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1 Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. 2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre. 3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom. 4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. 5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. 6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. 7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request is; 8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said. 9 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife. 11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. 12 Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king. 13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. 14 Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
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[AD 215] Clement of Alexandria on Esther 5:1-4
If the Lord places more importance on beauty of soul than on that of the body, what must he think of artificial beautification when he abhors so thoroughly every sort of lie? “We walk by faith, not by sight.” As a matter of fact, it is the Lord who plainly teaches by the example of Abraham that one who obeys God will make small account of even father and relations and possessions and of his entire fortune. He made Abraham an exile, and then, because of that, gave him the name “friend,” because he was so little attached to the things of his own home. Yet, Abraham was of a noble family and had possessed a large fortune. A proof of this is that he overcame the four kings who had captured Lot, with 318 servants belonging to him. As for women, the only one we know of who used ornaments without blame is Esther. Her action in making herself beautiful had a mystical significance, however, for, as the wife of her king, she obtained deliverance for her people by her beauty when they were being slaughtered.

Source: CHRIST THE EDUCATOR 3.2.12
[AD 856] Rabanus Maurus on Esther 5:1-4
What can it mean that on the third day Esther dressed in royal garments, if not that in the third age of the world—i.e. after the incarnation, passion and resurrection of Christ—the Church of the nations dressed herself in faith, hope and charity, and in the beauty of all the virtues, to receive the sacraments of baptism through the confession of the holy Trinity so that she would then be worthy of the king’s company, since she was burning incessantly with a special love for him? She stands in the courtyard of the king’s house which was inside, opposite the king’s basilica, i.e. in the righteous works of this life which looks toward future compensation in Heaven, where the king himself sits on his celestial throne and assents to the prayers of those who piously cry out to him. He extends to this queen the staff he holds in his hand when he shows her the power of his rule, or rather the cross of his passion through which he has acquired for himself power in Heaven, on earth, and below the earth; so that “in his name every creature—celestial, terrestrial and infernal—shall bend his knee.” In fact, she kisses this staff lovingly, that is, she reveres it with total devotion. And the king himself pledges that he will agree to her request, just as he says in the Gospel: “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you” (Matthew 7). And likewise: “Seek and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” For complete joy is given to the holy Church solely in the sense that it partakes in the kingdom of Heaven, where the fortunate queen will rule forever with Christ the king. And yet once she is allowed to choose her request, she invites him to the feast she has prepared for him; though this can best be understood as that complete and perfect devotion to her faith upon which the observer and arbiter of all the ages nourishes himself within. Of course, the Church invites to this refreshment, i.e. to this communion of vigorous faith, not only her friends but even her enemies and persecutors, namely pagans, Jews and heretics, so that—leaving behind the isolation of complete error—they may rejoice in the common good in the single home of catholic belief.

Source: Commentary on Esther
[AD 856] Rabanus Maurus on Esther 5:1-4
The fact that Esther put on all her royal robes on the third day undoubtedly signifies that the church of the nations, in the third time of the world, that is, after the incarnation, passion and resurrection of Christ, clothed herself through the sacrament of baptism and the confession of the Holy Trinity with faith, hope and charity, and the ornament of every virtue so that she might become worthy of the royal marriage while the love of (the Lord) remained constantly fervent. She stood in the inner court of the royal palace, that is, in the pious actions of this life which look at the future reward in heaven where the king himself sits on the supreme throne and fulfills the prayers of those who implore him piously. He, who held out to that queen the golden scepter that was in his hand, showed the power of his rule, that is, the cross of his passion through which he gained authority over heaven, earth and the underworld so that “at his name every knee shall bow in heaven, on earth and under the earth.” And (the church) lovingly kissed it, that is, worshiped it with all her devotion. And with regard to her petition, the king answered that he would listen to it, as it is said in the gospel as well, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” And again: “Ask, and you will receive, that you joy may be full.” Indeed the full joy of the church is provided nowhere but in the perception of the heavenly kingdom where the queen will happily reign with the king Christ forever. But she, after choosing her petition, invited him to the banquet that she had prepared. This cannot be better interpreted than as the full and perfect devotion of her faith of which the supervisor and arbiter of all things himself nourishes in her. To that magnificent repast, that is, to the communion of wholesome faith, the church invites not only her friends but also her enemies and persecutors, namely the pagans, the Jews, and the heretics so that, after abandoning the wrong path of error, they may rejoice in the one house of universal confession for the common good.

Source: EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 8
[AD 856] Rabanus Maurus on Esther 5:5
Notice that the will of the queen when she invites them is at one with the order issued by the king; but woe to anyone who approaches with evil intent the table of the Lord, who has a breast marred by hatred and an impure conscience and so does not fear to enter the feast of the Lord even though he is unworthy. And even when he has often been invited and has come, he will not linger amid the joyousness of the feasters because his faults force him to leave; but when the king comes in to see him lying there without having dressed in wedding clothes, he chastises him for his arrogance and orders his men to tie his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where he is rightly forced to suffer the harm he was wickedly planning to inflict on the innocent; as Solomon tells us: “The wicked are caught in their own traps.” So after the king once again gives Esther the chance to make a request, she responds as follows: “If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to give me what I ask and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come to the feast which I have prepared for them, and tomorrow I will surrender my will to the king.” The fact that she puts off her request should be attributed not to the vice of laziness, but to the virtue of patience; it signifies, in other words, that in the future rewards will be given to the righteous, but punishment to the sinner. For tomorrow means here a future time, as it does in the Gospel passage “Do not concern yourselves about tomorrow.” And in Genesis, Jacob says to Laban: “Tomorrow my justice will appear.” In Exodus as well, where the commandment to eat the paschal lamb is given, it adds: “And nothing of it will remain till the morning.” When, moreover, the day of future judgment arrives, and the entire human race- i.e. both the righteous and the sinners—is stood in the presence of the supreme Judge, the intent with which a person has lived in this world will be revealed; and there the righteous are invited by a verdict of the judge who sits before them to partake in the kingdom of their heavenly homeland, and the sinners are expelled to be punished, together with the Devil, with the torments of Hell.

Source: Commentary on Esther
[AD 856] Rabanus Maurus on Esther 5:5-6
Notice how the will of the inviting queen and the order of the commanding king agree. But woe to the one who comes to the banquet of the Lord with an evil mind! Even though such a person has his heart defiled by hatred and a corrupt conscience, he is not ashamed to enter unworthily the banquet of the Lord. Even though he comes after being invited, he does not bask in the joy of the guests. But when the king comes and sees that he sits there without wearing a wedding robe, he will rebuke his temerity and will order him to be bound hand and foot and thrown into the outer darkness where he will be forced to suffer the evil of his deception which he was wickedly preparing against the innocent, as Solomon says, “The wicked will be caught in his snares.”

Source: EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 8
[AD 856] Rabanus Maurus on Esther 5:6-7
This postponement of the petition is not due to a fault of laziness but must be attributed to the virtue of patience, clearly indicating that the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the sinners are reserved for the future. “Tomorrow,” in fact, must be interpreted as “the future,” as in that comforting sentence, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” And in Genesis Jacob says to Laban, “My justice will answer for me tomorrow.” And in Exodus, when the rules about the eating of the Passover lamb are given, it is added, “You shall let none of it remain until the morning.” Therefore when the day of future judgment comes and the entire human race, both righteous and sinners, is brought before the supreme Judge, then it will be revealed with which mind each person lived in this world. The righteous will be invited to reach the kingdom of the heavenly homeland through the sentence of this judge, and the sinners will be punished and expelled together with the devil into the torments of hell.

Source: EXPLANATION ON THE BOOK OF ESTHER 8