Esther 4:17 / Matthew 7:7-12
One of the most common words we use in prayer is this word "Amen".
We say "Amen" at the Collect, at the Prayer Over the Gifts, at the Closing Prayer, and also when we receive Holy Communion.
It is a simple 4-letter word, but it is packed with meaning. It is actually a Hebrew word that means "Yes, it is" or "So it shall be".
It is an affirmative response to what has been prayed for, and it is also a total commendation to God as we say "Yes" and as we offer ourselves to Him.
What we heard in the 1st reading is a desperate prayer from queen Esther as she begged God to save her and her people from being killed by their enemies.
And if we understood her situation and paid attention to her prayer, we too would say "Amen" to it.
And if we read her story further, we would come to know that indeed God saved her and her people from destruction.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us to ask, to search and to knock. And Jesus also tells us that God give us only the good things.
But we have to ask, to search and to knock like queen Esther in the 1st reading. In other words, we need to beg God to help us, to save us and to grant us the grace to believe that God will always provide for us and take care of us.
When we receive the good things that God gives us, may we give thanks and praise to God with an resounding "Amen".