“REDUCED like Job on the dung-hill to the extremity of wretchedness, the world has nothing to trust to but to God’s mercy. The holy men who are still living in it, imitating in the name of all mankind the sentiment of the just man of Idumea, honor God by a patience and resignation, which do but add power and intensity to their supplications. They begin by making their own the sublime prayer made by Mardochai** for his people, who were doomed to extermination. The world is condemned to a similar ruin.
All things, O Lord, are in Thy power, and no one can resist Thy will: for Thou madest all things, heaven and earth, and all things that are contained within the compass of the heavens: Thou art Lord of all.
“The Church shows us very clearly, in the Collect, that although she is quite ready to go through the roughest times, yet she prefers peace; because that furnishes her with undisturbed freedom for paying to her God the united homage of religion and good works. The closing petition made by Mardochai, in the prayer, whose commencement forms our Introit, was that God would bestow on His people the liberty necessary for that occupation on which the world’s well-being ever depends — we mean, the occupation of giving praise to God. These were Mardochai’s grand words: May we live, and praise Thy name, O Lord! and shut not Thou the mouths of them that sing to Thee!”
— Dom Prosper Guéranger, Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
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**Book of Esther, Chapter 13: 8-18
But Mardochai besought the Lord, remembering all his works,
And said: O Lord, Lord, almighty king, for all things are in thy power, and there is none that can resist thy will, if thou determine to save Israel.
Thou hast made heaven and earth, and all things that are under the cope of heaven.
Thou art Lord of all, and there is none that can resist thy majesty.
Thou knowest all things, and thou knowest that it was not out of pride and contempt, or any desire of glory, that I refused to worship the proud Aman,
(For I would willingly and readily for the salvation of Israel have kissed even the steps of his feet,)
But I feared lest I should transfer the honour of my God to a man, and lest I should adore any one except my God.
And now, O Lord, O king, O God of Abraham, have mercy on thy people, because our enemies resolve to destroy us, and extinguish thy inheritance.
Despise not thy portion, which thou hast redeemed for thyself out of Egypt.
Hear my supplication, and be merciful to thy lot and inheritance, and turn our mourning into joy, that we may live and praise thy name, O Lord, and shut not the mouths of them that sing to thee.
And all Israel with like mind and supplication cried to the Lord, because they saw certain death hanging over their heads.
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Collect
Preserve thy family, O Lord, we beseech thee, by thy constant mercy: that under thy proection, it may be freed from all adversities, and be devoted to thy name in the practice of good works. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
