Tobit 12:6-10. At the end of the book of Tobit, the angel (Raphael) who has been Tobias' companion on his journey, calls Tobias and his father, Tobit, to him and gives them some advice. They both have received abundant blessings through the assistance of Raphael and had been trying to pay him for his help. Raphael says they should, instead, praise God and give him thanks. They should be public about it, attributing their blessings to God's intervention in front of others. They should never be slow to thank God, gloriously revealing his works is a form of praise. Raphael further tells them to strive to do good always, "a little with righteousness is better than much with wrongdoing." Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are also important - almsgiving "delivers from death, and will purge away every sin." Those who are charitable and righteous will have fullness of life, "but those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives."

Obviously this is all very good advice (it comes from an archangel, after all:), but I am struck by the last line "those who commit sin are the enemies of their own lives." This is so true, yet so hard for us to admit to ourselves. Sin brings suffering, it just does - it is spiritual physics. Yet when we are suffering the consequences of our sin, we rarely want to admit to ourselves that we are suffering because of the things we have chosen to do (or not to do). Instead, we cast around for someone or something to blame, and the devil is always ready with a handy scapegoat, thus compounding the effects of our sin by causing animosity and division. It's a total mess!

If we would just do a regular, honest, examination of conscience and go to confession frequently, so much of this could be avoided. Jesus gives us the Sacraments and his mercy - they are waiting for us even when we are our own worst enemy. We should use them, and praise God for these blessings!