Save us

Fr. Russ Bergman
Feb 26
1 min read

Fear can incapacitate and motivate. Both are at work for Queen Esther. In context, she owed her life to her cousin Mordecai who took her in and cared for her like a father. When both their lives are in danger, she has one chance to save them and risks her own life for it. Prayer ideally comes with a longstanding relationship developed over time, not just when in distress. Prayer posture and petitions come more easily after time and effort spent in conversation with the Lord, and answers are more recognizable. Her relationship with the Lord is open to whatever response confident in the history of Mercy and Salvation. Her prayer is also not self-serving; she understands the relationship with those who share her faith and wants to save them as much if not more than herself. She asks the Lord to “save us from our enemies”, not unlike our frequent petition in the Lord’s prayer “deliver us from evil.” That us is all who believe in the Lord. We’re connected by faith and pray for each other in solidarity. Her persistence over time in prayer leads us nicely into how Jesus invites us to ask, seek and knock. Not just when we’re in trouble, but for the daily good we need to live a life aware of our dependence on God’s goodness to us. Prayer life is built up with time and effort, repeated often, so we change over time in relation to God’s plan for us.

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