The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. The feast of the Precious Blood of our Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pope Pius IX, but the devotion is as old as Christianity. The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood.
"The Precious Blood which we worship is the Blood which the Savior shed for us on Calvary and reassumed at His glorious Resurrection; it is the Blood which courses through the veins of His risen, glorified, living body at the right hand of God the Father in heaven; it is the Blood made present on our altars by the words of Consecration; it is the Blood which merited sanctifying grace for us and through it washes and beautifies our soul and inaugurates the beginning of eternal life in it."
The month of July offers the faithful a special opportunity to meditate on the sacrificial love of Christ and the profound mystery of redemption. Through devotion to the Precious Blood, Catholics are reminded of the cost of their salvation and the immense love of Jesus. Engaging in specific prayers and litanies dedicated to the Precious Blood can deepen one's faith and enhance one's spiritual journey.
Furthermore, this month is a fitting time to reflect on the Eucharist, where the Precious Blood is present in a sacramental form. By receiving the Eucharist, the faithful partake in the Body and Blood of Christ, reaffirming their commitment to live according to His teachings and example. This devotion ultimately strengthens the bond between believers and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The New Testament reveals the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowing's regarding the significance of blood, particularly in the context of Jesus Christ's sacrificial death. Here are some key connections between Old Testament passages and their New Testament fulfilments regarding the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 4:10 and Hebrews 12:24
- Old Testament Verse: "The LORD said, 'What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.'" (Genesis 4:10)
- New Testament Fulfillment: "To Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." (Hebrews 12:24)
- Explanation: Abel’s innocent blood cried out for justice, while Jesus’ blood speaks of forgiveness and redemption, offering a new covenant of grace.
- Old Testament Verse: "The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." (Exodus 12:13)
- New Testament Fulfillment: "Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." (1 Corinthians 5:7)
- Explanation: The blood of the Passover lamb protected the Israelites, prefiguring Christ, the ultimate Passover Lamb, whose blood saves us from eternal death.
- Old Testament Verse: "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life." (Leviticus 17:11)
- New Testament Fulfillment: "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12)
- Explanation: The concept of blood making atonement in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ, who offers His own blood for eternal redemption.
- Old Testament Verse: "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
- New Testament Fulfillment: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24)
- Explanation: Isaiah's prophecy about the suffering servant is directly fulfilled in Jesus, whose wounds and sacrifice bring healing and redemption.
- Old Testament Verse: "As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit." (Zechariah 9:11)
- New Testament Fulfillment: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28)
- Explanation: The covenant sealed with blood in Zechariah points to the new covenant in Christ’s blood, which brings forgiveness and liberation from sin.
- Old Testament Verse: "Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, 'This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.'" (Exodus 24:8)
- New Testament Fulfillment: "For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." (Hebrews 9:15)
- Explanation: The old covenant was ratified with the blood of animals, while the new covenant is established through the blood of Christ, offering eternal redemption.
The Old Testament prefigurations and the New Testament fulfillments together highlight the centrality of Christ's Precious Blood in God's plan for salvation. The New Testament clarifies that Jesus’ sacrifice is the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings, making His blood the source of redemption, forgiveness, and new life for all believers.
.jpeg)
Red Color: Red symbolizes the blood shed by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. It signifies his sacrifice and the shedding of blood for the redemption of humanity.
Chalice: The chalice used in the Eucharist represents the Blood of Christ, which Catholics believe becomes present under the appearance of wine during the Mass.
Cross: The cross, especially with blood flowing from Christ's wounds, symbolizes the crucifixion and the shedding of Christ's blood for the forgiveness of sins.
Holy Eucharist: In Christian belief, the Eucharist (Holy Communion) represents the Body and Blood of Christ, with wine symbolizing the Precious Blood.
Lamb: The Lamb of God is a symbol often used in Christian iconography to represent Jesus Christ, particularly in reference to his sacrifice and the shedding of his blood.
Blood Drops: Depictions of drops of blood, often with a radiant halo or emanation, symbolize the Precious Blood as a source of grace and salvation.
These symbols are deeply significant in Christian faith, reflecting the belief in Christ's sacrificial death and the spiritual nourishment received through his Blood.
.jpeg)
Sweating Blood: Before His arrest, Jesus agonized in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Luke 22:44 recounts, “He was in such agony of spirit that he broke into a sweat of blood, with great drops falling to the ground.” This initial shedding of blood symbolizes the beginning of His sacrificial journey.
Struck and Beaten: Following His arrest, Jesus endured physical abuse at the hands of the soldiers. Matthew 26:67 describes how they “spat in His face and beat Him with their fists.” This violence marked the second instance of His blood being shed.
Beard Plucked Out: Isaiah 50:6 prophesied, “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard.” This act of humiliation and pain fulfilled prophecy and added to His physical suffering.
Back Scourged: Jesus was scourged before His crucifixion, a brutal punishment involving the whipping of His back. This scourging was intended to weaken Him physically and humiliate Him further.
Head Pierced with Crown of Thorns: Mockingly crowned with thorns, Jesus endured excruciating pain as the thorns pierced His scalp, causing blood to flow down His face (Matthew 27:29).
Crucified: Upon reaching Golgotha, Jesus was crucified, nails driven through His hands and feet. This act of crucifixion represented the sixth shedding of His blood, a culmination of His physical suffering and sacrifice.
Side Pierced: After His death, a soldier pierced Jesus’s side with a spear, confirming His passing and fulfilling Scripture (John 19:34). This final act of bloodshed symbolized the completion of His earthly mission and the atonement for humanity’s sins.
In these seven moments, Jesus’s blood was shed to fulfill God’s plan for redemption. Each instance reflects His sacrificial love and the completeness of His atoning work. Through His blood, we are cleansed, forgiven, and reconciled with God, gaining eternal life and freedom from sin.
Reflecting on these profound acts of love and sacrifice deepens our understanding of Jesus’s suffering for our sake. His blood, shed willingly and completely, offers us salvation and eternal hope. As we contemplate the significance of each drop of His blood shed for us, we are reminded of the depth of His love and the magnitude of His sacrifice on our behalf.
Seven Benefits of Jesus’ Shed Blood
In Christ’s blood, we receive life that death cannot conquer. Jesus has established a new covenant through His blood, and He intercedes on our behalf to enable us to enter more fully into His blood covenant with us (see Romans 8:34).
Once again, the number seven comes into play as Jesus’s blood accomplishes at least seven distinct benefits to complete our salvation:
Forgiveness: We have been forgiven through the blood that Jesus shed when He gave up His life. “Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NASB).
Cleansing: Our consciences have been washed by the blood of Christ Jesus because we have truly been purified from all sin (see Hebrews 9:14).
Redemption: Forgiven and cleansed, we find that we have been redeemed from the clutches of the powers of darkness. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7 NIV).
Justification: It is one thing to believe that we are forgiven, cleansed, and redeemed, but it is another to believe that it is just as if we had never sinned in the first place. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we are justified, it is “just as if we’d” never sinned. We are righteous.
Sanctification: Now we can take it one step further and declare that we have been set apart for a holy calling—sanctified. Each believer is a special vessel set apart for God. Only Jesus’s blood can make this possible. Because of Him, we can walk on the straight and narrow way (see Matthew 7:14).
Peace: Because of Jesus’s blood, we can have perfect peace. There will still be plenty of battles to fight, but the outcome has been determined on Calvary: “It was through what his Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to him—all things in heaven and on earth—for Christ’s death on the cross has made peace with God for all by his blood” (Colossians 1:20 TLB).
Access to the throne: Jesus’s blood has made possible our complete reconciliation with the Holy Father in heaven. Now, covered as we are in the blood of Christ, we are like the high priest who was invited to enter the Most Holy Place—without being struck dead. We can enter the most holy throne room of heaven with perfect impunity: “And so, dear brothers, now we may walk right into the very Holy of Holies, where God is, because of the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19 TLB).
Reflection and Declaration
In our own lives, how have we testified to what the blood of Jesus Christ has accomplished? How have we spoken of it (out loud) and declared with joy the benefits He has won for us? Even when we proclaim it within the privacy of our prayer closet, the enemy gets blinded with the glory of heaven!
Prayer of the Month : Prayer from the Roman Missal
Passion of Christ, Strengthen Me
Prayer in the Steps of the Passion
Prayer to Imitate the Suffering Christ
Prayer to Jesus on the Cross
By the Passion of Your Blessed Son
Prayer to the Wound of Jesus' Shoulder
Novena Prayers For the Salvation of Souls and the conversion of Sinners
O Sacred Head
No comments:
Post a Comment