Here is part of Tobit’s prayer of repentance, which forms part of our Old Testament reading today: ‘I prayed in anguish, saying, “Righteous art thou, O Lord; all thy deeds and all thy ways are mercy and truth, and thou dost render true and righteous judgment for ever. Remember me and look favourably upon me; do not punish me for my sins and for my unwitting offences and those which my fathers committed before thee. For they disobeyed thy commandments, and thou gavest us over to plunder, captivity, and death; thou madest us a byword of reproach in all the nations among which we have been dispersed. And now thy many judgments are true in exacting penalty from me for my sins and those of my fathers, because we did not keep thy commandments. For we did not walk in truth before thee’.

Sarah also prayed, and their prayer was answered: ‘And Raphael was sent to heal the two of them: to scale away the white films of Tobit’s eyes; to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel in marriage to Tobias the son of Tobit …’

Let us ask the prayers of the Archangel Raphael for healing in whatever troubles us this day; and may God bless you.