THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Tob 3:1-11a, 16-17

Ps

Mark 12:18-27

God of the living

There are two heart-rendering prayers in today’s first reading (Tb 3:1-11a, 16-17a). 

Tobit had become completely blind a few years earlier; his wife had to earn a livelihood for them both. The situation he found himself in got the better of him and he gave vent to his frustration and distress in prayer to God. In his prayer, he declared, ‘Death is better for me than life… For it is better to die than to live in the face of trouble that knows no pity. Sarah, who lost seven husbands to death, was insulted by her servant-girl, suggesting that Sarah go and join her seven deceased husbands. In her distress, Sarah thought of hanging herself but had a change of heart. In the end, she turned to prayer, begging the Lord to let her die and not live to hear more insults. 

Both Tobit and Sarah knew that they could turn to God when they were in the depths of distress. Turning to the Lord when we are at our wit's end can open us up to receiving the Lord’s strength. There is nothing in our lives, no matter how dark, that we cannot bring to the Lord in prayer. He is always there for us, ready to receive us as we are. He wants to give us life when we feel the shadow of death hanging over us. 

As Jesus says in the gospel reading (Mk 12:18-27), God is the God of the living and not the dead. Jesus, now risen Lord, is Lord of the living. He assures us in the gospel reading that we are destined to rise from the dead, to live the life of heaven. However, here and now the Lord wants to give us a foretaste of the eternal life that awaits us. He calls on us to come to him when we are burdened and he promises to give us rest, an anticipation of that eternal rest for which we long and which is the Lord’s final gift to us. The Lord is the good shepherd who always wants to lead us to restful waters to revive our drooping spirits.

Let us pray: Father, I will trust in You at all times especially when I am blind to Your actions.  Amen.

+Remain blessed