July 2024
July is the month of the Precious Blood of our dear Saviour. I offer three points for our consideration during this months triduum from 4 to 6 July.
First of all, how much it cost our Lord to shed all His blood. Losing blood is always unpleasant, but losing a great quantity of blood causes great weakness and thirst, especially when the blood has been drawn in a painful, brutal way, like our Lord. You probably remember the passage, I know I have quoted it before, in the Story of a Soul, where St Therese writes: “One Sunday, looking at a picture of our Lord on the Cross, I was struck by the blood flowing from one of the divine hands. I felt a great pang of sorrow when thinking this blood was falling to the ground without anyone’s hastening to gather it up. I was resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the Cross and to receive the divine dew. I understood I was then to pour it out upon souls. The cry of Jesus on the Cross sounded continually in my heart: ‘I thirst!’ These words ignited within me an unknown and very living fire. I wanted to give my Beloved to drink and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls.” Let’s never forget how much the shedding of Blood cost Our Lord, and let’s strive to unite our small pains with His great ones.
Secondly, if that Blood is shed for us, it is so as to purify us. The marvellous thing is that when you are plunged in this Blood, you come out, not red, but white! “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Apocalypse 7:14). So when are we purified by this Blood? The first time was when we were baptised. Each time we receive the absolution of our sins. Each time we receive the Holy Eucharist in a state of grace. Then it is that we actually receive the Precious Blood into our hearts, and Our Lord then shares with us His immaculate purity.
Thirdly, by having at our disposal, thanks to the sacraments of the Church, the infinite source of forgiveness which is the Blood of Christ, we should also take advantage of our closeness to Him and offer that Blood for the conversion and purification of sinners, of all sinners. There was in the 19th century, a holy nun whose name was Blessed Marie Deluil-Martiny, whose passion was to offer all her sufferings for souls in order to atone for so many sins. In one of her many writings, she says this: “Remember well that in this life, the greatness of the love of Jesus for a soul is not to be measured by the sweetness He gives, but by the crosses and sufferings He gives that soul the grace to endure for Him…..”
Those are some strong and encouraging words when we meet with crosses of all kinds. They are all signs of Jesus’ love for us. If we embrace them out of love, we make Him smile, we atone for our sins, and for those of others. And God knows there are so many terrible sins committed in the world today. Let’s plunge ourselves in the Blood and come out purified and strong to wage war with the enemies of our souls.
