By Colleen O’Sullivan
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!” (Tobit 11:10-14a)
The Lord gives sight to the blind. The Lord
raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the just. The Lord protects strangers. (Psalm 146:8-9a)
Piety
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. (Tobit
11:14b-15a)
Study
In preparation for this Daily Tripod, I decided to
reread the Book of Tobit. What a
beautiful story! I like opera and the
further I read, the more I thought what a wonderful opera this story would
make. Anna and Tobit, the mezzo-soprano
and the baritone. Tobiah, the tenor, and
Sarah, the soprano. Raphael, the
almost-requisite character in disguise.
The background story of Tobit, the exiled righteous Israelite, who gives
fallen Israelites proper burials, the tragic moment when Tobit is made blind, God
sending the angel Raphael to watch over Tobit’s young son and to be God’s
instrument of healing, the drama of the son Tobiah’s journey, the parents
anxiously waiting at home, the fish attack at the Tigris River, Tobiah’s
homecoming with his lovely bride, the healing of Tobit’s blindness, the spontaneous
song of praise and thanksgiving. I can
almost hear the gorgeous aria one could compose based on that prayer of
gratitude.
But there’s no need to spend an afternoon at the
opera or to reread the entire book (although I highly recommend doing so) to be
familiar with the story line, because it’s one that plays out again and again
in our own lives. It’s not primarily a
story about Tobit or Tobiah or any of the other characters. It’s the eternal tale of how God works in our
lives to promote wholeness and healing. In
this Scripture passage, God accomplishes that by sending the archangel
Raphael. Later in history, God sends his
only Son into our world to bring us redemption and salvation. God is always sending people into our lives
or placing us in situations that become instruments of his desire for our
well-being.
Sometimes healing stings at first just as the fish
ointment stung Tobit’s eyes. It was
necessary, though, to apply the fish gall in order to remove the
cataracts. It seems paradoxical, but
often it’s in times of pain that God is most able to reach us, to draw us to
him, to lay his healing hand upon our troubled hearts.
Action
Look back over your life. When
have you experienced God’s healing touch?
Did you sing a song of thanksgiving and gratitude to the Lord?
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