Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
“Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. Tobit 8:5
“You are not far from the
Let us pray: Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever. Once we have secured the required prayer, only then can we turn to God through his Son, the Lord and the Messiah. Those who are not far from the Kingdom will be the people with the faith of Tobiah, Sarah and the scribe in today’s readings. Give us the faith, hope and love to act as they do putting your needs before all others. Amen.
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The Lord does indeed look with favor on Tobiah and Sarah. Why? What is the difference between Tobiah and the first seven husbands? The Lord also looks with favor on the scribe who knows the lesson that Jesus preaches. What sets him apart?
Perhaps it is the primary place that they all give to their life of piety. The first indication comes at the very top of today’s first reading. When Raphael calls on Tobiah, his reply is, “Here I am.” This is the same affirmative response that Mary of Nazareth gave when the angel of the Lord called on her to give birth to the son of God. It is the same response that was spoken by Isaiah when the Lord was looking for someone to send to preach to the people. In exchange for a cloud of dust, faithful servants put themselves before the Lord.
Time after time in the Hebrew Bible and in the Good News, “Here I am” is the response provided by loyal and faithful servants. It is even used by Jesus.
Raphael comforts the newlyweds with the same sentiment that the Lord used on His disciples. “Do not be afraid.” So, when Tobiah and Sarah enter the wedding chamber, they have both already put the lord before earthly possessions. It is only natural that they move forward in prayer.
So, before undertaking activity for their own pleasure, they sent prayers out to the Lord.
The primacy of a life of prayer that leads to understanding of the message Jesus also comes through when Jesus faces the question of the scribe. Rather than trying to trap the Lord, this scribe in today’s reading from Mark, he truly seeks to learn an answer from the Lord. In response, Jesus comments, “You are not far from the
How would the Lord respond to us if we commented on His commandments? Will the Lord recognize us as His children and be happy with how we have learned our lessons? Will the Lord be well pleased with our answers and be ready to admit us to Heaven?
When undertaking any activity, do you offer praise to God first? Before commuting? Before getting out of bed? Before retiring at night? When you awaken, who do you think of first?
Like today, people heard the message of the Lord differently. Carefully act upon whatever lessons the Lord opens before you.
How can we better act in partnership with the Lord?
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