Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the purpose of today’s readings are very clear, that is to present to us, the Lord our God as our loving Father who cares for us all tenderly and delightfully, seeking only our own good and happiness. Yes, that is the desire of our Lord, to deliver us from sins and from the sufferings caused by those sins, and break away the bonds which death had imposed on us.

This is clearly represented by the prayer of the Queen Esther of Persia, the Jewish wife of the mighty Persian Emperor at the time after the exile to Babylon, when the enemies of God’s chosen people were encamped against them and sought about their destruction. Through Haman, the Agagite, the enemy of the people of God, the destruction of the people of God seemed certain, having been officially backed by the laws of Persia and the approval of the Emperor.

Esther, in her position as the Queen of Persia and wife of the Persian monarch, had the great opportunity to help her people and intercede for their sake, but she was truly risking herself and even her own life if she was to do so. The queen prior to Esther was cast away and exiled in disgrace because she had not obeyed the king’s call. Conversely, to come into the presence of the monarch to beg for pardon for the people of Israel without the invitation of the monarch is considered a kind of crime that is punishable indeed by death.

It is against all these, the fears and uncertainty, amidst the love and concern which Esther had for her people, that she prayed to God for help. God listened to her prayers and fulfilled His plans through her works. He gave her strength and courage to come up and seek the monarch, even without his permission, in order to beg for mercy for the people of Israel that they might not be destroyed by their enemies.

All these are to show us that our Lord is full of love and mercy, and He is our Father while we are all His children, having been adopted as sons and daughters through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who became Man out of God’s everlasting love for us. God is kind, and He will give us what we need, if we ask it from Him. That is the essence of the Gospel today. God will not harm us or do something that cause us harm, because He is our Father and like all fathers, He cares for His children and will do good deeds for them.

But this does not mean that He is not strict in His interactions with us. Like all fathers, God also chastises us, His children, whenever we become wayward and lost, and whenever we disobey Him and do things our own way which lead us inevitably and eventually into sin. If He the Father of all truly loves us, then He will surely chastise us and punish us for our wrongdoings, and indeed that He had done, not to destroy us but instead to bring us to the right path and thus be saved.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we should know that we can depend on the Lord our God and our Father, and while all other hopes and ways are lost, the Lord is always there, ready to help and ready to provide us what we need. Queen Esther trusted in the Lord and she was not disappointed. The Lord guided her hand and she managed to overcome the devices of the enemy, and triumphed.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the Lord who is our Father, and who loves us as a father does. If only that we put our trust in Him, He will surely provide us and help us with bountiful blessings. May God be with us always and may we also always walk righteously in His path. Amen.