Ninth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

I called to my wife and said: “Where did this goat come from? Perhaps it was stolen! Give it back to its owners; we have no right to eat stolen food!” She said to me, “It was given to me as a bonus over and above my wages.” Yet I would not believe her, and told her to give it back to its owners. I became very angry with her over this.  So she retorted: “Where are your charitable deeds now? Where are your virtuous acts? See! Your true character is finally showing itself!”

How quickly we can fall from grace! Tobit, who does so much good for others goes blind and spends years being taken care of by others. Just as he was charitable, so others are treating him with charity. And yet, he becomes suspicious of his wife and instead of dwelling on all the good she has done him, he casts doubt upon her character. He has become like those who mocked him, but worse. He has moved past indifference to envy and self-righteousness. How many of us fall into the same traps and temptations. We see evils in other’s charitable deeds. We see what others have and think they have no right to it. We can build up a treasure house of good works, but spoil them all by casting dispersions on others or not trusting them when they have give us reason to trust.

Have we ever blamed someone for something or thought ill of them and been proven wrong? Have we blinded ourselves with envy and pride? How can we cure our blindness and see others through loving eyes?

O Lord, open our eyes so that we might be charitable in thought, word, and deed.

Amen.