Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Marty
Many know the phrase, when “life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. This is a great phrase, and one friend I know described it as meaning take the opportunities given to you and live them to the fullest. By opportunities, he meant both the good things and the bad things and that we need to make the best of the cards we have been dealt.
Having been given challenging lives, both Tobit and Sarah have very desperate feelings and prayers as shown in today’s first reading. Blind and bed-ridden, Tobit prays to the Lord for an end to his suffering; “command my life breath to be taken from me, that I may go from the face of the Earth into dust.” (Tobit 3:6) Sarah also begs the Lord to allow her to die. God, of course, has other plans and the chapter finishes with an almost storybook ending. God sends an angel to heal Tobit’s eyes so that he could see again. The angel also heals Sarah and turns the healing into a blessing life by having her marry Tobit’s son Tobiah. This healing drove out the demon that had ended her last seven marriages.
In recalling Sarah’s story, the Sadducees utilize it as the basis to question Jesus about the resurrection. Although they use her seven unconsummated marriages to test Jesus, the Sadducees fail to understand the truth. Jesus tries to address their inability to see that life in heaven is not as it is on earth. More importantly, Jesus reminds them of the scripture “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Ex 6:3) He does this to show that while Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had already passed from this life, they are still alive with God.
St. Boniface, whose memorial we celebrate today, struggled to glorify God as a missionary while trying to revitalize the church in Germany. His witness and tenacity to teach the Gospel reminds us that no matter how difficult our lives seem, there are always opportunities to glorify God.
Lord, there are many events and circumstances which leave a sour taste in our mouths for life. Send Your messengers to help us see past our daily sufferings that can cause us to despair. Enlighten our minds so that like St. Boniface we can understand that physical pain is usually the least of what we must endure to follow You. Teach us Lord, that ‘such is life’, that while there may be sadness and difficulty, from it can rise joy if we place our trust in You, who reigns in heaven, both now and forever. Amen!
- Michael Montgomery