Tobit 4-8

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.

Pope Francis

We have a Pope! I have only just begun to read the news accounts this morning, so all I have are ally impressions, but here goes....  I think this is in some ways a radical departure from what has gone before. JPII was almost certainly a saint. BXVI was in many ways a continuation of JPII. A brilliant theologian following a philosopher. Both nonItalian Europeans who, together, constituted a definitive break from the centuries-long grip the Italians had on the Papacy. And now the cardinals have gone to the other side of the world for the next Pope. A man of seeming great humility. Not a well-published scholar. Even in his initial appearance on the balcony he opted not to follow certain traditions. He did not wear all of the pieces of clothing typical for the occasion. He asked the people to pray for him before he blessed them. He prayed together with the people for BXVI, using the simplest, most common prayers available so that every Catholic listening could actively participate. And that name! God called St. Francis of Assisi to "rebuild my Church which is in ruins." It cannot be a coincidence that this Pope chose that name at a time when certain aspects of the Church need rebuilding--maybe even need fumigation. May God guide him. As the product of a Jesuit education, I am also tickled that Francis is a Jesuit. That he is a member of that incredible order, and yet took the name of the founder of a different and equally renowned order is significant, I think, in terms of desire for unity across the Church. May the Holy Spirit be with him.

Leviticus 22-27:34

As the Lord's explanation of the rules regarding sacrifices, holocausts, and offerings closes, He instructs Moses that an offering must be unblemished; it cannot be an offering of something that the owner would otherwise discard or have no use for. You shall not offer [a sacrifice] that has any defect, for such a one would not be acceptable for you. I was a freshman in college in 1978 when I had the good fortune to score a ticket to see John Paul II at Yankee Stadium. It was quite a memorable experience.  To think that I was present for a Mass offered by a man who will likely be recognized by the Church as a saint in my lifetime! In his homily that day, JP2 urged Catholics, and particularly Americans, to give of their substance and not just of their abundance. I am reminded of that message by the words from Leviticus quoted above. Do I do this? Do I offer to Him, and try to do His Will in, those aspects of my life I hold most dear?  Do I cabin off the "God times"--Mass on Sundays, certain times for prayers--and keep the rest for myself? Or do I try to weave Him into every aspect of my life? Well, I know what I should do, but I also know what I usually do--and unfortunately they are often not the same.

The Lord goes on to instruct Moses about the Holy Days, including Passover, the Day of Atonement, New Years' Day, etc. It is noteworthy that, with respect to each holy day, God calls for "a sacred assembly." Even as He addresses very personal aspects of human behavior in Leviticus, He calls them back to the community. The community, the sacred assembly, is a vital and integral part of living as God's people. So, too, with Catholicism. So much rides on the community and its response to God's call, to its collective action, its collective holiness, its collective sinfulness. The "Old Testament God" comes to the forefront as Leviticus closes, with many warnings about the punishments that await the chosen people should they ignore or reject the Lord--too numerous and frightening to catalog here. But even so, the Lord promises that I will not reject or spurn them, lest, by wiping them out, I make void my covenant with them; for I, the Lord, am their God. He is ever faithful, and will not forget His promises. 

Leviticus 15:1-18:18

The Lord institutes the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), on which the priest confesses "all the sinful faults and transgressions of the Israelite community" in order to make "atonement for himself and his household as well as the whole Israelite community." It is a day of fasting  to be observed on a set day each year, "so that you may be cleansed of all your sins before the Lord." On that day, the priest places the sins and transgressions of the community on the head of a live goat that is then sent away to the desert. I did not know until now that this is where the concept of a scapegoat came from! The Lord instructs Moses about the sacredness of blood, since "the life of a living body is in its blood." The Lord is very explicit about not partaking in blood, making me wonder if this might be a contrast to other religious rituals of that time. The Lord instructs Moses regarding the sanctity of sex, although it is essentially a list of sex one may not have, rather than a positive discussion. Not exactly John Paul II's Theology of the Body. In this section, however, there is also this powerful statement: Keep, then, my statutes and decrees, for the man who carries them out will find life through them. I am the Lord. Jesus the Lord ultimately fulfills the law and is the Way to new life.