In the first reading, Tobias is married to Sara, whose first seven husbands have all died on their wedding night. So after the festivities and upon entering the bridal chamber, Tobias and Sara pray to God for protection and to bless their union. God protects them and the demon troubling Sara is vanquished.
There are some things in life which only God can overcome for us. It could be a serious weakness, a dangerous vice, a tragedy which we cannot get over with, a past mistake which we regret, etc. Only God can raise us from the defeat and depression we may be experiencing. He is the God of the impossible. So we must pray to him for deliverance as Tobias and Sara did.
In the Gospel, Jesus praises the scribe who understood what he was saying. He was saying that love of God and neighbor come before the offering of an oblation or sacrifice. Man is flesh and blood and his love for God must be visible and tangible. Therefore any deed, whether good or bad, done to our neighbor, is also done to God. The dwelling place of God is not only in the heavens but also in the hearts of men.
Jesus showed his love for the Father when he offered his body on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. So when we forgive others, we are manifesting God’s love and forgiveness. Every religious cult has its sacrifices and oblations to their deity. But to love in the measure of the cross belongs only to Christ and to the Christians. Each time we love and forgive others, the kingdom of heaven is in our midst.
