(10.) The Gospel Story of Tobit: Sacred Wedding Prayers
(10,) The Gospel Story of Tobit: Sacred Wedding Prayers.
“And the father of Sarah praised the God of heaven in these words: “Blessed are you, O God, with every holy and pure blessing! Let all your chosen ones praise you; let them bless you forever! Blessed are You, who have made me glad… You have dealt with us according to your great mercy. Blessed are you, for you were merciful toward two only children. Grant them, Master, mercy and deliverance, and bring their lives to fulfillment with happiness and mercy.” (a prayer of thanksgiving to God after discovering that both Tobias and Sarah were saved from destruction, Tobit 8:15-17).
The Love Story Continues. When Raphael and Tobias finally reach their destination in Media, which was Sarah’s home with her parents, they immediately introduced themselves to her parents. The mother and father literally welcomed them with open arms, and then were grieved to hear of Tobit’s blindness. They both wept aloud, the father saying, “Oh my child, God bless you! You are the son of a noble and good father. But what a terrible misfortune that such a righteous and charitable man should be afflicted with blindness!”
Congratulations! Sarah’s father was thrilled to help arrange the marriage of his daughter and Tobias…. “She is yours according to the Law of Moses, and your marriage to her has been decided in heaven! Take her, and from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. May the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity.” And soon they made the marriage official by signing their seals to the marriage contract.
In the Bridal Chamber. Once the marriage bedroom had been prepared, Tobias followed Raphael’s instructions by fumigating the room with the smoke from burning that special fish heart and liver. At once, the deadly demon fled in a panic, going so far as Egypt before Raphael caught him and bound him, rendering the demon powerless. At the same time, Tobias and Sarah entered the bedroom and first prayed together, asking the Lord for mercy and a full deliverance from demonic attack. Tobias led the prayers with these immortal words that have stood the test of time ever since, having become a common reading in every Roman Catholic wedding:
“On their wedding night Tobias arose from bed and said to his wife,
“Sister, get up. Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on
us and to grant us deliverance.”
Sarah got up, and they started to pray
and beg that deliverance might be theirs.
They began with these words:
“Blessed are you, O God of our fathers;
praised be your name forever and ever.
Let the heavens and all your creation
praise you forever.
You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help
and support;
and from these two the human race descended.
You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone;
let us make him a partner like himself.’
Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because
of lust,
but for a noble purpose.
Call down your mercy on me and on her,
and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”
They said together, “Amen, Amen.”
The Word of the Lord.
Response: Thanks be to God.”
A little Humor Here. Since the father has had to bury the seven prior husbands of Sarah on their wedding nights, he made sure to have a grave dug in their backyard in case the same thing happened to Tobias. The next morning, after it was discovered that Tobias had miraculously survived the night and the happy newlyweds were alive and well, the grave was not needed after all. The father then broke into his prayer of gratitude to the Lord that is quoted above.