Chapter 8
Tobias, being brought into Sarah’s chamber, took out part of the liver from his bag, etc. And the Lord, about to receive the Church from the Gentiles, in the first beginning of its dispensation, commands that in each believer Satan and all his works, and all his pomps be renounced; and then to confess the faith of the Holy Trinity for the remission of sins, which is to burn the innermost bowels of peace with living coals.
When these things were done, the angel, seizing the demon, bound him. For after the renunciation of the devil, and after the confession of the right faith, follows the remission of sins, the demon having been expelled through the water of baptism. He bound him, because he restrained him from harming the faithful; though he is sometimes permitted to tempt them, so that they may be tested, he is nevertheless forbidden to overcome them lest they fall away from the faith.
He bound him in the desert of Upper Egypt. Both the desert and Egypt signify the hearts of the unbelievers, which are deserted, that is, abandoned by God, being unworthy of His habitation. And these are the same as those darkened by the shadows of their infidelity, according to the interpretation of the name Egypt. And rightly, the one who is deserted by the grace of divine light is filled by the prince of darkness. Therefore, the angel, having seized the demon who wanted to kill Tobias, bound him in the desert of Upper Egypt; because restrained from seizing the faithful, who are members of their Redeemer, the same Lord and Redeemer permits the devil to dominate only the unbelievers. In whom He also keeps him bound; for he is not allowed to harm even those impious ones he possesses as much as he desires with his insatiable fury.
Meanwhile, around the crowing of the rooster, Raguel, fearing that Tobias might have been killed by the demon, dug a grave with his servants; but when he soon learned of his safety, he ordered the grave to be filled again. The crowing of the rooster is the sound of the preachers, who, when they were proclaiming to the world that the morning and true day of faith would come after the darkness of error, there were some among the Gentiles who doubted whether the Lord had truly conquered the ancient enemy, and therefore thought it better to bury and hide the faith of His name; but afterwards, when they recognized the light of truth, as the dawn was advancing and the crowing of the rooster, that is, the voice of the doctors, became more frequent, who were accustomed to lift themselves up with the flight of an eager heart to heavenly desires, they drove away all the clouds of doubt from their minds, and truly recognized that Christ, having overthrown the enemy, is the spouse of the holy Church.
Raguel, rejoicing over the life of Tobias and the union and marriage of his daughter, had two fat cows and four rams killed, and prepared a feast for all his neighbors and friends. The Gentile people, rejoicing over the faith of Christ and the calling of the Gentiles to God, were so advancing in the Lord that even from their number some became teachers, and later also martyrs. They are indeed cows because they bear the light yoke of the Gospel; because they also beget and nurture those who advance to bear the same yoke by preaching. They are also rams because they are fathers and leaders of the peoples, about whom it is said: "Ascribe to the Lord the offspring of rams" (Psalm 29). They are fat cows because the doctors are filled with the grace of heavenly delight. Of which the Psalmist prays: "My soul shall be filled as with marrow and fatness" (Psalm 63). The two cows are killed because whoever for Christ either voluntarily mortifies their own body to become a living sacrifice or hands it over to the infidels to be killed: such have learned to stand against the enemy with the weapons of righteousness, on the right and on the left, that is, in prosperity and adversity. The four rams are killed because the holy doctors and martyrs preserve the four books of the holy Gospel in faith and work, because they are fortified with the four principal virtues, prudence, courage, temperance, and justice; because they establish the flock of Christ throughout the whole world, which is distinguished by four regions. Raguel had the cows and rams killed because the Gentile people taught those who came to the faith from their stock to be such that the excellence of their virtue would make them temptations for the enemy, and when tempted, he would not overcome them but make them victorious martyrs. Or certainly, he himself caused to be killed those who taught to crucify their flesh for Christ with its vices and desires. By whose death he prepared a feast for all his neighbors, because the progress, life, passion, and crown of the saints bring joy to many, and they receive them as if they were a feast, being refreshed by their examples.
And Raguel urged Tobias to stay with him for two weeks. We also implore our Lord, praying that He may remain with us until we attain the perfection of holy rest through the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that we may rest from servile acts, that is, sins in the body, and from evil thoughts in the mind; and may He rest in our heart and body, He who said, "On whom will my spirit rest, but on the humble and quiet one who trembles at my words?"