In today's first reading, Esther C: 12, 14-16, 23-25, Esther is "seized with mortal anguish." She praises God for his blessedness, realizing that there is absolutely no one who is able to help her face "the lion and turn his heart to hatred for...[their] enemy." May prays, in effect, that "the lion" and "those in league with him may perish. Save us, " she begs, "from the hand of our enemies; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness."
We certainly could pray Esther's prayer when we hear about babies being sold for their body parts; little girls and boys, young women and men exploited by human traffickers for the sex industry and as slaves in labor camps and/or factories and others victims of drug traffickers, domestic violence and the horrors of war.
With Esther, and with the victims of the crimes mentioned above, we pray: "As a child I used to hear from the books of my forefathers that you, O Lord, always free those who are pleasing to you. Now help me [help the victims of these crimes], who...[are] alone and have no one but you, O Lord, my God....Save us from the hand of the enemies [involved in human trafficking, drug trafficking, the abuse of women and children, male and female; the violence of war]; turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness."
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