The treasure of His Blood

“The only begotten Son of God … ‘made unto us from God, wisdom, justice, sanctification and redemption’ [1 Cor. 3], ‘… by His own blood entered once into the holies having obtained eternal redemption’ [Heb. 9:12]. ‘For not with corruptible things as gold or silver, but with the precious blood of His very (Son) … He has redeemed us’ [cf. 1 Pet. 1:18-19], who innocent, immolated on the altar of the Cross is known to have poured out not a little drop of blood, which however on account of union with the Word would have been sufficient for the redemption of the whole human race, but copiously as a kind of flowing stream, so that ‘from the soles of His feet even to the top of His Head no soundness was found in Him’ [Is. 1:6]. Therefore, how great a treasure did the good Father acquire from this for the Church militant, so that the mercy of so great an effusion was not rendered useless, vain or superfluous, wishing to lay up treasures for His sons, so that thus the Church is an infinite treasure to men, so that they who use it, become the friends of God [Wis. 7:14]. Indeed this treasure … through blessed Peter, the keeper of the keys of heaven and his successors, his vicars on earth, He has committed to be dispensed for the good of the faithful, both from proper and reasonable causes, now for the whole, now for partial remission of temporal punishment due to sins, in general as in particular (according as they know to be expedient with God), to be applied mercifully to those who truly repentant have confessed. Indeed, to the mass of this treasure the merits of the Blessed Mother of God and of all the elect from the first just even to the last, are known to give their help; concerning the consumption or the diminution of this there should be no fear at any time, because of the infinite merits of Christ…as well as for the reason that the more are brought to justification by its application, the greater is the increase of the merits themselves.”   ~Clement VI, “Unigenitus Dei Filius”, 1343 A.D.

Saved by the blood

A reflection from Fr. W. Faber:

https://fsspx.news/en/news-events/news/blood-christ-which-sacraments-receive-their-strength-have-mercy-us-39490

But we should have a very imperfect notion of the empire of the Precious Blood if we did not take into account the chief methods by which it does its work.

We have seen some of the principal ways in which it spreads its empire; let us now see the means by which it spreads it. These means are the Sacraments.

But our clearest idea of the Sacraments is that which we gain from Hugh St. Victor and the elder theologians. They are the making visible of invisible grace. In them the Precious Blood has clothed itself in visible forms.

In the matter and form of the Sacraments it has put on its priestly vestments, of unearthly fashion, and of manifold significance.

Indeed, the grace of the Sacraments is the very physical grace which was in the Soul of Jesus, replicated, as theology speaks, that is, repeated again and again in us, and repeated in us by means of the Precious Blood.

The seven Sacraments are hieroglyphics of some hidden wisdom of God. Christ instituted them as Man; and thus they are the going-on of the Thirty-Three Years upon earth.

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On another note, please pray for Louisiana as we brace for a hurricane & flooding rains… Thanks.

~Damsel of the Faith

The Magnificence of the Precious Blood

One drop of his Precious Blood was sufficient to redeem the whole world. Even one word from his mouth could have vanquished sin & satan, but lo, Christ proved in every humanly possible way the extent of His love by allowing His human nature to be tortured more severely than any martyrdom or sickness could have tortured anyone.  How often is He reviled, persecuted & tortured by those who should be His own?  Was not the shedding of His Blood enough to wash away our indifference?  Stay focused on the cross.

In nothing is it of so much importance to us that God should be magnificent as in the shedding of His Blood.

It would be part of His Dominion, part of His Magnificence, to be accurately prodi gal of that which made His Dominion more dear to Him, and His Magnificence more magnificent.

Yet I would fain keep before you that the prodigality of the Precious Blood is simply necessary for our wretchedness, that we could not do with less of it, that, if so infinite a price were to be paid for our redemption, it must be infinitely paid.

God could not help being magnificent, precisely because He is God.

It is His infinity thus compassionately and delightedly acting upon our finiteness, which we call His magnificence.

It is an attribute which ought to be most dear to us, and which we should honor with a special devotion. If the tranquility of holiness comes of our loving to be overwhelmed by the sovereignty of God, we come to love His sovereignty by delighting in His magnificence.

What we have said amounts to this. The magnificence of God was nowhere more needed than in the Precious Blood; and, as a matter of fact, it has been nowhere more shown. It was of surpassing importance to us that it should be so.

~Rev. Fr. F.-W. Faber, The Precious Blood or the Price of Our Salvation

Litany of the Precious Blood

July is traditionally known as the Month of the Precious Blood of Jesus. One drop of that Precious Blood would have purchased our salvation, but to demonstrate his great & abiding love for us, he shed every last drop of His Blood, Most bitterly tormented & scourged. Make reparation.

The litany of the Precious Blood:

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, save us.

Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word or God, save us.

Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, save us.

Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in Agony, save us.

Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us.

Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us.

Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us.

Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us.

Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us.

Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us.

Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us.

Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us.

Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, save us.

Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us.

Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, save us.

Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us. 

Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us.

Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us.

Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us.

Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us. 

Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.

Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us.

Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us.

Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. 

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

V. You have redeemed us, O Lord, in Your Blood.

R. And made us a kingdom for our God.

Let us Pray:

V. Almighty and eternal God, You have appointed Your only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

 

The Blood of our Salvation

A Blessed Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus to all!

Damsel of the Faith

During this Month of the Precious Blood, I offer a meditation from a sermon by St. Augustine:

“A suggestive word was made use of by the Evangelist, in not saying: he pierced His side; or: he wounded; or anything like that, but: he opened; that therein might, as it were, be thrown open the door of life, from which have flowed forth the sacraments of the Church, without which there is no entrance into life that is truly life. The blood that was shed, was shed for the remission of sins. That water makes up the health-giving cup; and gives at the same time a bath and a draught. This was announced beforehand, when Noe was commanded to make a door in the side of the ark, through which the animals, not destined to perish in the flood, might enter, and by which the Church was prefigured. Because of this…

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Feast of the Immaculate Conception

A Blessed Feast of the Immaculate Comception to you all! O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Damsel of the Faith

On this day, in 1854, Pope Bl. Pius IX defined the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception as an article of Faith to be believed by all Catholics in these words:

“In honor of the most Holy and Undivided Trinity, for the glory and ornament of the Virgin Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith and the spread of the Christian religion, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own, we pronounce and define, that the doctrine, which maintains that the most blessed Virgin Mary, in the first moment of her conception, was, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in regard of the merits of Christ Jesus, the Saviour of the human race, preserved free from the stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and is, therefore, to be firmly and constantly believed by…

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The Blood of our Salvation

During this Month of the Precious Blood, I offer a meditation from a sermon by St. Augustine:

“A suggestive word was made use of by the Evangelist, in not saying: he pierced His side; or: he wounded; or anything like that, but: he opened; that therein might, as it were, be thrown open the door of life, from which have flowed forth the sacraments of the Church, without which there is no entrance into life that is truly life. The blood that was shed, was shed for the remission of sins. That water makes up the health-giving cup; and gives at the same time a bath and a draught. This was announced beforehand, when Noe was commanded to make a door in the side of the ark, through which the animals, not destined to perish in the flood, might enter, and by which the Church was prefigured. Because of this, the first woman was made from the side of the man while he slept, and she was called Life and Mother of the living. For the name signified a great good, before the great evil of her sin. This second Adam bowed His heads fell asleep on the cross, in order that from there a spouse might be formed for Him from that which He shed from His side as He slept. O death whereby the dead are raised anew to life! What is purer than this blood? What more health-giving this wound?

Men who were held in slavery under the devil served the devil and served the demons; but they have been redeemed from captivity. For they could sell themselves, but they could not redeem themselves. The Redeemer came, and paid the price; He shed His blood, and bought the world. Do you ask what He bought? See what He gave, and you will find out what He bought. The blood of Christ is the price. What is it worth? What, but the whole world? What, but all nations. Very ungrateful for their price or very proud, are they who say that the price is of such small worth as to buy only the Africans; or that they are so great, that it was given for them alone. Therefore let them not rejoice or be proud. What He gave, He gave for the whole world.

He had His blood, by which He redeemed us; and to this end He took blood, that He might shed it in order to redeem us. If you wish it, the blood of your Lord was given for you; if you do not wish it, it was not given for you. For perhaps you will say: My God had blood, with which He redeemed me, but now since He has suffered, He has given it all; what has remained to Him, that He may also give for me? This is a great thing, because He gave once, and He gave for all. The blood of Christ is salvation to him who wishes it, punishment to him who does not wish it. Why, therefore, do you hesitate to be set free from the second death, you who do not wish to die? By this you are set free, if you are willing to take up your cross, and follow the Lord; for He took up His cross and looked for His servant.”

Most Precious Blood of Jesus, cleanse the Church and the world!

~Damsel of the Faith