Today’s First reading and Responsorial Psalm remind us that there will be trials that we will have to go through in life. We can be righteous like Tobit, who was a pious man doing God’s work but who became blind and faced many misfortunes in life. This can be similar to us where we may strive to live righteously, but it does not mean that we will be exempt from the strug- gles of life. Suffering is not a punishment from God, but it is a test of faith. As believers, we are called to be merciful and to trust in God no matter how hard it gets. When we please God with righteousness and unwavering faith, he promises us that even our future generations will be blessed. We will not need to fear bad news because our trust in the Lord means that nothing we go through will destroy us. Our hearts can be sure and free of fear, knowing that in the end, we will be victorious by trusting God in our circumstances. The sufferings we go through only mould and shape us into Christians with stronger trusting faith.