At that time, then, she spread out her hands,
and facing the window, poured out this prayer: "Blessed are you, O Lord,
merciful God! Forever blessed and honored is your holy name; may all your works
forever bless you. And now, O Lord, to you I turn my face
and raise my eyes. Bid me to depart from the earth, never again to hear
such insults. Tobit 3:11-13
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living. Mark
12:27
Piety
Let us pray: God, surrounded by a
culture of violence and death, it is easy to trivialize life. We hear the
words “Respect Life” so much that the syllables seem to have lost their meaning
in our society. As Tobit prayed, so do I – Punish me not for my sins. Instead,
open my eyes to the needs around me so I may become your vessel for delivering
help. Open my heart to new relationships with your and the world so that I
may become your vessel for delivering hope.
Study
Tobit and Sarah are at their wit’s end. The
turmoil in each one’s life has taken them to the point of not wanting to
live…and they turn to God to ask for a way out. For Tobit and Sarah, they
can only conceive of death as an escape from the pain and suffering that they
are experiencing in life.
The wisdom Jesus gained at the right hand of
God shows through again today in the Gospel. Jesus is never at an end of His
divine wisdom. Repeatedly, the Sadducees have tried to ask Jesus trick
questions to get the Lord to trap himself. Yet time after time, Jesus’ answer
astonishes the crowd.
Jesus turns the tables on his inquisitors
saying, “Are you not misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power
of God?” Jesus teaches that God is the Lord of Life, a God if the living, not
the dead.
In their hour of greatest anxiety, these two
lonely and afflicted people put their entire trust in God seeking a way out. However,
human wisdom has its limit. They think that God has at His disposal the same
options they conceive. However, they are to learn that the God of the Living
has many ways to rescue us from our afflictions. Tobit and Sarah can’t even
begin to imagine that their personal God will send His angel Raphael “to heal
them both.” Tobit will see again. Sarah will love again. All because in their
greatest need, they put their faith and heart in God’s hands. Even though their
minds were as limited as the Sadducees, God shows us again and again that his
love and wisdom are without limits.
Action
Crisis feels different for everybody. Tobit
and Sarah wanted to depart from the earth for their own personal reasons. Today,
many feel this despair including members of the military service. Approximately
22 Veterans a day commit suicide. That nearly one person every hour. Think about those words we say from memory in the Hail Mary. "Pray for us sinners now and at the HOUR OF OUR DEATH." The hour you are reading this is the hour of someone's death by suicide.
You can learn to recognize the signs of a crisis. The emotions connected to such a crisis are caused
by a wide range of situations before, during, or after military service. According
to the Veterans’ Administration, some Service members are coping with stress,
anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or challenges faced during civilian
life while others may experience difficulties in their relationships or
transitioning back to employment or education. No matter the situation, a
Military Crisis Line responder can provide support, day or night.
These messages go around on social media where
people ask you to post this as your status.
I'm asking that you learn a little more about veteran’s suicide and
share the phone number:
Hail Mary, full of Grace. The Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of our God of the Living,
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment