Tobit 9:1-6: a reflection

1And Tobias called Raphael, and said to him, 2“Brother Azarias, take with you a servant and two camels, and go to Rages of Media to Gabael, and receive the money for me, and bring him to the wedding feast, 3because Raguel has sworn that I must not depart. 4My father counts the days; and if I wait long, he will be very grieved. 5So Raphael went on his way, and lodged with Gabael, and gave him the handwriting; so he brought forth the bags with their seals, and gave them to him. 6Then they rose up early in the morning together, and came to the wedding feast. Tobias blessed his wife.

As Tobias's wedding celebration keeps him from returning home as quickly as planned, he is anxious about one thing: his father. My father counts the days, he says, and if I wait too long, he will be very grieved. So he sends his companion ahead to collect the money owed and hurry the journey, because he knows his aging father is anxiously waiting and counting the days until his son returns. Even amid his own celebration, Tobias is mindful of sparing his father needless worry.

Notice Tobias's thoughtfulness. He is caught up in his own wedding, yet he does not forget his father back home, anxiously waiting. He knows his father is counting the days, and he takes action to spare him grief, hurrying so as not to prolong the old man's worry. His consideration reaches beyond his own concerns to the feelings of one who loves him and waits for him.

That is a small but real kindness worth imitating: being mindful of sparing those who love us needless worry. We can be so absorbed in our own lives and concerns that we forget the ones who wait for us, who worry about us, who count the days. Tobias remembered his father's anxiety and acted to relieve it. Be thoughtful, as Tobias was, of those who love and worry about you. A simple message, a timely word, a small act of consideration can spare a worried parent, spouse, or friend needless grief. Do not let your own absorption in life make you forgetful of those who anxiously wait for you; be mindful, as Tobias was, to spare them worry where you can.

Lord, even amid his own wedding celebration, Tobias remembered his aging father anxiously counting the days at home, and acted to spare him needless grief. Make me thoughtful like that. I can be so absorbed in my own life and concerns that I forget those who wait for me, who worry about me, who count the days. Help me be mindful of sparing those who love me needless worry, through a timely word, a simple message, a small act of consideration. Keep me from letting my own absorption make me forgetful of the ones who anxiously wait. Give me a heart, like Tobias's, that remembers and cares for those who love me, and that acts to spare them grief where I can.