bleating goat

Tobit 2:9-14; Psalm 112 The heart of the just one is firm, trusting in the Lord; Mark 12:13-17

The book of Tobit begins with this sentence, "I, Tobit, have walked in the paths of truth and good works all the days of my life."

Then the first chapter list the virtuous deeds of Tobit: faithful to worship in Jerusalem while his whole family broke away, careful to tithe, gave alms to orphans, widows, and strangers, obeyed the dietary laws, gave bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and buried the dead.

And what happen!

On the night of Pentecost, a time of great celebration and joy, Tobit was called from his table because someone had died.  He sprang from the table to bury the dead.  The neighbors laughed at him for his foolishness. 

That night he slept near the wall and bird droppings went into his eyes and he eventually lost his eyesight. 

Tobit was blind. 

In today's reading, Tobit's wife comes home, she is now the bread winner and had been for 4 years, and there is tension and frustration in the house.  A dispute erupts and in the mist of this dispute words are exchanged that cut Tobit to the heart.  

His wife tells him, "Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your virtuous acts?  See! Your true character is finally  showing itself?"

How tension can easily build in a relationship when communication is not carefully carried out.

Tobit's wife for years watched Tobit give away their livelihood by his charitable deeds, almsgiving, burying the dead.  Years she quietly sat back watching poverty befall them.  Now, to top it off, her husband was left blind and she was left carrying the load and he had the gall to accuse her of being a thief.  

The bleating of the Goat was the straw that broke the camel's back. 

Tobit's wife was not only frustrated with Tobit and his accusation but she was also frustrated with God.  She was struggling with reconciling a belief in God's goodness with daily experiences, which seem to contradict that belief. 

All she could see was the stupidity of virtue and hopelessness in the face of overwhelming misfortune.  

The story ends with this tension.  We are all left wondering what will happen next.  We all can relate.  How often does this tension arise in our life.  How often we struggle with reconciling a belief in a Good God with misfortune in our life, misfortune brought about because of charitable deeds. 

Tobit was not a bad person but an exceptional person; he was righteous, just and merciful.  Why do bad things happen to Good people?

Well, we have to wait until tomorrow to see how the story plays out.  We have to wait.  We have to keep reading.  God is not finished with them yet.  Perhaps this is the hope we hold on to, God is not done yet.  So, we also have to keep living, moving forward. 

Scripture quote for the day for memory:

"Our soul is waiting for the lord.  The Lord is our help and our shield. In him do our hearts find joy. We trust in his holy name." Psalm 33

Quote of the day:

"Lord, You love us, your forgiveness and Your presence bring to birth in us the brightness of praise." Br. Roger