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 mercy towards  the  living  and  the  dead. Finally, it  was  disinterested. He did  everything  in  secret,  and  sought  his  own  glory  in  nothing. He asked for  no  reward  from  man,  for  no  thanks,  no  honours. This proves that his  love  was  sincere  and  disinterested.

3. His  fortitude. He  did  not  shrink  from  the  perils  and  labour of long  journeys,  nor  did  he  fear  the  anger  of  the  king. He exposed himself to  every  danger  to  help  the  needy  and  bury  the  dead.

4. His  justice. He  conscientiously  performed  his  duty  towards God and  man. This rudimentary  virtue  of  justice  proceeded  from  his uprightness, which  made  him,  though  poor,  refuse  any  reward  which he had  not  justly  earned. He said  to  himself:  “If  the  person  who  gave us this  kid,  stole  it,  it  is  not  his  property,  and  he  has  no  right  to  give it; and  as  for  me,  I may  neither  buy  nor  receive  as  a gift  any  stolen goods.”

5. His  patience  in  suffering.  This  was  the  fruit  of  faith  and  hope. Tobias was  specially  distinguished  for  his  great  patience  and  resignation under suffering. He did  not  murmur  against  God,  or  say  to  himself: “What have  I done  to  deserve  these  trials? Have I not  feared  God from my  youth  up?”  No,  he  accepted  his  trials  humbly,  as  a punishment for his  own  sins  and  those  of  his  people  (Tob.  3,  2 f);  he  thanked God for  them,  and  set  all  his  hopes  on  a future  life. “For we  are the children  of  the  Saints”,  said  he,  “and  look  for  that  life  which  God will give  to  those  that  never  change  their  faith  in  Him”  (Tob.  2,  18). The belief  in  a future  reward  comforted  him  and  supported  him  in  the midst of  his  tribulations. Faith makes  people  patient  and  contented under suffering;  but  a man  without  faith  is  without  comfort  in  tribulation, and  without  hope  in  death. Poor, unfortunate  man!

The object  of  suffering.  Why  did  God  permit  so  many  troubles  to overtake  the  holy,  faithful  Tobias? The angel  Raphael  explained  the reason when  he  said  to  him:  “Because  thou  wast  acceptable  to  God, it was  necessary  that  temptation  should  prove  thee”  (Tob.  12,  13). Suffering, therefore,  was  intended  to  serve  as  a probation  of  Tobias, and to  give  him  the  opportunity  of  practising  patience,  and  gaining more merit. Holy Scripture  offers  a further  explanation  of  the  reason for this  holy  man’s  tribulations  in  the  following  passage: “Now  this  trial (of blindness)  the  Lord  therefore  permitted  to  happen  to  him  that  an example  might  be  given  to  posterity  of  his  patience,  as  in  the  case  of holy  Job”  (Tob.  2,  12).

The bodies  of  the  dead  are  worthy  of  reverence.  Why  did  Tobias expose himself  to  such  great  danger  in  order  to  bury  mere  dead  bodies ? He knew  and  believed  that  man  is  an  image  of  God,  so  he  could  not endure the  thought  that  men’s  bodies  should  lie  uncared  for,  to  be devoured  by  wild  beasts. The bodies  of  Christians,  furthermore,  are the temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  sanctified  by  the  reception  of  the holy Sacraments. For this  reason  they  are  buried  in  consecrated  ground.