Lenten Reflection Day 12 ~ Tuesday Second Week of Lent

Day 12 ~ Tuesday Second Week of Lent

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Confiteor (see Day 1).

Day 12 ~ Tuesday Second Week of Lent

“O Lord, Lord, almighty King, all things are in Thy power… Thou knowest all things, and Thou knowest that I hate the glory of the wicked, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised… Give not, O Lord, Thy sceptre to them that are nothing… But deliver us by Thy hand, and help me who am alone, and have none but Thee, O Lord.”

Reflection:

Today’s Lenten meditation draws from the prayer of Queen Esther, one of the most poignant and powerful prayers of the Old Testament. In the face of grave danger, her people threatened with destruction, Esther humbles herself completely before the Lord. Though queen, she sets aside all earthly power and places her trust entirely in God. “Help me who am alone, and have none but Thee.” This raw, humble plea is a perfect model of Lenten prayer.

Esther’s strength came not from her status, influence, or eloquence, but from her humility and dependence on God. Lent is a time to strip away the false props we often rely upon—pride, comforts, self-sufficiency—and return to that utter reliance on Divine Providence. When we realize that we are spiritually poor and powerless on our own, then grace can enter and lift us.

Her prayer also reveals a pure hatred for evil—not for persons, but for sin itself. “I hate the glory of the wicked.” Lent should revive this same holy distaste in our souls: to hate what offends God, not simply because of fear of punishment, but because it is a betrayal of His love. This is the spirit of perfect contrition—sorrow for sin out of love for God. When we see sin not merely as failure but as a wound to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we begin to understand true repentance.

Esther’s prayer is also intercessory. She does not pray for herself alone, but for her people. So too must our Lenten prayer extend beyond personal conversion. We are members of Christ’s Body, and what we do affects others. Let us pray for the conversion of sinners, for our nation, for the persecuted Church, and for those who have no one to pray for them.

Finally, notice Esther’s deep faith that God is able and willing to act: “All things are in Thy power.” This reminds us that prayer is not wishful thinking, but confident trust in a Father who listens. If your Lenten journey is marked by dryness or difficulty, take heart in Esther’s example. Speak to God with sincerity, even if your words are few. It is not eloquence but honesty that moves His Heart. “A humble and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”

Saintly Insight:

St. Catherine of Siena once wrote, “Cry out as if you had a million voices, for it is silence that kills the world.” Her Lenten message would be: Do not be silent in prayer, do not be passive in penance. Speak to God from the heart; cry out for the Church, for the world, for souls.

She also taught that penance without love is empty. “What God wants is the affection of the soul,” she said, “not merely bodily discipline.” In our Lenten sacrifices, let us offer everything out of love, as Esther did. Not for show, but to please the Lord who sees in secret.

Closing Prayers:

V: O Lord, hear my prayer.

R: And let my cry come unto Thee.

V: Let us bless the Lord.

R: Thanks be to God.

V: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

R: Amen.