1st Week of Lent
02nd March 2023 (Thursday) Readings and Reflection
{getToc} $title={Contents}
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Esther 4:17m, 170-17q, 17x-17z
Esther the queen seized with deathly anxiety, fled to the Lord; And she prayed to the Lord God of Israel and said: "O my Lord, you only are our King; help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, for my danger is in my hand. Ever since I was born I have heard in the tribe of my family that you, O Lord, took Israel out of all the nations and our fathers from among all their ancestors for an everlasting inheritance and that you did for them all that you promised. Remember, O Lord; make yourself known in this time of our affliction and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion! Put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him. But save us by your hand and help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, O Lord.
Psalm 138:1-2a, 2bcd-3, 7d-8 (R. 3a)
R/. On the day I called, You answered me, O Lord.
Gospel : Matthew 7:7-12
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Daily Gospel Reflection
The Reflection by Fr. Thumma Mariadas Reddy MSFS{alertWarning}
Main Theme: Help me, I am alone!
Indicative: The greatest prayer is not the power of eloquence or wonder-working. It is that which springs from the heart in total surrender{alertSuccess}
1. A great prayer is not a popular prayer. What makes a prayer great is that it springs from the heart, a heart that acutely feels the need of God and intensely surrenders to Him and passionately clings to Him
2. Such intensity and passion presuppose a profound humility and resolute trust. This is what we find in the prayer of Esther in the first reading. What a model and imitable prayer! Her prayer wells up from deep within.
3. In utter honesty, she realises her utter misery and helplessness. She admits, “I am alone and have no help but you”. She repeats, “I am alone and have no one but you”, and “Come to help me, an orphan”
4. What a humble plea with firm hope: “Save us from the hand of our enemies. Turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness”. This is exactly what Jesus exhorts us to do: “Ask, seek, and knock”. Jesus assures that we will not be turned down as he says, “Ask and you shall be given; seek and you shall find, and knock and it shall be opened unto you”.
5. Another great feature of Esther’s prayer is it is thoroughly altruistic. She prays, not for her sake, not for any self-interest but for the safety of her nation. How much does she teach to many whose prayers are mostly self-oriented?
6. For sure, God will not neglect or reject any of our prayers. The only thing, we need to make sure that we ask with deep trust and surrender. We must ask, not with a selfish motive but for the larger and higher good. This can be what is hinted by the sudden intrusion of Jesus’ statement, “Do to others what you want them to do to you”
Imperative: We may not get always everything that we pray for. But we must always believe that God always knows and does what is good for us{alertSuccess}