1) As they drew near to Kaserin, which is opposite Nineveh, 2) Raphael said: “You know how we left your father. 3) Let us hurry on ahead of your wife to prepare the house while they are still on the way.” 4) So both went on ahead together, and Raphael said to him, “Take the gall in your hand!” And the dog ran along behind them.

COMMENTARY:  Two on foot can travel faster than a whole caravan of flocks, carts and heavy goods on camels.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

5) Meanwhile, Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come. 6) When she saw him coming, she called to his father, “Look, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!”

COMMENTARY:  So Anna’s vigil wasn’t entirely pointless.  And it does my heart good to think of her relief!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

7) Raphael said to Tobiah before he came near to his father: “I know that his eyes will be opened. 8) Apply the fish gall to his eyes, and the medicine will make the white scales shrink and peel off from his eyes; then your father will have sight again and will see the light of day.”

COMMENTARY:  I commented before on how one of the lessons is that a healing from a miracle or a healing from science both come from God, Who makes both science and miracles.  But I should also mention another lesson—that whoever brings us useful information acts as an angel from the divine.  Teaching is an angelic act.

                A friend once gave me a vial o water from Lourdes, a place which we Catholics believe has been blessed with miraculous healing powers.  I took a few drops with a firm resolve to accept whatever healing Jesus might wish to send me.  That same day I came across information about chia seed and how, among its many benefits, it can reduce inflammation, a factor in fibromyalgia and arthritis.  And my pain became significantly less when I started using it daily.  Was it a miracle?  No.  Was it a healing from God?  Yes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

9) Then Anna ran up to her son, embraced him, and said to him, “Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!” And she sobbed aloud.

COMMENTARY:  One could easily take this the wrong way!  But she means, “I have had the happiest moment of my lie; I cannot imagine anything happier than this.  So if I die now, I will have counted my life full enough.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 10) Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate to meet his son. Tobiah went up to him 11) with the fish gall in his hand and blew into his eyes. Holding him firmly, he said, “Courage, father.” Then he applied the medicine to his eyes, and it made them sting. 12 ^, 13) Tobiah used both hands to peel the white scales from the corners of his eyes. Tobit saw his son and threw his arms around him.

COMMENTARY:  Very realistic, even graphic!  But also symbolic.  How often what opens our eyes stings!  But if we take up our courage and go through to the end, we become so much happier for having gone through the ordeal!  Blessed are those brave enough to endure the pain of learning to see clearly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 14)  Weeping, he exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!” Then he prayed,

“Blessed be God,

blessed be his great name,

and blessed be all his holy angels.

May his great name be with us,

and blessed be all the angels throughout all the ages.

COMMENTARY:  It’s always an excellent idea to give thanks for every blessing that we receive.  God does not depend upon our gratitude, nor is He so fragile that He cannot abide our overlooking opportunities to give thanks, but it’s good for us, and He loves whatever does us benefit.  The more one gives thanks, the more attuned one becomes to things and events worthy of thankfulness.

                The opposite of gratitude is entitlement.  Tobit could have said, “Well, it’s about time!  I never deserved to go blind in the first place.  I’m not going to thank you for correcting a mistake!  You were just doing your job.”  Aside from being untrue, people who never thank others for “just doing their job” lead miserable lives.  Believing themselves entitled to everything, they appreciate nothing.  They understand only “normal” (by which they mean they get whatever they want) and “disappointing” (by which they mean they don’t.)  They never feel the peaks of joy, because they expect one solid, flat mesa.

                Why do I call this untrue?  Think what would have happened if Tobit had not gone blind.  He would have picked up his money as soon as the roads became open, which would have been years before Tobiah reached marriageable age.  He would not look for any bride for his son, nor would Sarah be old enough to consider.  And he would, after that, have no reason to return to that city again.  So when Sarah grew old enough to draw the attention of Asmodius, Tobiah would by then already have been married to the wrong wife.  Sarah would have died unwed.  And who knows?  Maybe Tobiah would have dragged on through an ill-fitting marriage, wondering why something never quite felt right.

                How often our sufferings put us in the right place, at the right time, for the right thing to happen!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

15) God it was who afflicted me,

and God who has had mercy on me.

Now I see my son Tobiah!”

Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice. Tobiah related to his father how his journey had been a success; that he had brought back the money; and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, who was about to arrive, for she was near the gate of Nineveh.

COMMENTARY:  Tobit praises God even when he thinks that nothing comes of this except a return to normal.  But then he discovers that he has still more reason to thank God, and that he has come out ahead.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

16) Rejoicing and blessing God, Tobit went out to the gate of Nineveh to meet his daughter-in-law. When the people of Nineveh saw him coming, walking along briskly, with no one leading him by the hand, they were amazed. 17) Before them all Tobit proclaimed how God had shown mercy to him and opened his eyes. When Tobit came up to Sarah, the wife of his son Tobiah, he blessed her and said: “Welcome, my daughter! Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter! Blessed are your father and your mother. Blessed be my son Tobiah, and blessed be you, daughter! Welcome to your home with blessing and joy. Come in, daughter!” That day there was joy for all the Jews who lived in Nineveh.

COMMENTARY:  It’s always a good idea to let other people know when you’ve enjoyed a great blessing, especially after hardship.  It gives people hope.  That is one of several good reasons why, if you get a miraculous healing, you should go immediately to a doctor and obtain proof, so that others might believe and take heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

18) Ahiqar and his nephew Nadin were also on hand to rejoice with Tobit. Tobiah’s wedding feast was celebrated with joy for seven days, and many gifts were given to him.

COMMENTARY:  So here we have yet another wedding celebration, for seven more days!  It’s a good thing that clothing at the time was loose and adjustable!