sign of Jonah for an Evil Generation. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 25, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/