The Book of the Holy Rosary: Part I, Chapter XI. Scripture Types of the Fifth Joyful Mystery: The Sorrow of Anna for the Absence of Tobias; The Joyful Meeting on His Return
The history of the departure and return of Tobias to his parents.
Tobias was one of the captive Jews whom Salman el Assur removed into his kingdom from the conquered land of Israel. He had married a wife from his own tribe, Anna by name, and they had one son, called by his own name Tobias.
In his captivity he gained the goodwill of the Assyrian monarch, and was allowed freely to travel about from town to town, during which journeys, by his industry and sagacity in trade, he amassed a moderate fortune.
When Sennacherib succeeded his father Salman, and was defeated before Jerusalem by the visitation of God, the soldiery, on their return, were in the habit of wreaking their vengeance on the captive Jews, and often murdered them in the streets. Tobias, on these occasions, would go out and bring the dead bodies to his own house, to give them burial during the night.
In one of these works of mercy he lost his eyesight by an accident, and soon after fell into the greatest poverty, so that his kinsfolks and friends, and even his wife Anna, began to mock at him, saying, “Where is thy hope now, for which thou gavest alms, and buriedst the dead?”
In this state of poverty and distress he remembered the sum of ten talents in silver which he had deposited with his countryman Gabelus, in Media, and resolved to send his son Tobias to reclaim the money. And when all things were made ready, Tobias, the son, took his leave, with the guide whom they had carefully selected to be his companion, and they both set out on their way.
And when they were departed, his mother began to weep, and to say, “Thou hast taken the staff of our old age, and sent him away from us. I wish the money for which thou hast sent him had never been. For our poverty was sufficient for us, that we might account it as riches, that we saw our son.” And Tobias said to her, “Weep not, our son will arrive thither safe, and will return safe to us, and thy eyes shall see him. For I believe that the good Angel of God doth accompany him, and doth order all things well that are done about him, so that he shall return to us with joy.” At these words his mother ceased weeping, and held her peace.
In the meantime God had sent the holy Archangel Raphael, under the form of the young man chosen to be his guide. His heavenly companion delivered him from the jaws of the fish in the river, prospered his journey, and brought him in safety to the house of his kinsman Raguel, who gave him his daughter Sara in marriage. During the rejoicings of the marriage the angel went and recovered the sum of money from Gabelus.
But as Tobias made longer stay upon occasion of the marriage, Tobias his father was solicitous, saying, “Why thinkest thou doth my son tarry, or why is he detained there? Is Gabelus dead thinkest thou, and no man will pay him the money.” And he began to be exceeding sad, both he and Anna his wife with him; and they began both to weep together, because their son did not return to them on the day appointed.
But his mother wept, and was quite disconsolate, and said, “Wo, wo, is me, my son, why did we send thee to go to a strange country, the light of our eyes, the staff of our old age, the comfort of our life, the hope of our family. We having all things together in thee, ought not to have let thee go from us.” And Tobias said to her, “Hold thy peace, and be not troubled, our son is safe; the man with whom we sent him is very trusty.” But she could by no means be comforted, but daily running out, looked round about, and went into all the ways by which there seemed any hope that he might return, that if possible she might see him coming afar off.
In the meantime, Anna sat by the way daily on the top of the hill, from whence she might see afar off. And while she watched his coming from that place, she saw him afar off, and presently she perceived it was her son coming, and returning she told her husband, saying, “Behold, thy son cometh.” Then the dog which had been with them on the way ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, showed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail. And his father, who was blind, rising up, began to run, stumbling with his feet, and giving a servant his hand went to meet his son.
And receiving him, they kissed him, as did also his wife, and they began to weep for joy. And when they had adored God, and given Him thanks, they sat down together. Then, by the application of the gall of the fish, Tobias restored sight to his aged father, and they glorified God, both he and his wife, and all that knew him. And for seven days they feasted, and rejoiced all with great joy.
Mary, in like manner, sorrowed for the absence of her Son, and rejoiced to see Him again, the Light of her eyes, and of all the nations of the earth, the Staff of her age, the Comfort of her life, the Hope of her house, of all His people Israel, and of all the nations of the whole earth.
The Sufferings and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ in rebuilding the City of God