Participation in weekday eucharists draws us into the fullness of Holy Scripture including the deuterocanonical or apocryphal books as in this week’s reading and digesting of the book of Tobit. The Apocrypha, literally hidden books, are those books received by the early Church as part of the Greek version of the Old Testament. In Anglicanism and other traditions they are not considered divinely inspired but regarded as worthy of study by the faithful as at today’s eucharist. We read yesterday in this tale how Tobit like Job has over the top misfortune as a result of generous service to others including burying the unburied dead. He has his property confiscated, is pooped on by a bird and goes blind.
Like the story of Job and Jonah the book has downward then upward movement, a seeming death and resurrection. This morning’s passage starts with Tobit’s sorrowful prayer of lamentation. ‘I desire to be delivered from earth and to become earth again. For death is better for me than life. I have been reviled without a cause and I am distressed beyond measure’ (Tobit 3:6). His sorrowful prayer coincides with another prayer of Sarah, also at her wits end with the death of seven bridegrooms. Sarah eventually becomes Tobit’s daughter-in-law through marriage to Tobit’s son Tobias. We read how ‘the prayer of [both Tobit and Sarah] found favour before the glory of God and [the archangel] Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both’ (Tobit 3:17).
What spiritual profit might be found in our digestion of this strange passage? We might note the complaint against suffering by the innocent which could be allied to the sentiments of many of us or our associates in a variety of different situations. Then we have that brief window into heaven and the healing ministry of the Archangel Raphael sent to advise Tobias on healing his father’s sight. Thirdly, as in the books of Job and Jonah, we have in Tobit a Christ-like figure who descends through suffering and death only to emerge triumphant with prayers answered and a ripple effect in many others having their prayers answered.
As we plead the eucharistic prayer this morning, the priest doing so on our behalf and in the person of Christ himself, we associate our prayer ‘with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven’. Our prayer is voiced in a worldwide pandemic amidst tumult in many nations not to mention our own frustrations. The book of Tobit teaches us prayer to God is never unanswered. Prayer’s mechanics are beyond us though not beyond the angels. With Tobit and Sarah we plead before God. We voice pain and injustice and we don’t do so in vain. As the story continues - do read through the book of Tobit - we find ourselves in a roller coaster of sorrow and joy that we can associate with. The book ends saying ‘God sends us down to the depths of the underworld and draws us up from supreme destruction’ (Tobit 13:2).
After prayer to God Tobit recovers his sight and Sarah gains a husband. Our casualties and that of our circle are reversible and our entrusting of ‘our souls and bodies as a living sacrifice’ to God in the eucharist in the company of ‘angels and archangels’ is never in vain. Dying, Christ destroys what is deadly, rising he restores our vitality and that of the whole world. In the eucharist we show forth his death and resurrection in joyful hope of his return and the transformation of all things. Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the Saviour of the world. [Picture: Archangel Raphael leaving the family of Tobias by Rembrandt (1637, Louvre)]
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