Since Monday of this week we have been one of the historical and folklore books of the Bible in the Book of Tobit. It reads like an episode of ” Downton Abbey”. After their journey from the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722-721 BC, Tobit’s family must have lived in a hell hole in the City of Nineveh. Tobit was a good man and Anna his wife was good faithful servant of the Lord. They were generous and gave food and money to the needy but they had fallen on hard times. Tobiah was a good son and he was his parent’s only hope for survival. To make matters worse they were living in a godless land. Do you by any chance draw any parallels to today’s world? Unfortunately, I draw too many. Through it all they remained faithful to God in all adversity, but they were becoming desperate, because Tobit at this point was blind.
On the same day, Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, who also came from a good family (even though they were living in another city). She was being cursed by a demon who would kill her bridegroom before their wedding night. I would have hated to be the seventh person to die knowing what had happened to the other six husbands. Tobiah could have said no to the offer of marriage but he listened to an angel. She really must have been a beautiful young women. Sarah in Tobit’s story was so driven to despair that she contemplated suicide. Wow! There are times in my life that I have wanted to drop out of life, not with suicide but dropping out of some volunteer project that I was doing. To much to do and no time and stress. I wanted to quit what I was doing and then it was pointed out to me that this is what Satan wanted me to do. Sarah was doing everything right and Satan would have rejoiced if she had not. Satan would have rejoice if Tobiah had not listened to Raphael.
This reminds me of a life story from my memory banks. When I was young man, I had a good friend who was a real warm and generous young women who was left at the altar a week before her wedding. It was probably a good thing in the end, because the husband she later ended up with was twice the man as the first. She did not think so at the time but her and her husband have been married for over 40 years. They ended up with eight beautiful children and they were successful in business. I love happy endings.
Back at the ranch, Tobit and Anna were despairing. Tobit was blind and Anna only brought in a little money as a weaver. Tobiah was their only hope. It was supposed to be about a four or five-day trip and the wedding feast at Raguel’s house was fourteen days. After 20 days Anna thought all was lost and that Tobiah was dead and that she and her husband would die. She said to Tobit “Where are your charitable deeds now?”
Then comes the cavalry in Tobit’s story in the form of and Angel by the name of Raphael. Not just any angel but one of seven who attended the Lord God. In today’s reading the angel says “ A king’s secret should be kept secret, but one must declare the works of God and give thanks with due honor. Do good, and evil will not overtake you.” Tobit 12:7
The message I take from the two readings together is this. It is right to honor and respect your parents. It is good that parents teach their children right from wrong and to live by good example as Tobit did. God will provide through an angel or guardian angel or a human being like Tobit doing God’s will. Notice throughout the story a strong family relationship and familial direction was present. It is also the marital bond as Mary Ortwein spoke of on Thursday and Carolyn Berghuis spoke of on Friday. The bond that is secured by prayer. There is true love here. Human love and Godly love that gets everyone through their difficulties. *** Most importantly remember when Satan attacks you,that it is a signal that you must be doing something right *** Jesus has told us the Satan goes about the world devouring souls. Prayer is our only weapon and defense. We need to recognize this every time we are stonewalled in doing the right thing much like Tobit. God may send us a humans or a guardian angel or His will may send us in another direction. On the other side of the coin any good that happens in our life, it has to be from God and we need to give Him Glory and thanks. The bad is from the devil.
We need to declare what God has done for us throughout your lives. Take a moment and look back and see what God has done for you and I’ll just bet you will have much to give Him thanks. I remember when I have sinned and also remember the times I did not because of the grace of God and the Holy Spirit working in me. In today’s Gospel we read:
Mark 12:43-44 Jesus tells us “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury.For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”
Everything we have belongs to God. We do not own things . We are lent them through our lives and then we go to heaven where we wont need any of them. We don’t own people either. We will have riches though and they are stored in heaven our true home. The Benedictine monks of Weston Priory had a song on their album ” Winters Coming Home” which said in paraphrase says the good you do will live on in our hearts. Keep on doing good teach the young to do the same. Therein lies true riches and the true riches of our heavenly home. Give praise to God from whom all blessings flow and watch out if you are persecuted trying to do good. You must be doing something right. Do not stop. Give praise to God for all of it. When you get the chance read Chapter 13 and 14 of Tobit. I love happy endings.
God Bless
Bob Burford
Prayer: I would like to thank my guardian angel and all the people who in the course of my life have helped me in my journey to heaven.
Readings: Tobit 12:1, 5-15, 20; Tobit 13:2, 6EFGH,7,8; Mark 12: 38-44
