Young Adults Group–5pm, Saturday 21 April, Bedford

Young Adults (18 to 35 years-old) are invited to join us for a social evening this Saturday. We will meet at 5pm in the parish room at the eastern end of the Church of Christ the King in Bedford (MK42 0SP). After a 10-minute video and discussion about the Book of Esther, we will head to a local venue for dinner and drinks. Please email james.mawdsley@fssp.org if you plan to join us, or else simply turn up.

The short video linked in the image above is superb quality but it seems the guts are missing. A Protestant team (The Bible Project) has worked hard to produce technically excellent videos explaining the various books of the Bible. It is all done with impressive learning and expertise, but as non-Catholics they have missed the best part.

The image above illustrates a wonderful symmetry in the Book of Esther, and the Bible Project identifies as the pivot of the whole story the stake (or gallows) upon which Mordecai is to hang. But being Protestant, they are unable to interpret the hidden, salvific meaning of the Book: that Mordecai & Queen Esther stand for Jesus & the Virgin Mary; that the giant gallows foreshadows the Cross of Calvary; that we share in their temporal victory for eternity through Holy Mass. Positively the video succeeds in emphasising that plot to murder the innocent Jew upon the gallows resulted, by God’s design, not only in the defeat of evil (which fell into the very pit it had dug) but also the glorification of the holy victim and the salvation of all God’s People. And elsewhere, in another excellent video, the Bible Project does point to Jesus as the key to all the Scriptures. But as they reject the authority of the Church, and reject the full canon, then they miss both the full significance of the whole and also crucial parts, for example the enduring centrality of sacrifice and Mary as Co-redemptrix.

What Mordecai & Esther did for the Jews at one point in history, Jesus & Mary do for the whole world for all generations. Before we die, the closest we can get to Mordecai & Esther, and to sharing in their achievement, is by assisting at Holy Mass. Inspiring everlasting praise and love of God, this is the ultimate reason why the Book of Esther was written and still exists. The command to perpetually keep the Feast of Purim is an admonishment for Christians to attend the living memorial of Calvary–namely, Holy Mass.

Protestants are welcome to join us on Saturday for the discussion, dinner & drinks.

by Fr JM