The sins of its people became so great that at last the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed. Its inhabitants were carried off to Assyria.The sins of its people became so great that at last the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed. Its inhabitants were carried off to Assyria.
Among the captives was Tobias, a God-fearing man. He spent much of his time consoling the captives. feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked.
When the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, killed many Israelites and commanded their bodies to remain unburied, Tobias hid them in his housz and buried them. at great risk to his own safety. One day, tired from this work, he fell asleep and accidentally lost his eyesight. He bore the misfortune with resignation.
When Tobias was already old, fearing that he would soon die, he called his son and said, "Honor your mother always. Fear God and never sin. Give alms to the poor. Keep yourself from all impurity. Never let pride rule you, for all perdition began from pride. Do not do to another what you would hate him to do to you. Seek the counsel of the wise man. Pray God at all times, and ask Him to direct your ways. We are poor, but we shall possess much if We fear God and abhor sin."
Tobias one day told his son to go to Rages to collect a loan. On his way, young Tobias was met by a young man. This was the angel Raphael. but young Tobias did not know it. The angel offered to guide young Tobias to Rages.
On the journey, young Tobias stopped by a river to rest and bathe. A large fish came out of the water and wanted to devour him. But the angel told him to catch the fish, cut up its flesh for food, and preserve the liver, gall, and heart for medicine.
On their return home, they applied that medicine to old Tobias' eyes, and in this way restored his eyesight.
The angel made himself known, saying, "I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the Lord." He told them how God had sent him to heal the elder Tobias as a reward for his prayers and corporal works of mercy.
- from My Bible History in Pictures, by Bishop Louis LaRavoire Morrow, D.D., 1934; it has the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael J O'Doherty of Manila, Philippines