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Curiously, the Jews have no feast for any of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac or Jacob. They have no special festival in honor of Moses. There is nothing prescribed on the Jewish religious calendar to pay tribute to the three great kings: Saul, David or Solomon. They do however, have a yearly observance of the life of a great queen.
The Feast of Purim celebrates the life and example of Queen Esther, heroine of the Hebrew people, who exemplifies what it means to be completely dependent upon God. She asks for courage, persuasive words in her mouth and the wherewithal to overpower Haman, the villain of the story who happens to be a high ranking government officer to King Xerxes of Persia, to whom Esther is betrothed. Once Xerxes makes Esther his Queen, her uncle, Mordecai, refuses to offer homage to Haman, who is infuriated and sets out on a plot to obtain from the king a decree of extermination against all the Jews living in the Persian Empire.
Then, Esther comes to the foreground as a genuinely pious woman, a God-fearing Jew who receives what she asks for in prayer: courage, prudence and wisdom. These weapons of diplomacy are such that Esther is able to turn the tables on Haman and have the decree of extermination apply now to the enemies of the Jews, including Haman.
It’s obvious during the 10 short chapters of this Book of the Bible that Esther is a selfless individual whose major concern is the welfare of her Jewish subjects. This book was intended as a consolation for the Israelites in Exile, a reminder that God’s providence prevails — even if the Chosen were not living in the Promised Land or had access to the Temple in Jerusalem. It’s a reminder that God loves those who serve him faithfully. Esther is one just person!
Would that we could all possess the courage of Esther — the prayerfulness of Esther — the ingenuity of Esther! There would be a genuine love for each other, based not on how one is treated by a particular person (an attitude which would issue from self-centeredness) but an altruistic love which seeks nothing but the overall good of everyone who is made in the image and likeness of God. We would take pleasure in each other’s accomplishments, instead of harboring jealousy. We would be supportive of those who are enduring homelessness, unemployment or oppression by fighting for social justice. We would rally together for the common good and the success of our primary mission, as Church, which is to sow the Good News of God’s love to those we encounter here, next store, at work or school, at Mass or at play, rather than succumb to complacency and the status quo.
Brothers and sisters, like Queen Esther, we are called to be strong! We are called to be prayerful! We are called to set an example for others! We are called to be Christ-centered! Whether we occupy a leadership position, as did Queen Esther, or we are called to follow the leader, all of us are called to be servants to each other who are the Church. The message of Purim is the same for us as it is for the Jews: “Happy the People who trust in the Lord.”
Father Comandini is managing editor of “The Catholic Spirit.”