Esther 9:1

The twelfth month, as we have said above, signifies the last age of the world when our Redeemer became incarnate and the preaching of the gospel spread over the entire world. In a similar way, the thirteenth day proclaims the light of faith and good works which is produced by the preaching of the gospel in the church through the faithful. Indeed, in the twelfth month on the thirteenth day when the destruction of all the Jews was being prepared and their enemies longed for their blood, the Jews, on the contrary, began to triumph and started taking revenge on their adversaries because they [represent] the assembly of the faithful where the true confession of the right faith resides who are helped by the grace of God and comforted by the shield of faith and the weapons of justice in the face of the enemies and persecutors of the name of Christ who persecute and oppress them wherever they are. The assembly of the faithful is thus able to defeat its enemies and to gain the triumph of glory over them.

The twelfth month, as we said before, symbolizes the last era of our world when the Redeemer has been made incarnate and the preaching of the Gospel itself has spread throughout the entire world. And in the same way, the thirteenth day declares the light of faith and of good works, which—as the Gospels predict—is fulfilled every day by the faithful. For in the twelfth month, "on the thirteenth day of the month, when the slaughter of all the Jews was being readied and their enemies were eager for blood, the tables were turned and the Jews began to gain the upper hand, and to avenge themselves on their opponents." This means that even though the enemies and persecutors of the name of Christ are constantly stirring up attacks against the community of the faithful—which maintains the true expression of the correct faith— and making every effort to oppress them, the latter have been helped by the grace of God and strengthened with the shield of faith and the arms of justice so that they might defeat their adversaries and carry back from them the spoils of glory. This they do by converting them to the light of faith and making them partners in the grace of Christ, after repelling their spiritual wickedness and the disseminators of error who were seducing them through various vices. "And no one dared to resist them." That is, the fear of God's majesty, which in the Church is made known by the gleam of miracles, thrashes soundly the hearts of fleshly creatures and compels them to yield to the word of God, which is naturally described in what follows...