Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection February 26, 2026
Thursday – First Week of Lent
26th February 2026 (Thursday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Esther 4:17m, 17o-17q, 17x-17z (Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25)
Esther the queen seized with deathly anxiety, fled to the Lord; And she prayed to the Lord God of Israel and said: “O my Lord, you only are our King; help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, for my danger is in my hand. Ever since I was born I have heard in the tribe of my family that you, O Lord, took Israel out of all the nations and our fathers from among all their ancestors for an everlasting inheritance and that you did for them all that you promised. Remember, O Lord; make yourself known in this time of our affliction and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion! Put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him. But save us by your hand and help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, O Lord.
Psalm 138:1-2a, 2bcd-3, 7d-8 (R. 3a)
R/. On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
V/. Create a pure heart for me, O God; restore in me the joy of your salvation.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Thursday – First Week of Lent
Main Point: Many times, our prayers are too polite and too safe. In this case, He says He wants us to speak from the heart. He also states that we can ask for what we need, and He responds like a caring father.
1. In the first reading, we can see that Queen Esther is very frightened. Her whole nation faces the threat of extinction, and she is left with the one chance to save them. However, in order to save them, she would have to put her own life in danger, which is a scary, lonely and overwhelming situation.
2. What is her response to this situation? She removes her royal garments and goes to the ground, where she begins to pray. She is honest and her prayer is raw as she goes, “My Lord, Our King, to You alone be the glory! Help me. I’m alone. When there is no assistance, I look to You.” Real desperation is what Esther is, and she is right to bring this to God without the flimsy large, overly theologically sounding constructs.
3. In the Gospel, Jesus explains the reason Esther’s prayer was answered. He said, “‘Ask, and you will receive. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you.'”
4. To be honest, I sometimes find this difficult. I realize it sounds confusing. We pray and ask God to heal someone we love, or God to mend a situation, and it feels like the door remains shut. We knock and the answer is silence. In fact, it can feel like God is not listening.
5. But Jesus explains it nicely. He questions, “If your child wants bread, do you give him a stone? If your child wants a fish, do you give him a snake?” Even imperfect, flawed human parents want to give good things to their children. How much more do you think our Heavenly Father wants to bless us?
6. Here’s how it works. When we talk to God, we don’t always get what we want. Instead, we get what we need. When we ask God for a simple and easy life, God gives us strength and courage. e.g. Esther asked God for help. In turn God gave her courage to speak to the king. In life we are always asking God for something, and giving us what we need instead.
7. The last part of the puzzle God gives us is saying, “‘Do to others what you want them to do to you.'” We’re asking God to be understanding and so, we have to be understanding to others as well.
My Practice: Am I carrying a burden alone? Instead of being passive and just praying, can I just tell God how I feel, like Esther? Then, can I go answer someone else’s prayer by being nice to them?
