Welcome to the Pauline Family's "Year of the Bible"! I'm reading the Bible clear through this year, and I invite you to read along with me. But first, let us pray:
My God, I adore and thank your loving and wise Providence, manifested on every page of Sacred Scripture. You have always been close to sinful and erring humanity, and have indicated the way and given hope. Amid the shadows of error and corruption, you kindled the light of your truth; amid universal corruption, you are the Just One; amid so much idolatry, humanity in every corner of the earth has cultivated a sincere worship of you.
Let my reading today increase my trust in your goodness, your mercy, and your unfailing faithfulness.
Today's chapters are Tobit 8-10.
As instructed by Raphael, Tobias exorcises the demon from Sarah and then offers a prayer for God's mercy upon their life together. This prayer of the newlyweds is the focus of a beautiful section in Pope John Paul's Theology of the Body. Tobias was clearly ready to stand with Sarah "for better and for worse":
As they unite as husband and wife, they find themselves in the situation in which the powers of good and evil fight against each other and measure each other. The duet of the spouses in the Song of Songs seems not to perceive this dimension of reality at all.
The truth and strength of love show themselves in the ability to place itself between the forces of good and evil that fight within man and around him, because love is confident in the victory of good and is ready to do everything in order that good may conquer.
TOB 115:3
After that admittedly profound reading from a philosopher-saint, we can enjoy the humor in the Bible, with the story of Raguel's grave-digging efforts.
The wedding night prayer of Tobias and Sarah is one of the options for the first reading for the Nuptial Mass.
No comments:
Post a Comment