Thanksgiving and Surrender

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us that thanksgiving and surrender activate our charity and generosity to others.

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In the reading from the Book of Tobit, Raphael discloses his identity.

* [12:1–5] Tobit and his son generously agree to give Raphael far more than the wages agreed upon in 5:15–16.

* [12:6–10] In the fashion of a wisdom teacher, Raphael gives the two men a short exhortation similar to the one Tobit gave his son in 4:3–19.

* [12:6–7] The faithful considered the praise of God their most esteemed privilege. Without it, life was meaningless; cf. Is 38:16–20.

* [12:12] Raphael is one of the seven Angels of the Presence, specially designated intercessors who present prayers to God. Angelology was developing in this period. The names of two other of these seven angels are given in the Bible: Gabriel (Dn 8:16; 9:21; Lk 1:19, 26) and Michael (Dn 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:7). See 1 Enoch for the names of the rest. (Tobit, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)

Tobit offers thanksgiving to God.

* [13:1–18] Tobit’s hymn of praise is divided into two parts. The first part (vv. 1–8) is a song of praise that echoes themes from the psalms; the second (vv. 9–18) is addressed to Jerusalem in the style of those prophets who spoke of a new and ideal Jerusalem (Is 60; cf. Rev 21). Joyful praise: words for joy and gladness occur throughout this prayer (vv. 1, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18). (Tobit, CHAPTER 13, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus denounces the Scribes  and praises the Widow’s Offering.

* [21:1–4] The widow is another example of the poor ones in this gospel whose detachment from material possessions and dependence on God leads to their blessedness (Lk 6:20). Her simple offering provides a striking contrast to the pride and pretentiousness of the scribes denounced in the preceding section (Lk 20:45–47). The story is taken from Mk 12:41–44. (Mark, CHAPTER 12, n.d.)

Suzanne Braddock (2021) comments  that Jesus raises up as our model for giving from the heart the lowly, the outcast, the despised, the overlooked in the form of a poor widow.

Surely he doesn’t expect us to donate every penny, thus impoverishing ourselves. He has set a high standard to make a point, to reveal a truth. And that point seems to me to be not to give ostentatiously, for show, but give all of yourself. Give with love. Give even the little things with great love, as St. Therese said. We are to love God with our whole heart, our whole soul, our whole mind. All that we are.

God wants to give us all of Himself, and yearns for us to give all of ourselves in grateful response.

Let’s challenge ourselves to meet God’s generosity with our own. (Braddock, 2021)

Don Schwager quotes “Mercy and compassion are never worthless,” by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.

"Although the spite of some people does not grow gentle with any kindness, nevertheless the works of mercy are not fruitless, and kindness never loses what is offered to the ungrateful. May no one, dearly beloved, make themselves strangers to good works. Let no one claim that his poverty scarcely sufficed for himself and could not help another. What is offered from a little is great, and in the scale of divine justice, the quantity of gifts is not measured but the steadfastness of souls. The 'widow' in the Gospel put two coins into the 'treasury,' and this surpassed the gifts of all the rich. No mercy is worthless before God. No compassion is fruitless. He has given different resources to human beings, but he does not ask different affections." (excerpt from SERMON 20.3.1.6) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Tobit 12:1, 5-15, 20 comments that Tobit, Sarah, and Tobias all blessed God because they never lost sight of how great and merciful God is. They clung to their belief in his goodness and his desire to bless them. So even in the most difficult circumstances, they could praise God.

This kind of prayer doesn’t always come easy. But it’s not impossible—as long as you remain rooted and grounded in your faith. Praising God on the good days makes it possible to praise him even on the rough ones.

Because God is good—all the time!

“Lord, I praise you for your unfailing kindness and mercy to me and those I love.” (Meditation on Tobit 12:1, 5-15, 20, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Raphael identifies himself as on of the seven archangels who stand before God. The Scribes and Pharisees seek to be honoured at the centre of attention. Friar Jude notes the woman from the anawim who give all that she has to the treasury.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, invites us into a deeper experience of the Trinity through a conscious and embodied practice of the Sign of the Cross.

Let the sign of the cross be a body prayer for the rest of your life. We can’t understand it, we can only allow it. We can only allow that flow, that communion, that energy, that dynamism, that vitality, that love. We’ll know when we’re there and I hope we can recognize when we’re not there. That’s how we’ll know when we’re living in the Trinity or acting as a separate you and me, standing on the side of life, instead of living it. (Rohr, 2023)

We seek to  act on the guidance of the Spirit in our thanksgiving and response to the needs of others.

References

Braddock, S. (2021, June 5). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/061023.html 

Mark, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/12?38 

Meditation on Tobit 12:1, 5-15, 20. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/06/10/703631/ 

Rohr, R. (2023, June 10). Trinity: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/trinity-weekly-summary-2023-06-10/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). This Poor Widow Has Put in More Than the Rest. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jun10 

Tobit, CHAPTER 12. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/12?1 

Tobit, CHAPTER 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/tobit/13?2