Tobit 7:1-8. Raphael and Tobias arrive at a batana where Raphael tells about told Tobias they would stay with his relative raguel and eventually to bias will marry raguel's daughter, Sarah. Raguel, of course, knows nothing of this when they arrive at his door, but he welcomes the strangers warmly into his home. Raguel notices how much to bias looks like his relative tobit and asks if they know him. When he learns that to bias is tobit's son, he and his wife rejoice, although later they weep with grief when they learn that Tobit has lost his sight. They then prepare and share a large meal and Tobias asks Rafael to tell raguel what he said on the journey. This is one example of how important it is to welcome strangers to be open-hearted and welcoming to strangers, rather than distrustful and afraid of them. God sends people to us and puts people in our lives for a reason. He tells us to love all people, so that when he sends a strangers to our door open friend literally or figuratively close friend we will greet and welcome them into our lives as raguel does here. Because raguel is acting with the love that he is meant to show for his fellow man, he ends up being able to receive the great joy and gifts that God is sending to him through Tobias and Raphael. If fraguel had been to stressful and not invited to bias and Raphael in, then the removal of the curse from his daughter Sarah and her marriage to Tobias would never have happened. Love is always the answer! Also, just this morning, I resolved to do a 144-day Novena prayer to the Precious Blood of Jesus for the lifting of ancestral curses, as a priest suggested I do when I talk to him about the many troubles I am having with my family. I was surprised by his suggestion, I never thought about the fact that there could be a curse on me or my family, but as I thought about it I remembered that my grandmother liked to tell fortunes, read tea leaves, and use a Ouija board. It was always presented to me as very light-hearted. Still, it's funny that I never associated this with the problems we have been having (that's the veil that is over our eyes - when we ask for God's help, he lifts it!). This could very well could be the issue, in fact it probably is! So I will pray the Novena and trust that Jesus' blood will purify us. God is good!