An integral part of our Catholic belief is the power of the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ to atone for our sins, however numerous and grave they may be. It is well-known that the blood of Christ is the price of our salvation and God willed to be appeased by it for the forgiveness of sins of mankind.
No blood, no life.
God’s choice of blood for our Salvation wasn’t random but a deliberate one in the light of its significance in sustaining life. This was made clear by Him when He said in Leviticus 17:11 – “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” In other words, without blood, there’s no life.
The very first blood sacrifice
It must be noted that the first blood sacrifice was made by God himself in the very beginning soon after the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. This has been revealed to us in Genesis 3:21 – “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” Thus Abba Father had to make an animal sacrifice to cover up their shame as a consequence of sin.
Establishment of the New and Eternal Covenant
Animal sacrifices formed an important theme in the Old Testament as it was required by God for the temporal coverage of sins. The animals chosen for the purpose had to be spotless. Leviticus 16 gives a blow-by-blow account of the animal sacrifice made in recompense for the transgressions of Israel. However, this kind of sacrifice was only provisional and had to be performed year after year for the atonement of sins. A permanent restoration was needed and so God, our Father, sent His Son as a sacrificial lamb to pay for our sins. It was His desire to establish a new and eternal covenant with His people by the blood of the One without sin thereby rebuilding His relationship with us. Thus the blood of Christ is the seal of this new covenant which makes amends for all that’s lost through sin and disobedience. Christ himself proclaimed, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28).
A poignant reminder of what His blood has done for us is 1 Peter 18:19 – “You were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.” In a nutshell, without His bloodshed, redemption couldn’t have been possible.
History of the devotion to the Blood of Christ
The feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ was instituted by Pope Pius IX in 1849, as a protection against the dangers looming in a hazardous society. July has long since been designated as the month for this devotion.
While this feast day was removed from the liturgical calendar after the Second Vatican Council and had given way to the feast of Corpus Christi, the traditional dedication of the month of July to this devotion remains. As a matter of course, it is worth discovering ways to intensify our devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus in our lives.
Key points for adoration
Our Lord in his lifetime shed His blood seven times –
His Circumcision, The Agony in the garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crowning of thorns, The Carrying of the Cross, The Crucifixion, The Piercing of His side. A perfect adoration of His precious blood would call for contemplation on each of these moments. This can be best done through regular participation in the Eucharistic celebration where we privileged Catholics are invited to receive His Body and Blood made possible through transubstantiation.
Claim His blood and experience its power
At times, we tend to be discouraged by the enormity and gravity of our sins and even begin to despair. In those moments of hopelessness, let’s remember the redemptive power of His blood and say this simple yet powerful prayer with faith “Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, save us and the whole world.” Repeating it as often as we can would for certain make us experience God’s transforming power in our lives.
