Redemption in Song and Storytelling

Elaine: Your astute observation that there is a marked difference between reading the Bible, studying the Bible and allowing Biblical stories to convict, change and mould you is remarkably well made.

If you had asked me even last year, 'have you read the Bible'? I would have said 'yes' and this would, more or less, have been accurate. I have read it all, probably once, 28 years ago without much understanding or guidance. Since then I have studied scripture, even taught scripture, learnt biblical languages, looked at genre, form, structure, authorship, historical context, the theology and philosophical background of a range of biblical texts. It's all useful, but as St Thomas Aquinas said, the understanding it gives is also 'like straw'. 

Scripture has only really made a profound impact on me when it has become part of daily prayer. I was fortunate enough to live in religious communities as a lay person, off and on, from when I was 17 until I finally left Oxford in 2011. Part of that was the frequent opportunity to join the daily offices, or at least some of them. Slowly, very slowly it was the psalms and the canticles that seeped into my being. Three canticles in particular came to live in my heart; the 'benedictus' (Luke 1: 68 - 79) in the morning at lauds, the magnificat (Luke 1: 46 - 58) in the evening at vespers and the 'nunc dimittus'  (Luke 2: 29-32) at compline or night prayer. Their repetition each day is like meeting an old friend and securing an old friendship. Each, of course, comes from the infancy narrative in Luke's Gospel. But, what is particularly striking is how Luke weaves a consistency between the Old Testament and the New Testament; a link between Jewish tradition and the developing prayer life of early Christians.

The 'benedictus' shows Zechariah's joy at hearing that, after yearning for so long for a child, his wife Sarah has conceived echoes the longing of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis; Mary's Magnificat uses much the same language as the Sing of Hannah in the book of Samuel (1 Samuel 2: 1 - 10) and Simeon praising the 'light' that will 'enlighten the gentiles and give glory to your people, Israel' recalls the longing of Isaiah. 

Canticles are little songs, songs which have a long tradition in Jewish and Christian worship. Songs are the medium through which people pass on story and tradition together; songs express identity. So, for me at least, these three canticles to mark morning, evening and night time connect me to a story that stretches back to the beginning of time and traces its way through a history of God's love for his people which finds final fulfilment in Jesus, the Mass, the Church and the sacraments and, in a very small way, in me and my life living out God's plan for me.

So, yeah, Luke's Gospel and his canticles are one highlight. But, there are others....

Most recently, the Book of Tobit has been revealed to me as a lost treasure of a book. It tells a story of Tobit, a faithful Israelite living in Assyrian exile, his wife and son, Tobias, and a relative of Tobit, Sarah, troubled by the repeated death of her husbands on her wedding night. It is an exciting tale especially because when Tobias is sent to retrieve money for Tobit, the archangel Raphael travels with him under the guise of a hired servant. There adventures are many, but I would not spoil them for you, go on an read them!

The book of Tobit was removed from Protestant Bibles, alongside the other apocryphal texts, and so can only be found in Orthodox and Catholic Bibles. This is mainly, as far as I understand, to do with the reformers not agreeing with certain teachings in these texts, such as praying for the dead. So, quite often Tobit gets neglected. 

But, and here is the link - Tobit has two of the most wonderful canticles that appear in the Office of Readings! The first regards marriage - when Tobias and Sarah get married and are about to have their wedding night together Tobias prays.

"When the door was shut and the two were alone, Tobias got up from the bed and said, “Sister, get up, and let us pray that the Lord may have mercy upon us.”And Tobias began to pray,

“Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers,
and blessed be thy holy and glorious name for ever.
Let the heavens and all thy creatures bless thee.
Thou madest Adam and gavest him Eve his wife
as a helper and support.
From them the race of mankind has sprung.
Thou didst say, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone;
let us make a helper for him like himself.’

And now, O Lord, I am not taking this sister of mine because of lust, but with sincerity. Grant that I may find mercy and may grow old together with her.” And she said with him, “Amen.” Then they both went to sleep for the night."

I love the idea that he prays they will grow old together - steadying the ship for the long course. Today is my wedding anniversary, so I thought i'd include this!

The second is the final advice of Tobit to his son after everything that has happened to him -  the guidance of an angel, marriage, wealth and happiness - about the nature of living in exile as one faithful to God.

If you turn to him with all your heart and with all your soul,
to do what is true before him,
then he will turn to you
and will not hide his face from you.
But see what he will do with you;
give thanks to him with your full voice.

At the moment, I am loving all the adventure of Tobit and the wonderful witness of God sending an Angel in disguise to guide Tobias (not just any angel either - but Raphael the healing angel c.f. John 5:4). This book has something very human in the telling of it - especially in the dynamic between Tobit and his wife who argue. When Tobit's wife is distressed because Tobias has not returned home on time he says to her:  “Be still and stop worrying; he is well.” And she answered him, “Be still and stop deceiving me; my child has perished.” And, I think that contradiction right there tells us an awful lot about communication in relationships! It made me laugh.

Once again, very long - I am sorry! But there you are - two favourite bits - Luke and his canticles and the Book of Tobit. As for the Bible In A Year with Fr Mike Schmitz? Can't recommend it enough. Life changing.