Finding the Right Words
Mar 2: Thursday of the First Week in Lent
The Jewish feast of Purim1 celebrates the victory of Esther over the Persian emperor Ahasuerus. Interestingly, however, the Book of Esther (where our first reading comes from today) originally didn’t mention God directly at all.2
A Greek version added several chapters that include explicit prayers calling on the God of Israel. (The above passage is one example.) These chapters were added around 50 to 100 years before Christ, so Jesus was almost certainly aware of them.
People nowadays have the impression that the Bible is what it is, that it was written one way and never edited, amended, or added to. That’s just not the case; books were added over millennia, and even those books were altered.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
It doesn’t mean the Bible is wrong or fake or whatever. What it means is that we are human beings who exist in time, which in turn means we change and develop. We gain new knowledge, and those insights get written down and added to the total repository of human understanding.
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, 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."
Esther’s prayer, even if it’s not Esther’s prayer, is a great model for us, especially when we’re suffering. We may not be invaded by Persians, but we still need to call on God, because at some point, we are “alone and have no one but you, O LORD, my God.”
We read our forefathers’ books, the bible as well as Church writing, to help us understand God. But we have to add our own prayers to theirs, and appeal to God directly.
Like Esther, we may not even know what to say. So it’s okay to say that. “Put in my mouth persuasive words.” God knows what’s in our hearts, even if we’re not great at expressing it. Try anyway.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
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.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me.
The LORD will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
The angels live with of God; they know his glory directly and personally. Yet, the psalmist is so grateful, he’s going to sing God’s praises in the angel’s presence.
“I know you know God is great, but listen up, angels, let me tell you how God is really great…” Have you ever been so grateful that you want to tell angels about it?
Verse Before the Gospel
Ps 51:12a, 14a
A clean heart create for me, O God;
give me back the joy of your salvation.
When we’re in a dark spot, we can forget about God’s salvation, forget to take joy in the Lord. As St. Josemaría said—
“These are the unmistakable signs of the true Cross of Christ: serenity, a deep feeling of peace, a love which is ready for any sacrifice, a great effectiveness which wells from Christ’s own wounded Side.
And always — and evidently — joy: a joy which comes from knowing that those who truly give themselves are beside the Cross, and therefore beside Our Lord.”
Gospel
Mt 7:7-12
Jesus said to his disciples: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.
"Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets."
When Jesus calls God “our father,” it’s an inadequate comparison.
God is God, perfect and perfectly loving. No father or mother loves their child as mush as God does. If you had (or are) good parents, that sounds crazy. We love our kids so much. Jesus’ point is, yeah, you’re not going to give your kid a snake when he asks for a fish,3 obviously, but God loves your kids even more than that.
So, ask an you shall receive, just like when you were a kid and asked your parents. Just remember, your parents didn’t always say “yes,” and that doesn’t disprove the existence of your parents.
This year, March 6, but our calendar has slowly drifted from the Jewish one over the centuries, which is why Holy Thursday isn’t always on Passover.
In 4:14, Mordecai says “relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another source,” implying God.
Apparently, there’s scaleless fish called a barbut which looks like a snake, as if I didn’t have enough reason to dislike fish already.