Ninth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

"It is far better for me not to hang myself, but to beg the Lord to have me die, so that I need no longer live to hear such insults." At that time, then, she spread out her hands, and facing the window, poured out her prayer: "Blessed are you, O Lord, merciful God, and blessed is your holy and honorable name. Blessed are you in all your works for ever!" At that very time, the prayer of these two suppliants was heard in the glorious presence of Almighty God. So Raphael was sent to heal them both: to remove the cataracts from Tobit's eyes, so that he might again see God's sunlight; and to marry Raguel's daughter Sarah to Tobit's son Tobiah, and then drive the wicked demon Asmodeus from her.

Both Tobit and Sarah pray for God to end their lives. They are suffering greatly and don’t feel like they can go on. Sometimes the difficulties we face are so overwhelming we might be tempted to make the same prayer. However, the end of Sarah’s prayer is the best way to petition God for help. We should bless God for all He has done for us and be thankful for the many miracles, great and small that He performs for us. If we do this, then we will receive help from Him through the Holy Spirit and his angels.

Do we turn to God when we are undergoing trials? Are we faithful in our prayer lives? How can we appreciate what God does for us on a daily basis?

O Lord, help us so we can see the light of your love and have our own devils driven away from us.

Amen.