Is the Book of Tobit in all Bibles?

Tobit is part of the Catholic and Orthodox canons but is not included in most Protestant Bibles. If guests bring their own Bibles to follow along, some may not find the passage. Including the full text in your printed program solves this.

Tobias calls Sarah his "sister". What does that mean?

In ancient Jewish usage, "sister" was an affectionate term for a wife (the Song of Songs uses it the same way). It signals close kinship, not biological relation. Couples sometimes worry the line will confuse guests; a brief note in the program can clarify.

Does this reading specifically require that we waited until marriage?

No. The reading honors a particular witness, but the Church's sacramental embrace at the altar is for every couple who comes with sincere intent. Many couples who did not wait still find the passage moving precisely because it names what they hope for going forward.

Can this be used at a vow renewal or anniversary Mass?

Yes, and the "grow old together" prayer is especially poignant later in marriage. It often makes for a moving reading at a 25th or 50th anniversary celebration.

First Reading (Old Testament)

Tobit 8:4b-8

"Allow us to live together to a happy old age"

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Scripture text (World English Bible)

But after they were both shut in together, Tobias rose up from the bed, and said, “Sister, arise, and let us pray that the Lord may have mercy on us.” And Tobias began to say, “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, and blessed is your holy and glorious name forever. Let the heavens bless you, and all your creatures. You made Adam, and gave him Eve his wife for a helper and support. From them came the seed of men. You said, it is not good that the man should be alone. Let us make him a helper like him. And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust, but in truth. Command that I may find mercy and grow old with her.” She said with him, “Amen.” And they both slept that night.

Themes

prayer in marriage
chastity
mutual sanctification
companionship into old age
Tobias and Sarah

Reflection

The reading from Tobit takes us into the wedding chamber of a young couple, Tobias and Sarah, on the night of their marriage. Before anything else, Tobias rises and asks Sarah to pray with him, and the prayer he offers is one of the most beautiful in all of Scripture. He thanks God for creating Adam and Eve "as a helper and support," and he asks to find mercy and grow old with his wife.

The Church has loved this passage for centuries because it shows what marriage looks like at its best: two people kneeling together before God before they do anything else. The prayer itself recovers the language of Genesis, "it is not good that the man should be alone", and applies it to their own union. Marriage is here not romantic infatuation but a sober, joyful entrustment of two lives to God.

Tobias's line "I take not this my sister for lust, but in truth" is striking. He is not denying desire. The wedding night assumes it. He is naming what desire is for: covenant, fruitfulness, the building of a shared life. The Catholic tradition has read this verse as a quiet affirmation of conjugal chastity, the integration of bodily love into the larger gift of self.

For couples who want their wedding to bear witness to a Catholic vision of marriage, one that holds love and prayer together, that names sex as good when it serves the covenant, that hopes openly for a long life of fidelity, this reading does the work without lecturing. It simply tells the story.

Best for

·Couples whose engagement has been marked by intentional chastity
·Weddings where the couple has prayed together throughout their dating and engagement
·Couples who want the reading itself to witness to a distinctly Catholic vision of marriage
·Older couples or second marriages where the "grow old together" line carries particular weight
·Weddings where the couple wants a reading less commonly heard at typical ceremonies

In the liturgy

A favorite reading among couples who have received marriage preparation through Theology of the Body or similar programs. Less commonly chosen than the Genesis passages, so it can feel fresh in the liturgy. The narrative includes intimate context: a wedding chamber, prayer before consummation. So a brief homiletic introduction can help guests who are unfamiliar with the Book of Tobit.

Pairs well with

Frequently asked questions

Is the Book of Tobit in all Bibles?: Tobit is part of the Catholic and Orthodox canons but is not included in most Protestant Bibles. If guests bring their own Bibles to follow along, some may not find the passage. Including the full text in your printed program solves this.
Tobias calls Sarah his "sister". What does that mean?: In ancient Jewish usage, "sister" was an affectionate term for a wife (the Song of Songs uses it the same way). It signals close kinship, not biological relation. Couples sometimes worry the line will confuse guests; a brief note in the program can clarify.
Does this reading specifically require that we waited until marriage?: No. The reading honors a particular witness, but the Church's sacramental embrace at the altar is for every couple who comes with sincere intent. Many couples who did not wait still find the passage moving precisely because it names what they hope for going forward.
Can this be used at a vow renewal or anniversary Mass?: Yes, and the "grow old together" prayer is especially poignant later in marriage. It often makes for a moving reading at a 25th or 50th anniversary celebration.

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