Introduction and use of this book

I imagine most Catholics are completely unaware that our Bible is bigger than Protestant Bibles. Even if we are aware of the difference in lengths, we are probably unaware of what these books are called, let alone exactly what happens in them. This Bible study is intended to bridge that gap with one of these five books, one filled with intrigue, suspense, failure, and success.

The Book of Tobit tells the story of a family of Israelites who are in exile in Nineveh (modern day Mosul, Iraq). Tobit is the patriarch of the family gets in trouble for burying the dead in the town. His son, Tobiiah, is sent on a journey to retrieve lost money, to the chagrin of his mother, Anna. Being led by the Angel Raphael, Tobiah finds his beautiful relative Sarah, who is possessed by the demon Asmodeus. Poor Sarah has buried seven husbands and poor Tobit looks as though he is going to be number eight. Will Asmodeus kill Tobiah? Will Tobiah find his father’s money? Why does the Old Testament seem to not only endorse polygamy but incestuous relationships?

All of this is revealed in this strangely fascinating book of the Bible. I took the translation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's Website so it is the New American Bible. You can find the complete translation at http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/#tobit. I’ve added two sections extra to break up the story, one on Angels and the other on the deuterocanonical/apocrypha aspects. These are intended more as personal information than parts to reflect on as a group. The author of Tobit and date of composition remain, in many ways, a mystery. This and other topics will be covered in the first of the personal reading material.

This book is intended to be used in group bible study. So each individual member would read the passage assigned to a given week and reflect on the text, what makes sense and what doesn't. If questions come up while you read (and they will!) you would write them in the section before the questions for reflection. Next, spend some time reflecting on the questions for reflection. Then, when you gather with your bible study group, begin with a prayer and then share the insights you had to the questions for reflection and take time to read the “Getting Deeper” section. If questions persist, feel free to either put them in the comments section below or email me directly and I'll see what I can find.

If you decide to do this individually, I'd still suggest taking a week between each of the sessions to let this beautiful book sink in.

I hope it doesn't take fish guts for this story to come clear to you. Don't worry...you'll know what I mean by that soon enough.