Daily Reflections ...

Today’s reflection is on the first reading from the book of Tobit.  Tobit was a Galilean and is exiled to Assyria. On one faithful evening, after he buried the corpse of another man who was lying in the marketplace, Tobit fell asleep in his courtyard and became blinded after a bird’s dung fell on his eyes. After this, Tobit’s life became increasingly difficult, so much so that he prayed for death.

At the same time, in Media, Tobit’s kinswoman, Sarah, also prayed to die. Sarah was being plagued by a demon, Asmodeus, who had killed six of her successive husbands on their wedding night. Tobit and Sarah are then brought together by their prayers, and God sends the angel Raphael to their aid. Raphael, disguised as a kinsman called Azariah, takes Tobit’s son, Tobias, on a journey in which Tobias exorcises Asmodeus, marries Sarah, receives back money owed to his father and, with the aid of Raphael, miraculously heals his father’s blindness.

Despite the difficulty, God uses the faithfulness of Tobias to transform the situation. Tobias is fearful to take Sarah because of the previous deaths of the six other husbands but Raphael gives him courage by saying you were destined to be with Sarah.  He is then told how to banish the demon and she is saved. Not only is Tobias bold in prayer he also asks for Sarah’s hand in marriage from Raguel.  There is also a beautiful moment where both Tobias and Sarah pray and they thank God for their blessings and for their future protection!! Let’s be more faithful in prayer, especially when things are difficult!   

by Fr Nev Yun