Word to the Wise
Friday, June 8, 2007 - Ninth Friday in Ordinary Time
[Tobit 11:5-17 and Mark 12:35-37]Blessed be God, and praised be his great name, and blessed be all his holy angels. May his holy name be praised throughout all the ages, because ti was he who scourged me, and it is he who has had mercy on me. Behold, I now see my son Tobiah.
"And they all lived happily ever after....." Stories with happy endings are popular. The Book of Tobit is full of happy endings. Sarah gets to marry Tobias after having lost seven husbands to a wicked demon. Tobit, the father of Tobias, has his sight restored by the use of fish gall on his cataracts! (Better check with your eye doctor before trying that one!) Raphael reveals himself as an angel at the end of the book, showing how God has been present all the time in the saga. The book is full of the same kinds of sayings that the Wisdom literature has, even though Tobit is listed (in the Catholic bible) with the historical literature. In reality, it is a story set in a real historical background. The whole point of the Book of Tobit is to edify and it does that pretty admirably. A good life lived according to God's commands is ultimately rewarded. Some of the prayers are included in the Liturgy of the Hours! Pick it up and read it. God can speak to us in stories and perhaps enable us to reflect God's goodness in our own stories. AMEN