Meanwhile, Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come. When she saw him coming, she exclaimed to his father, "Tobit, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!"...Then Anna ran up to her son, threw her arms around him, and said to him, "Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!" And she sobbed aloud. (Tobit 11: 5-6, 9)

Anna expects the worst, but keeps watch for the contrary. I too often do the same.

When we are given a tough medical prognosis, when our loved one heads off to war, when the rains fail for a second year... In so many cases we are caught between the worst likelihood and the slim possibility of a repreive. Each of our lives play-out on the edge of tragedy.

Anna wraps together worry and watchfulness. She and we would be better giving up the worry.

In contrast to Anna is Homer's Penelope who spends twenty years waiting for her Odysseus to return. Where Anna is passive and morose, Penelope is constantly cunning and creative.

When the hoped for does appear Anna dramatically embraces her son and declares she is ready to die. Penelope is cautious when her husband returns, fearing an imposter. But when finally persuaded she explains, "We have suffered, both of us. Heaven has denied us the happiness of spending our youth, and of growing old, together; do not then be aggrieved or take it amiss that I did not embrace you thus as soon as I saw you. I have been shuddering all the time through fear that someone might come here and deceive me with a lying story; for there are many very wicked people going about." Then Penelope and Odysseus begin to rebuild their life together.

We can certainly empathize and sympathize with Anna. But we are more likely to admire Penelope's creativity, care, and courage.

In faith we enter into relationship with God. With hope we bring our concerns and desires to God's attention. Whatever life brings we can choose to love and to be loved. Love is always an act of courage.

It is interesting to consider how Anna might have fared if Homer had been her author. The courage of Penelope is especially admirable because Homer also shows us her inner agony. Shortly before Odysseus' return is know, Penelope offers this prayer: "Great Goddess Diana, daughter of Jove, drive an arrow into my heart and slay me; or let some whirlwind snatch me up and bear me through paths of darkness till it drop me into the mouths of over-flowing Oceanus..."