St Paul Miki and Companions

"I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.” St Paul Miki

The above words were spoken by St Paul Miki as he was being crucified. Praying that his blood would be like rain for those yearning for something to give their faith growth is an unnerving but very powerful image.

Singing, as St Augustine promised, is praying twice and many have this experience. In recent months, as Roman Catholics in the English speaking world get used to the new translation in the Sacramentary, singing often helps by taking the emphasis away from the awkwardness of learning something new by helping us focus on an uplifting melody. Singing can also be a transforming experience.

A few weeks ago, I presided at the mass of Christian burial for a young man of 48 who had turned his life around, reembraced his faith, and in the process touched many lives. More than anything else, it was the music, sung by a wide variety of cantors, both young and old, that lifted the spirits of the mourners and helped us focus not on the pain of an early death, but on the quality of the life we were celebrating. Music and singing impact parts of the human spirit that words alone can never touch.

Today, sing your way through the struggle of dying to self and let your death be like rain on others lives.