Homily: June7, 2023, Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time (Pray Hardest).

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 Grief-stricken in spirit, I, Tobit, groaned and wept aloud. Then with sobs I began to pray…

We continue our reflections from the book of Tobit.

In the first part of today’s first reading, we see how Tobit was ‘grief-stricken in spirit’ – he was devastated and desperate! His life saw misfortunes one after another, while he continued to keep faithful to God. But there is just so much a human person can withstand, so he took it to prayer, with groans and sobs, but if you read carefully his prayer, there was no complaints or anger against God. Only total surrender and giving up his life totally to the Lord.

Then we read on to Sarah’s life. What a miserable life she had, losing one husband after another, seven times, all on the wedding nights. She was cursed indeed by the demon and ridiculed by others, she was helpless and depressed. What could she do?

We see in the reading, “At that time, then, she spread out her hands, and facing the window, poured out her prayer…”

She could take her own life, as she had in mind, but she could also surrender totally to the Lord, which she did.

In their anguish, Tobit and Sarah still chose to trust God. We learn that in the most desperate situations of our life, we should trust God even more. We should entrust our life and the problems totally in surrender to God, in prayer.

Yesterday, I mentioned that it is very easy to pray and praise God when things are going well. However, in the most difficult situations, when it is hardest to pray, that is the time to pray the hardest.

Billy Graham said, “When we come to end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.” 

It is the truth, God never neglect the prayers of the distressed and the oppressed. He delivers them according to His plan.

Mother Angelica said, “Sometimes we ask God for things, and we seem to get the exact opposite. God sees the whole chapter. You just see the beginning.”

The cataracts were removed from Tobit’s eyes. Sarah married Tobit’s son, Tobias, till old age.

When we admit our helplessness and surrender totally to God, He will work wonders for us. In moments of struggle and sorrow, do not despair, entrust to God and let Him take over.  May God be praised at all times! Amen.


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