By Sharon Wilson
The liturgical readings for this week give us the treat of the Book of Tobit.
If you have never read the book of Tobit, it is a gem and is worth your study.
The following is a spoiler alert if you don’t know the story!
In today’s reading Tobit, a blind old man, and Sarah, a young widowed woman, are lamenting their distinct misfortunes and pray to God to take them from their lives. Their prayer however hands over their lives to God in their despair.
At that very time,
the prayer of these two suppliants
was heard in the glorious presence of Almighty God. Tobit 3:16
God hears their prayers and sends the angel Raphael to assist them. God answers their prayers but not in the way in which they ask.
Now here is where it gets interesting. God doesn’t just charge Raphael with solving Tobit’s and Sarah’s problems. He certainly could have just removed the cataracts from Tobit’s eyes and send a husband to the widowed Sarah, but God uses each of them to answer each others prayers.
Tobit sends his son on a quest that brings him to Sarah. He marries Sarah and on his return home brings the salve that will cure his father’s blindness. It all works out nicely even if it is not what either asked for in their prayers or expected..
I won’t say any more – read the book yourself!
It makes me wonder at what times I may be a part in God’s plan to answer another’s prayer and when God has placed another in my path as an answer to my prayers.
When have you been sent by God?
Today, ponder the times God has sent you an answer to your prayers that might not have looked like an angel at the time and look for an opportunity to be the answer to someone else’s prayers. You may have been sent by God and not even know it!
Sharon Wilson
Wife, Mother, Writer and Catholic Speaker. I have a degree in education and have worked as a teacher, in advertising, radio, retail buyer and in youth advocacy – I even rode an elephant in the circus once! I used to work as the Respect Life Coordinator for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, but find myself in a career move. I am a “cradle” Catholic who didn’t really know my faith until my adulthood. On fire with my faith and love for God I dove into parish life at Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault, Minnesota. Once I dove in, I began to realized I needed to learn how to swim! Patient priests and friends as well as the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute helped me to learn the strokes. I love talking about my faith and learning more about the great gift of being Catholic.
Thank you so much for this post. It’s a wonderful example to how prayers are answered ~ one that I will share with my children.