Reflect
There is a long tradition of seeing suffering as a test: a test of our strength, of our courage, of our faith. But what kind of test comes from a blessing? In the Book of Tobit, the archangel Raphael at first appears as a stranger hired to help Tobit’s son, Tobias, on a dangerous journey. But after rescuing Tobias from a large fish, freeing Sarah from a demon’s curse, and curing Tobit’s blindness, Raphael reveals his true nature and his mission: He was sent not only as a helper, but also as a test. But he never explains what the test was. And yet is it not true that every person we meet might be an angel? And every moment of every day, good and bad, is in some very real sense a test. How will we respond?
Pray
Open my eyes and my heart, oh Lord
to the angels all around me.
Send me the help I need to serve you more faithfully
today and to meet the tests that come my way
with joy and patience, courage and love.
Act
The next time someone stops to help you—whether it’s washing the dishes, finding your lost keys, or helping you change a flat tire—remember the story of Tobit and the heavenly messenger who came as a test. And just say yes.
