Tobit 8:1-7: a reflection

1When they had finished their supper, they brought Tobias in to her. 2But as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the ashes of the incense, and put the heart and the liver of the fish on them, and made smoke with them. 3When the demon smelled that smell, it fled into the uppermost parts of Egypt, and the angel bound him. 4But after they were both shut in together, Tobias rose up from the bed, and said, “Sister, arise, and let’s pray that the Lord may have mercy on us.” 5And Tobias began to say, “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, and blessed is your holy and glorious name forever. Let the heavens bless you, and all your creatures. 6You made Adam, and gave him Eve his wife for a helper and support. From them came the seed of men. You said, it is not good that the man should be alone. Let’s make him a helper like him. 7And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust, but in truth. Command that I may find mercy and grow old with her.”

On their wedding night, Tobias and Sarah, before anything else, turn together to God in prayer. Sister, arise, and let's pray that the Lord may have mercy on us, Tobias says. And he prays, blessing God, recalling that God made marriage from the beginning, and declaring his own pure intention: I take not this my sister for lust, but in truth. Command that I may find mercy and grow old with her. They begin their marriage not carelessly but with prayer, consecrating it to God, seeking his mercy and blessing, entering it with reverence and honest love rather than mere desire. Their marriage was begun in prayer, with a pure intention, committed to God.

Notice how Tobias and Sarah began their marriage: with prayer and pure intention, seeking God's blessing. They did not simply plunge into their union carelessly; they paused to pray, to consecrate their marriage to God, to seek his mercy. And Tobias declared his intention pure: not lust, but truth, a desire to love faithfully and grow old together. They began their marriage with reverence, with prayer, with an honest and pure intention, committing it to God and seeking his blessing on it. The beginning of their marriage was consecrated to God, begun in prayer with a right heart. They did not enter it carelessly but reverently, seeking God's blessing at its start.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to begin our undertakings, especially our most important ones, with prayer and pure intention, seeking God's blessing. We can plunge into things carelessly, into marriage, into commitments, into undertakings, without prayer or a right heart, without seeking God's blessing; but Tobias and Sarah began their marriage with prayer, with pure intention, consecrating it to God. There is wisdom in beginning our undertakings, especially the important ones, by seeking God's blessing with a right heart. Do not plunge into your important undertakings carelessly, without prayer or a pure intention; begin them by seeking God's blessing, as Tobias and Sarah began their marriage in prayer. Begin your undertakings, especially the most important, with prayer and a pure intention, seeking God's mercy and blessing, as Tobias and Sarah began their marriage by praying together and committing it to God; for there is wisdom in consecrating our undertakings to God at their start, seeking his blessing with a right heart rather than plunging into them carelessly.

Lord, on their wedding night, Tobias and Sarah, before anything else, turn together to you in prayer. Sister, arise, and let's pray that the Lord may have mercy on us, Tobias says. And he prays, blessing you, recalling that you made marriage from the beginning, and declaring his own pure intention: I take not this my sister for lust, but in truth; command that I may find mercy and grow old with her. They begin their marriage not carelessly but with prayer, consecrating it to you, entering it with reverence and honest love. Show me how Tobias and Sarah began their marriage: with prayer and pure intention, seeking your blessing. They did not simply plunge into their union carelessly; they paused to pray, to consecrate their marriage to you, to seek your mercy. And Tobias declared his intention pure: not lust, but truth. They began their marriage with reverence, with prayer, committing it to you and seeking your blessing. The beginning of their marriage was consecrated to you. Take that to my heart, for I do well to begin my undertakings, especially my most important ones, with prayer and pure intention, seeking your blessing. I can plunge into things carelessly, into commitments, into undertakings, without prayer or a right heart, without seeking your blessing; but Tobias and Sarah began their marriage with prayer. There is wisdom in beginning my undertakings by seeking your blessing with a right heart. Keep me from plunging into my important undertakings carelessly, without prayer or a pure intention; help me begin them by seeking your blessing, Lord, as Tobias and Sarah began their marriage in prayer, committing it to you.