A Devotional Story For Boys: Tobit

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This week, the wisdom book offered for meditation and reflection in the liturgy is that of Tobit. The story of Tobit is set outside of the Holy Land and was written as an edifying story for the Israelite who wishes to live faithful to Yahweh and His Ways at a time and place that greatly discourages it. The plot of the story is simple: Tobit goes blind after doing the duty of an Israelite towards the dead. His situation raises a question: “Why do the innocent suffer?” The rest of the story tells of how the “fate” (if you may call it that) of Tobit is reversed, through his son Tobias. While the story is about Tobit, the main character is Tobias who, following the wisdom imparted to him by his father not only helps to heal his father but also “heals” the lot of Sarah a woman under the power of a demon.

The story is edifying primarily because Jewish wisdom is illustrated in concrete ways withing the story. Love and devotion to parents, choice of companions, choice of a wife, love… all these are shown as practical and concrete ways of living according to the ways of Yahweh. It is also the book which is the basis for the Catholic Church’s doctrine of Guardian Angels. Raphael, masquerading as a guide, becomes the companion of Tobias and helps this latter accomplish what he set out to do and more.

The story has a lot in common with Ruth, a novella which deals with a matriarch’s reversal of fortune through the fidelity of her daughter-in-law. Both also deal with the question of levirate marriage, an issue which may have been important for the Jews during times of national crisis (in war, or even in exile). And in both the image of the devoted son/daughter on the one hand and the formative relevance that the father/mother have towards them is highlighted.

Below is a table that shows how selections from the book will be used during these days. There are breaks in the reading of the book because of the feast of the Visitation and the Sacred Heart.

Monday, Tobit 1:3;2:1a-8

This is the introduction of the book and dramatizes the great difficulty of living as a faithful Jew in a foreign country.

Tuesday, (Feast of the Visitation)

Wednesday, Tobit 3:1-11a, 16-17a

Tobit narrates the circumstances of his blindness and of the sufferings he and his family would undergo on this account. Tobit’s life goes so low that at one point, he even “sins” against his wife. The days reading is actually Tobit’s prayer to God confessing his sin and expressing his trust in him. This is followed by the prayer of a woman — Sara — who in Ecbatana is also in straits. She is under the power of a demon who has prevented her from becoming a mother seven times. The solution to both these prayers will be Tobias.

Thursday, Tobit 6:10-11;7:1.9-17.8:4-9a

The story is fast-forwarded to Tobias and Raphael in Ecbatana. Tobit has sent his son with a companion on a journey to Raguel his kinsman. After quite an adventurous journey, both Tobias and Raphael, an angel masquerading as a guide, reach Raguel’s place. The reading tells about the meeting of Tobias and Raguel’s daughter Sarah.

Friday (Feast of the Sacred Heart)

Saturday, Tobit 12:1, 5-12.20

After Tobias weds Sarah and frees her from the demon he goes home. The reading narrates the arrival of Tobias and his happy reunion with his parents. Here, Tobias also cures Tobit of his blindness. The reading ends with a berakah uttered by Tobit to Yahweh.

this, we go on to Paul’s 2 Corinthians. It should prove to be quite an interesting reading too

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