From today’s reading...
Then his father fell on his neck and wept. He exclaimed, 'I can see you, my son, the light of my eyes!' And he said: Blessed be God! Blessed be his great name! Blessed be all his holy angels! Blessed be his great name for evermore! For, having afflicted me, he has had pity on me and now I see my son Tobias! Tobias went indoors, joyfully blessing God at the top of his voice. Then he told his father everything; how his journey had been successful and he had brought the silver back; how he had married Sarah the daughter of Raguel; how she was following him now, close behind, and could not be far from the gates of Nineveh.” Tobit 11: 13-15
The verses I’ve been quoting this week have been a little longer than usual because in my four years of writing these daily musings, I haven’t pulled from Tobit, so I figured I’d catch up a bit this week.
As I wrote earlier, Tobit is a bit of Job figure. He was a good guy who had a bad thing happen to him, and today we see him healed by his son, Tobias, who had the blessings and guidance of the angel Raphael. (Notice how the son touches the blind man’s eyes with a paste to cure his blindness. Remind you of a story in John 9?)
As usual, the old prefigures the new, which we also see in today’s Responsorial Psalm taken from 146.
- “I will praise Yahweh all my life, I will make music to my God as long as I live.” (v2)
- “Yahweh gives sight to the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down.” (v8)
- “Yahweh protects the stranger, he sustains the orphan and the widow. Yahweh loves the upright,but he frustrates the wicked.” (v9)
- “Yahweh reigns for ever, your God, Zion, from age to age.” (v10)
Tobit praises Yahweh all his life. Yahweh restores his sight and lifts him up.
He protected Tobias in a strange land, as well as Sarah, who had been possessed by a demon.
And forevermore, God’s angels are blessed, and His name is great.
Be like Tobit, Tobias, and Sarah if you want to...
Stay the course.
Keep the faith.
Endure.
Now go sell something.
