Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Before them all Tobit proclaimed how God had mercifully restored sight to his eyes. Tobit 11:17
David himself calls him ‘lord’;
so how is he his son?”
The great crowd heard this with delight. Mark 12:37
(Psalm 146) Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, my soul; I shall praise the LORD all my life, sing praise to my God while I live. I Put no trust in princes, in mere mortals powerless to save. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth; that day all their planning comes to nothing. Happy those whose help is Jacob's God, whose hope is in the LORD, their God, The maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, Who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free; the LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD protects the stranger, sustains the orphan and the widow, but thwarts the way of the wicked. The LORD shall reign forever, your God,
Today we encounter another story about curing the blind. Miracles about sight happen frequently in the Bible. Sometimes, as in the miracle in John’s Gospel, the person cured was blind from birth. Other times, the Lord inflicted blindness on someone – Saul, Zechariah, Pete and others – in order to cure the blind person and use the person to evangelize after being the subject of a miracle.
Either way, the key is always opening your eyes to see the glory of the Lord.
Today, as the serialization of the Book of Tobit continues this week, Tobit is the blind man who is healed. He sets a great example for Zechariah and Saul to follow when they deal with their blindness. As soon as Tobit is healed, he sings God’s praise and begins to preach about God’s mercy to his neighbors.
Before the miracle of Tobit’s healing and Sarah’s wedding night, both were instructed to have one quality – “courage.” Tobit and Sarah both had to take a risk and trust in the Lord in order to be able to experience the miracles. Sarah has to march into the bedroom with her new husband hoping he would survive.
“My love, prepare the other bedroom and bring the girl there.” She went and made the bed in the room, as she was told, and brought the girl there. After she had cried over her, she wiped away the tears and said: “Be brave, my daughter. May the Lord grant you joy in place of your grief. Courage, my daughter.”
Tobit had to be willing to accept the healing balm that Tobias applied to his father’s eyes.
Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate. Tobiah went up to him with the fish gall in his hand, and holding him firmly, blew into his eyes. “Courage, father,” he said. Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes, and it made them smart.
Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit’s eyes, Tobiah used both hands to peel off the cataracts. When Tobit saw his son, he threw his arms around him and wept.
He exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!”
Just as Tobit and Sarah turned to God during their affliction, they returned praise to God as soon as they emerged from the affliction.
“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 it was he who scourged me, and it is he who has had mercy on me. Behold, I now see my son Tobiah!”
Finally, both did not keep the miracle a secret. Instead they shared the Good News with their neighbors, just as we would share the good news of the birth of a new child or grandchild with our neighbors today. Tobit left the courtyard, his sight restored. Sarah traveled with Tobias to meet her new in-laws and proclaim the Good News to them.
In the Gospel today, Jesus convinces the scribes and people gathered in the temple area that he is much more than just the son of David. In their actions that we have followed this week in our readings, both couples, Sarah and Tobias along with Tobit and Anna show that their unwavering faith (piety) leads to action in the community (sharing good news with others).
Imagine for a few minutes what it would be like to be blind. Tobit and Anna just wanted to see their son again – and see him happy. How would you be able to function blind? What would you miss the most?
Now that summer is approaching, don’t miss the sights and sounds that it brings. The sun sets later each night so you can enjoy its beauty and not be racing home from work, school or activities. Take in every action and reaction, every ray of light, every relationship.
Being restored to fullness brings with it the need for praise and thanksgiving and the need to pass it on.
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