Esther
Introduction
The book of Esther is among the three books in the Bible dedicated to a woman. Esther, which in Persian means ‘Star’ was a Jewish maiden living as an exile in Persia. Named Hadassah at birth, she was orphaned at an early age and adopted by her god-fearing cousin Mordecai, who instilled in her the values of their Jewish faith. After Vashti, the reigning queen of Persia was banished for disobeying the king’s orders, Esther was one of the young virgins trained in the palace as a suitable replacement. It was Esther who ultimately found favour with the ruler of Persia, Xerxes (Ahasuerus) and was crowned as the new queen.
Nevertheless, Esther’s ordeals were far from over. Trouble was brewing for the Jews through a high-ranking official named Haman, whose intense hatred for the Jews and Mordecai in particular, drove him to contrive a cunning scheme. By fabricating a lie, he succeeded in making the king sign an irrevocable edict that would eliminate the Jews residing in the Persian provinces. Thanks to Queen Esther’s timely intervention, his evil ploy backfired and Haman met his end on the very gallows on which he had planned to hang Mordecai. The Jewish people received permission to defend themselves from potential attackers and were thus saved from annihilation.
Even to this day, Jews observe the national festival of Purim to commemorate this victory.
Adaptability
It must have been a time of considerable inner turmoil for young Esther and the other young maidens as with no prior warning, they found themselves uprooted from the comfort of their home and transported to the palace. In a flash, their circumstances changed. Against their wishes and desires, the young women including Esther, had to adapt to a new lifestyle and regimen which included submitting to multiple beauty treatments, following dietary stipulations and undergoing regular training in palace etiquette. All of this would have required personal adjustments and sacrifices on their part. Then there was the psychological and emotional strain of interacting with individuals of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, which would have taken its toll on quite a few of them.
Yet there was something remarkable in the manner in which Esther accepted this transition. The eunuch Haggai who had been assigned the responsibility of preparing the virgins began noticing her. Not only did she meet his approval and of the others in the palace but later on she also pleased the king more than the other virgins. Now Esther was admired by all who saw her. When Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the other women; of all the virgins she won his favor and devotion, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. (Chapter 2:15-17)
To push herself above these grueling conditions required grit and determination. Through her ability to peaceably adapt to the vicissitudes of life, Esther eventually rose to the prestigious stature of a queen despite her humble origins as an exile.
Had life thrown similar unforeseen challenges in our path how many of us would have adjusted with tranquility in the manner that Esther did? Like the seasonal changes of our external environment, our lives too will have its share of variations which will necessitate suitable adjustments on our part. St. Teresa of Avila, a doctor of the Church said "May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."
May Esther’s example inspire us to embrace likewise the highs and lows of our lives trusting that God in his wisdom and benevolence plans to give us a future with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) May we learn to depend more and more on divine providence for God has said he will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrew 13:5)
Love of neighbor/Abandonment to God’s will
Her cousin Mordecai’s request to warn the king of Haman’s evil plans initially put Esther in a predicament. On one hand, according to the Persian law, no one could come into the king’s presence unless summoned. The faint possibility of the king raising the scepter and pardoning her, largely depended on his disposition on that day. Moreover, Esther was well aware of the circumstances under which the former queen Vashti had been deposed from her status of queenship and she could meet a worse fate if she followed in her predecessors’ footsteps. On the other hand, could Esther simply push aside her community in a time of grave danger as this?
Such was the dilemma that the god-fearing and law-abiding Esther faced-whether to disobey the civil law of which she as queen ought to be the first to uphold or to ignore the perilous situation her people were facing.
Esther decided to come to the aid of her fellowmen and completely abandoned the outcome in God’s hands. She sent word to Mordecai for everybody to fast and pray for three days saying, “If I die, I die” (Esther 4:16). After three days, Esther put on her royal robes and appeared boldly in his presence. But instead of death, the king granted her favor by asking her what she desired.
As it happened in the case of Esther, there will arise situations of moral conflict in our lives with each view point seeming valid and justifiable. Will our choices be directed towards our personal comfort and safety or will we come to the aid of our neighbour even if it necessitates endangering our lives? May Esther’s example just like the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke’s gospel (chapter 10:25-37) who only focused on his neighbour’s welfare encourage us to make the right choices when we encounter such dichotomies.
Witness from the Church
Maximilian Kolbe was a Franciscan priest from Poland who was arrested during the Nazi invasion and sent to one of the horrific concentration camps at Auschwitz. One day one of the prisoners managed to escape from the camp. To deter such occurrences, the authorities chose ten men to die. One of the chosen men started weeping and pleading that his life should be spared as he had a family to take care of. Father Kolbe stepped forward and offered himself in place of that person even though he was not one of those chosen to die. His request was granted. Thus, Saint Maximilian Kolbe gave a supreme example of love of neighbour by volunteering to exchange places with a fellow prisoner slotted to die.
His quote on abandonment to God’s will -To develop the interior life fully, one must offer to God that last “but”. This total offering, without reserve, is the condition for the complete development of the life of grace.
CCC 931 Already dedicated to him through Baptism, the person who surrenders himself to the God he loves above all else thereby consecrates himself more intimately to God's service and to the good of the Church.
Boldness
With great many contenders vying for the post of a queen, the climb to the top had certainly not been a cakewalk for Esther. When Mordecai urged her to intervene in her official capacity as queen, the easy way out for Esther was to ignore his request by quoting the stringent Persian law. She could have saved her skin by continuing to keep her identity a secret. After all, no one in the palace was aware of her Jewish origins.
However, she overcame her initial fear and with considerable boldness, intervened on behalf of her people. Esther chose love for her countrymen over obedience to the law even if the former entailed the possibility of risking her life. By this selfless gesture, Esther proved that she was a woman who was as bold as she was beautiful.
In our times, we need such a spirit of boldness to proclaim the gospel and to stand up for the Christian values that we profess. Let us pray with the fervor of the early Christians to be filled with a spirit of supernatural boldness (Acts 4:29). When the occasion so demands may we make the good confession of faith like Christ Jesus our master. For we have not received a spirit of timidity but a spirit of courage (1 Timothy 3:16) through our reception and participation in the Christian sacraments.
Marian parallels
The church venerates our blessed Mother for her role as queen of intercessors. As queen of heaven and earth, Mary intercedes for her exiled children on earth before Christ the king, in order to protect us from the numerous traps and temptations that the enemy constantly sets before us.
Likewise, Queen Esther too donned the role of an intercessor, presenting her request to the king. Thus, she prevented Haman’s evil intentions from flourishing and saved the lives of the fellow Jews through her timely intercession.
Reflection-For such a time as this
“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
Esther recognized the godly wisdom behind Mordecai’s words. In the divine scheme of things, her elevation as queen had a more profound significance-the deliverance and protection of the Jewish race from the diabolical plan of the adversary Haman. Esther responded by using her royal authority and position as queen and pleaded on their behalf.
Esther’s courageous decision made an impact on her fellow countrymen. By choosing to plead on their behalf, she became a beacon of hope and liberation for the Jews of her time.
What about you and me? God has planted us here in this time and age for a divine purpose- to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. CCC 942 By virtue of their prophetic mission, lay people "are called . . . to be witnesses to Christ in all circumstances and at the very heart of the community of mankind" (GS 43 § 4).
As Christians, we cannot be complacent watchers or fence sitters in the world, our light must shine before others. Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
According to CCC 1285- For "by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed."
The path chosen by Esther, the holy apostles, saints and martyrs for the advancement and spread of God’s kingdom may seem perilous and risky; our intervention may at times feel like a mere drop in the ocean but the ripple effect of our courageous decision is bound to leave a lasting impact on many generations to come.
Look at the immense good that was accomplished because Esther listened to the voice of her conscience-The defeat of the wicked enemy Haman, the honour and elevation of her uncle Mordecai to a prestigious position in the Persian kingdom, the Jews receiving the right to defend themselves and the institution of the joyous national festival of Purim in remembrance of the day of deliverance.
May we as Christians likewise learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and use our sphere of influence to act on behalf of the voiceless and the vulnerable when the occasion so demands. And when we are apprehensive of what our involvement might cost us, let us remember that God has placed us in his kingdom to be his spiritual warriors in times such as these.