Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25, Psalm 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8, Matthew 7:7-12
My friends, today’s readings draw us into one of the most honest and vulnerable moments in all of Scripture. We hear Queen Esther praying from a place of deep fear. She stands before God with nothing to rely on—no power, no certainty, no control. Just a heart laid bare. She says, in essence, “Lord, I have no one but You. Give me the words. Give me the courage.”
And isn’t that where prayer so often begins? Not in strength, but in need.
The psalm today answers Esther’s cry with a promise: “On the day I called, you answered me.” God hears the trembling voice. God listens to the one who feels small. God stretches out His hand to save.
Then Jesus brings it all home in the Gospel: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” These are not the words of a distant God. They are the words of a Father who delights in giving good things to His children.
But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He adds the Golden Rule: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” In other words, the mercy we receive becomes the mercy we give. The God who listens to us calls us to listen to others. The God who responds to our needs invites us to respond to the needs around us.
So today, maybe the invitation is simple:
Come before God like Esther—honestly, humbly, without pretending to be stronger than you are.
Trust like the psalmist—that God hears you, even when the answer is slow or subtle.
And live like Jesus teaches—letting your prayer shape the way you treat the people God places in your path.
Lent is not about proving our strength. It’s about rediscovering our dependence on the One who loves us.
Ask.
Seek.
Knock.
And then, strengthened by God’s mercy, become a source of mercy for someone else.
Reflection Questions
- Where in my life do I feel like Esther—needing courage, clarity, or God’s help?
- What am I truly asking, seeking, or knocking for this Lent?
- How can I practice the Golden Rule in a concrete way today, especially toward someone who needs patience or compassion?