"Take this Medicine!"

In today’s first reading, Tobit 11: 15-17 we have the continuation of the story of Tobit and Anna, whose son Tobiah just married Sarah, the daughter of Raguel.  Anna is eagerly awaiting her son’s return from the wedding , anxious to meet her new daughter-in-law, no doubt.  The angel Raphael is accompanying Tobiah on his return home. On the way the angel directs Tobiah to anoint his father’s eyes with fish gall and is certain he will see again.  “Tobiah went up to [his father] with the fish gall in his hand, and holding him firmly, blew into his eyes. ‘Courage, father,’ he said. Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes, and it made them smart. Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit’s eyes, Tobiah  used both hands to peel off the cataracts.” That took a lot of courage, trust and faith on Tobiah’s part as well as on the part of his father.

You and I might object and say to the angel “Do what? You’ve got to be kidding! I’m not doing that to my father.  He will think I am crazy! I’m not a physician. And what if that makes his eyes worst. He will then blame me.”  How often when God send His messengers to us to guide us in a certain way do we not object!  The suggestion itself “smarts” and, many times,  we do whatever we need do to avoid the pain to ourselves or to another. Perhaps someone needs to hear the truth that what he/she is doing is wrong, will lead to bad consequences for his/her family or for oneself, such as smoking marijuana or abusing alcohol or other drugs,  getting into pornography or keeping company with so and so and on and on. 

Doing what is right, many times, involves pain in the same way as bringing a child into the world involves pain. New life demands sacrifice. New beginnings are not easy!  Am I willing to undergo pain for a greater good? How strong is my faith and trust when I am directed to take a step that is difficult to take?