BOOK  OF  TOBIT 

 INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts for this 9^th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “The Book of Tobit.”

We read The Book of Tobit as the first reading during the 9^th Week in Ordinary Time, every other year.

OPEN UP THE TREASURES OF THE SCRIPTURES FOR CATHOLICS

In the documents of Vatican II, in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, it states that we are to open up, “The treasures of the Bible more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s Word.” [Chapter II, # 51.]

So non-Catholics can no longer complain that Catholics don’t know or read the Bible.

This is the 50^th Anniversary of Vatican II - and the past 50 years there certainly has been some significant changes in Catholicism.

More Catholics reading the Bible certainly has been a significant change. This is not to say, we didn’t before.

With a broad generalization for authority, many Protestants would say they have the Bible - and some would stress private interpretation - and Catholics would stress the Pope - and to follow his and the Church’s teachings.

Since Vatican II there have been in the Catholic Church - Bible study groups - e.g. the Little Rock Arkansas program.  I went to a few conferences during the summer and there were lots of lay people as well as nuns and priests making the program. Catholics and Protestants read lots of books about the Bible, etc. etc. etc.

At Masses we go through the whole Bible every 2 years on weekday Masses and much of the Bible during Sunday Masses.

Priests had to preach on many more readings. Some sermons changed - and were now called Homilies.

I’m sure you have thoughts about all of this - talk to each other.

Catholics use Missalette like The Magnificat  and Give Us This Day - at home and at Mass - and if the sermon is poor, they like the commentaries in those missalettes.

WHERE TO BEGIN THE BIBLE

If someone wants to read the Bible, I learned to say, “Start with James.”  If you don’t get James, uh oh!

With computers one can type into Google the name of any book in the Bible and read what comes up.

You’ll get literal and liberal comments and interpretations.

Read a section at a time and read homilies on a text. Like James 1: 13-15.

Take your time and new life will come.

THE BOOK OF TOBIT

This week - Monday to Saturday - we have The Book of Tobit - chopped up like a dinner on a plate to cut with knife and fork - and chew on.

It’s a strange document - a novel for some - a series of folk tales for others.

I find it fascinating - a guy getting cataracts from bird droppings. A woman who was married to 7 different husbands - all of whom died their wedding night - before consummating the marriage. At the end of that story - there’s a nice marriage story about the 8^th marriage - the one that makes it - because the demon of lust is destroyed. It talks about healing with fish oil. Very interesting stuff.

RESEARCH

Some didn’t think it should be a book in the Bible. Some did. The Bible from Alexandria - the so call Septuagint has it.  The Bible from Jerusalem doesn’t.

They had at least 4 versions of the story. Fragments of Tobit were found in the Dead Sea Caves. They are in Hebrew.

Some date the book to the 4^th century B.C.; some date it to around 180 B.C.

The more research - say as a hobby - the more one learns.

CONCLUSION   

Go for it.