St. Boniface (675-754) is the Apostle of Germany. The Catholic Church celebrates his feast today. Reading his biography, I am inspired by his perseverance. In his forties, he was a well-known teacher and indeed, he would have continued his life in security. But he was convinced that he was destined to be a missionary and with enthusiasm, he threw himself into the first mission to Friesland (Holland). He returned in failure. But he did not give up. He did not interpret this failure as a sign from God that his call had been a mistake. Rather, it was the way he had followed the call that was mistaken. He started to learn anew and turned his attention to organization and preparation. This we must learn from St. Boniface. Very often, our good intentions fail because we prepare poorly. Without adequate preparation, opportunities come and slip out of our fingers. Even when we are lucky enough to catch on the train, we will soon find ourselves run out of backup and eventually fail. Therefore, it is worth the trouble to fail in order to prepare better for the next mission.
Return now to Tobit.
God sent archangel Raphael to help Tobias whom Tobit sent to collect the money he had previously left to Gabael at Rages in Media. Raphael was also assigned to help Tobias secure Sarah as his wife and returned to cure the blindness of Tobit.
And Raphael was sent to heal the two of them: to scale away the white films of Tobit's eyes; to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel in marriage to Tobias the son of Tobit, and to bind Asmodeus the evil demon, because Tobias was entitled to possess her (Tobit 3:17a).
Before Tobit sent Tobias to fetch the money, he spoke to him for, he thought, one last time before he died. It is a good collection of fatherly advice on how to lead a righteous life.
First of all, honour his mother.
So he called him and said, "My son, when I die, bury me, and do not neglect your mother. Honour her all the days of your life; do what is pleasing to her, and do not grieve her.
Remember, my son, that she faced many dangers for you while you were yet unborn. When she dies bury her beside me in the same grave (Tobit 4:3-4).
We can compare between the Ten Commandments and Tobit's advice to see the progress in ethical reasonings for honouring parents.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you (Exodus 20:12).
The motive suggested in the Ten Commandments is self-centred, viz. your personal longevity. The motive suggested in Tobit's advice is other-centred, viz. the pains of child-bearing and rearing. There is a shift from self to others. It is a true progress.
Then Tobit reminded his son to live according to the way of God.
Remember the Lord our God all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing.
For if you do what is true, your ways will prosper through your deeds (Tobit 4:5-6).
Unlike other wisdom literature which stresses a lot the fear of the Lord, Tobit's does not bring fear into ethical consideration. Depending on how we understand "your ways will prosper", we may interpret it to mean an exhortation to do good for goodness' sake, for the love of God. We do good not because we are afraid of punishment from God, like the warning in Exodus.
for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me (Exodus 20:5b).
Then Tobit turned to charity, his favourite.
Give alms from your possessions to all who live uprightly, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from any poor man, and the face of God will not be turned away from you.
If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have.
So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity.
For charity delivers from death and keeps you from entering the darkness;
and for all who practice it charity is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High (Tobit 4:7-11).
Give alms readily and generously. Do not care about how much you give. Do it out of the love of God. We are all poor in God's eyes. If we turn away from the poor, we are indeed turning God's face away from ourselves because charity is an excellent offering to God. Refusing to do charity is refusing to worship God. Tobit had skilfully interwoven the two greatest commandments of the Old Testament.
There is also an element of social justice in his advice. We are servants in God's eyes. If we treat our servants well, God our master will do likewise.
Do not hold over till the next day the wages of any man who works for you, but pay him at once; and if you serve God you will receive payment (Tobit 4:14a).
We can even find Confucius' teachings here as well!
Watch yourself, my son, in everything you do, and be disciplined in all your conduct. 慎獨
And what you hate, do not do to any one 己所不欲，勿施於人(Tobit 4:14b-15a).
This morality of Tobit is an ethical gem. Practise it and prosper.
Dear Lord, help me prepare myself to serve You well. Help me practise in my daily life, serving my brethren as a way to serve You. Amen.
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