Drink of the Stream

All the saints whom we are celebrating today had to become saints through prayer.  We might except some of the martyrs who had to give up their lives suddenly and possibly had not been persons of deep prayer.  But they had to be persons of prayer in the depths of their hearts to be open to the Holy Spirit.

In the first lesson at Office of Readings for this feast, the elders help harps and censers of aromatic spices.  The harp can be interpreted as hymns and songs of praise of God.  They sing new hymns: “Worthy are You to open the seal…”  The golden vessels of aromatic spices can be interpreted as the quiet contemplative prayer which came from their inmost beings.  The soul of contemplative prayer—prayers so precious that they’re put in golden censers—are fragrant aromatic spices.  In Scripture we read that these prayers rise to God like incense.  The greatest sanctity is attained through contemplative prayer.

The sweeter the prayer is, the sweeter the songs of praise offered on the harp.  The saints are gathered around the throne of Him Who sits on it and the Lamb Who redeemed us by His Blood.  I’m sure led by Our Lady, the great hymn of praise rises ever greater as we realize the great mercy of God.

We anticipate our going forth by sharing in the joy of the saints today.  I like to think of honoring them by using them efficaciously to become a saint.  St. Therese wanted to gather up all of the Precious Blood and offer it to God so souls could become saints.  This is our vocation too—to gather It up by prayer and sacrifice.

Let us pray both with harp and with aromatic spices so that when our time comes, the Blood of the Lamb will prepare us—so we can be present when the Lamb opens the scroll.  Look to Our Mother of Grace to give us the desire and light to know what to us our energies for—to be playing our harp of praise and filling the golden vessel with the aromatic spices of contemplative prayer.