July is devoted to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.
"In Christ's blood we are made strong, even though weakness persists in our sensuality ... since our reason is made strong in Christ's blood, we must drown ourselves in this sweet glorious ransom." - S. Catherine of Siena
That flood pours into our souls in and through the sacraments - especially the sacrament of penance. In the Eucharist we are inebriated in it ... "and in that blood we are freed from our weakness."
This particular feast was always a little unsettling to me. Somewhat grotesque in imagery There was a parish in my Diocese named Most Precious Blood which was difficult to explain the particulars behind this devotion to non Catholics.
ReplyDeleteEvangelicals and Pentecostal Christians often 'call on the Blood of Jesus' and have great faith in the 'power of the name of Jesus'. Billy Graham was one of the few Evangelists who always preached upon the Blood of Jesus and him crucified, so perhaps it was just the genteel non-Catholics who couldn't understand it? ;)
ReplyDeleteI worked with a few nurses who were Pentecostal who always "claimed the blood of Jesus" when things were rough. I sometimes have an image of being immersed in the "Ocean of Mercy" as I know I would be washed whole and made clean by the blood of the Lamb.
DeleteThat is a comforting image for me ... let's remember each other in prayer for this grace to be granted to us all.
Inspired this month to pray the Litany of the Precious Blood daily for a whole slew of supposedly hopeless causes. Will include yours as well.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Precious Blood is consecrated I always silently pray "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You." As I pray it I imagine that blood washing over us and filling us. It's not gory - the image is more like sheer red water, quite like how it's depicted in Divine Mercy images.
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