Notice how God is portrayed as a caring father in today’s gospel. Just as a human father provides good things for his children, God is also a loving provider. Which one of you would give your child a stone when he asks for bread? Jesus said today that he would do no less.
Still many people today search for acceptance and acknowledgement everywhere but Jesus - if they only realized they could just accept His invitation!
This takes us to the story of Queen Esther, who was seized with mortal anguish and had recourse to God. In praying she revealed herself to be a woman who had no one to turn to except God.
Who was Queen Esther? She was a Jewish women married to a Persian king. She and the Jewish people in exile were in danger of extermination because of the jealousy of Haman, the king’s counselor who wanted Queen Esther and all Jews killed.
Who could she turn to? She recalled having heard about the God of her ancestors from the book and how God heard the cry of the destitute. She was afraid to speak to her husband the king but found strength to do so through her prayer we heard her say today. When the king learned that Haman was seeking to destroy her and her people, he put Haman to death.
Queen Esther made mention of her ancestors and their recourse to God. We heard one of those ancestors today in Psalm 138: on the day I called you answered me…you built up strength within me.
But it was more than just Esther’s prayer we heard today. We also heard Jesus, the son of God, personally invite us to seek him out when we are in trouble. When we are in need he invited us to knock on the door of his heart.
I was one of five Holy Cross priests who took up residence in a rented house in Bridgeport, CT while teaching at a Catholic high school.
One evening our doorbell rang and two women appeared. One of them inquired, “Is Madame Mildred here?” Who was Madame Mildred? She told us Madame Mildred was a fortune teller. One of us said that we were priests and without missing a beat one of the women asked, “could you hear our confession?” They were seeking, knocking, and asking but…
As we continue our observance of Lent let us focus our seeking, knocking, and ask God what we can do to realize the will of God on earth as it is in heaven. There will be times when we would like to see more clearly what is best for us but now cannot. Instead utter a prayer: I believe Lord, help my unbelief.
