Unloading Our Worries Onto Him

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Wednesday of 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Year 1, June 2nd, 2021
Texts: Tobit 3:1-11a.16-17a; Ps. 25:2-9; Mark 12:18-27
We are reminded today that God is our only hope. Today's first reading reemphasizes the advice of St. Peter: "unload all your burden on to him, since he is concerned about you" (1Pet. 5:7). It is written in the psalm thus: "Unload your burden onto Yahweh and he will sustain you; never will he allow the upright to stumble" (55:22). God cares for us, He is able to sustain us; we only have to be upright in our dealings.
Today's first reading affirms the truth that God cares for the righteous, He sustains them and never allow them to stumble. Tobit was insulted and wished that he died. His response to the situation shows that he firmly believed that life belongs to God; He is the giver of life and only Him has the right to take it. He cried unto God to take his life, which He has given him. However, God who cares so much about the righteous did not take his life but took away his reproach.
The account of the life of Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, teaches us to consider the impact of our actions on others. It is said of her thus: "When she had gone up to her father’s upper room, she intended to hang herself. But she thought it over and said, 'Never shall they reproach my father, saying to him, ‘You only had one beloved daughter but she hanged herself because of her distress. ’ And I shall bring his old age down in sorrow to the grave. It is better for me not to hang myself, but to pray the Lord that I may die and not listen to these reproaches any more'.” We will often act rightly if we often think of the impact of our actions on others. Rather than committing suicide, Sarah prayed to God to take her life. God heard her prayer and did what was the best for her: He took away her reproach.
The reading reveals the mistake that we often make; we often take life for bed of roses. We often associate life with our experiences. Reproach is an experience and it  cannot be the reason for taking life. Life is not an experience but a gift of God; it is the presence of God in us. Life is sacred; it is the divine presence in us. It is ungodly to pray for death because of reproach or any kind of situation. That it is ungodly is clear in the fact that God did not answer the prayer for death.
The common thing in both accounts is that Tobit and Sarah unloaded their burdens unto the Lord. We are to put our hope in God and be sure that He cares about us. Tobit and Sarah also believed in the power of prayer. They teach us that God answers prayer.
Today's gospel reading reminds us that life does not end here. Life continues beyond here. We are not to compare life with other earthly things that pass. Life is sacred and invaluable. We need to treat life with dignity and cares.

Lord our God, thank You  for Your care and love; help us to realise that You are our true hope. Amen.

Fr.  Andrew Olowomuke