Well, I have to hand it to Sr. Georgine (see previous post), she picked well. The Book of Tobit is incredibly rich. We have mercy, tradition, a normal family, an angel, a journey, true love, marriage, some hanky-panky (within the confines of marriage, of course), and some razzle-dazzle as well.
Tobit sends his son, Tobiah to his kinsman, Gabael, to reclaim the money that Tobit had long ago left with Gabael for safekeeping. Before sending him off, though, Tobiah instructs his son on how he should conduct his life. Sort of a Last Lecture, filled with rich wisdom about being faithful of heart. In order, the lessons are: honor your parents; keep the Lord always in mind; help the poor and give of your substance to them; avoid immorality; marry within your tribe; act honestly in your business dealings; listen to others, especially the wise, and don;t be too proud to take advice; and, finally, bless the Lord and ask Him for help along your journey in life. It reminds me some of Polonius' advice to Laertes in Hamlet, before Laertes set off on a journey himself--but Tobit's words are so much more profound, including:
Son, give alms in proportion to what you own. If you have great wealth, give alms out of your abundance; if you have but little, distribute even some of that.
This is the message Pope John Paul II delivered in his homily at Yankee Stadium back in 1978--a Mass I had the privilege of attending. I wrote about it in an earlier post.
Raphael, the angel God as commissioned to rescue Tobit and Sarah from their misery, inserts himself as a guide to take Tobiah to Gabael's home town. Before they depart, Raphael tells Tobit: Take courage! God has healing in store for you; so take courage!" How often I have heard those words myself, in some way or another, coming (I am sure) from God.
Some of the razzle-dazzle I mentioned before comes early in the journey, when Raphael instructs Tobiah to pull a fish from the water and cut out and keep some of its innards to be used later. Raphael then tells Tobiah that must stop off and visit another of Tobiah's kinsman, who has a daughter that Tobiah should marry. This, of course, is Sarah, whose own prayers are soon to be answered. As Raphael describes her, and before he has even met her, Tobiah falls in love with Sarah.
When Tobiah heard Raphael say that she was his kinswoman, of his own family's lineage, he fell deeply in love with her, and his heart became set on her.
Very romantic, no? Anyway, Tobiah and Rachel meet and Tobiah makes it known that he wishes to marry Sarah. Sarah's father is exultant:
Eat and drink and be merry tonight, for no man is more entitled to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother. . . . from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. She is yours today and ever after.
What a brief yet beautiful description of the marriage bond. Tobiah and Sarah marry that very day. At Raphael's instruction, Tobiah places the fish's liver and heart on the embers for the incense, driving away the demon who had killed Sarah's seven previous husbands. Raphael disposes of the demon. Tobiah and Sarah pray to God for happiness and long lives, and then they consummate their marriage. In the morning, when the household realizes that Sarah's husband has survived the night, there is much rejoicing.
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There is much rejoicing in my household today as well. The older of my two sons graduates from high school today. He is a wonderful young man and we are so very proud of him. Please pray for him on this special day.
Congratulations on your son's graduation, I will keep him in my prayers. New adventures await him (and his parents)!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I had ever read any of Tobit but it sounds familiar. What always surprises me is that I always assume that OT stories are boring and they always turn out to be exactly the opposite of what I expect. This book reminds me of 2 of my favorite OT books: Ruth and Hosea. I now have Tobit opened in front of me on my desk and find myself compelled to read...so thanks!