Saturday, July 1, 2017

July has come so quickly.....It is the Month dedicated to The Precious Blood Of Jesus.


By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to certain devotions.July is devoted to the Precious Blood of Jesus.

In the past, the feast of the Most Precious Blood of Christ was celebrated on the first Sunday of July as confirmed by past Popes and recalled recently by Pope Benedict XVI in His speech after praying the Angelus on July 5, 2009.[1] He made special mention of Pope John XXIII's apostolic letter "Inde a Primis" (dated June 30, 1960) which explained the devotion's significance and approved its litanies.[2]    


The Old fulfilled in the New Covenant
Sacrifice is the highest form of religious worship which man offers to God as an act of praise, thanksgiving, petition or atonement.[3] The most singular and pre-eminent sacrifice of the Old Law was the immolation of the Paschal Lamb which celebrated the sparing of Israel's firstborn from the fatal sword of the Angel of Death in Egypt at the time of Moses and Pharaoh.
The imagery of sacrificial blood from slain animals is made more vivid and meaningful if we recall Moses' words from the Book of Exodus, "And he took the blood and sprinkled it upon the people, and he said: This is the blood of the covenant, which the Lord has made with you concerning all these words." (Exodus 24:8)
This old sacrifice took a new form in the New Testament when the Immaculate Lamb of God offered Himself on the altar of the Cross to redeem mankind from sin and the slavery of Satan. And during the Last Supper, Our Lord offered Himself in an unbloody yet real sacrifice when He uttered the following words:
"For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins." (Matthew 26: 28) Truly, this "shedding of blood' or "pouring out of blood" took place and forms one of the glorious mysteries of our Faith.[4]

The Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
  • Catholic doctrine teaches the faithful that the blood of Jesus Christ is part of His Sacred Humanity and hypostatically united to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.[5]
  • And as such, it is worthy of adoration and veneration proper to latreutical worship (cultus latriae) which is rendered only to God. In other words, we adore the human nature of Christ because of its intimate and eternal union with the Person of the Divine Word.
  • It is for this same reason that we honor the Most Sacred Heart or the Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
  
The Devotion to the Precious Blood
This devotion is one of the most ancient of pious Church practices. It is said that the Blessed Virgin venerated the Most Precious Blood of her infant Son on the day of His circumcision as she collected the first relics of His Precious Blood on a piece of cloth. On that momentous occasion she united her tears with that of the Word Incarnate on account of not so much of the sensible pain but of His supernatural sorrow for the hard-heartedness of mortals.[6]
It was the first of seven Blood-Sheddings of Our Divine Savior, The rest being:
2. The Agony in the Garden
3. The Scourging at the Pillar
4. The Crowning with Thorns
5. The Way of the Cross
6. The Crucifixion
7. The Piercing of His Heart

In his book, The Precious Blood, Father Frederick William Faber, D.D., calls St. Paul the Doctor of the Precious Blood owing to his evident fondness to preach on It in his epistles (Romans 3:25; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12).
He recounts that the lives of saints are replete with devotion to the Precious Blood making special mention of St. John Chrysostom, St. Austin, St. Gertrude and St. Catherine of Sienna whom he considered the Prophetess of the Precious Blood for putting emphasis on It as the solution to the ills of her times.
Father Faber also remarks that the Precious Blood makes us appreciate more Christ's redemption of mankind, His sacrifice and Passion.
It also makes us comprehend the beautiful doctrine and the august realities of the Blessed Sacrament as we kneel in front of the tabernacle in humble adoration.
Over time the Church gave Her blessing to the devotion by approving societies like the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; enriching confraternities like that of St. Nicholas in Carcere, in Rome, and that of the London Oratory; attaching indulgences to prayers and scapulars in honor of the Precious Blood; and instituting commemorative feasts of the Precious Blood, Friday after the fourth Sunday in Lent and, since Pius IX, the first Sunday of July.[7]
Sadly, however, the feast was removed from the church calendar in 1969, the argument being that the cultus of the Precious Blood is included in the Mass and Divine Office of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). Nevertheless, it is still laudable and salutary to continue to see the month of July as dedicated to the Most Precious Blood, just as Blessed Pope Pius IX intended it to be.[8]


This was found at~http://www.catholictradition.org/Christ/pb-chaplets.htm
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Precious Blood Devotions
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The Chaplet of the Precious Blood 1

This devotion consists of seven mysteries in which we meditate on the seven main sheddings of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. The Our Father is said five times after each mystery except for the last, when it is said three times------in all thirty-three times in honor of the thirty-three years of Our Savior's life on earth.

V. O God, come to my assistance!
R. Lord, make haste to help me!
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

FIRST MYSTERY

Jesus shed His Blood in the Circumcision.
Let us ask for chastity of soul and body.
Our Father five times, Glory be to the Father once.

V. We pray Thee, Lord, help Thy servants!
R. Whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy Precious Blood!

This invocation to the Precious Blood is said 
after the Our Father and Glory be of each mystery.
SECOND MYSTERY

Jesus shed His Blood in the Agony while praying in the Garden of Olives.
Let us ask for the spirit of prayer.

THIRD MYSTERY

Jesus shed His Blood in the Scourging at the Pillar.
Let us ask for patience and self control.


FOURTH MYSTERY

Jesus shed His Blood in the Crowning with Thorns.
Let us ask for humility to atone for pride.


FIFTH MYSTERY

Jesus shed His Blood while carrying His Cross to Calvary.
Let us ask for acceptance of our daily crosses.


SIXTH MYSTERY

Jesus shed His Blood in the terrible Crucifixion.
 Let us ask for contrition.


SEVENTH MYSTERY

Jesus shed Blood and water from His side pierced by the Lance.
Let us ask for perseverance. 
The Chaplet of the Precious Blood 2
Begin with the Apostles' Creed. Then say the following invocation:

May the Precious Blood that flows out from the Sacred head of Our Lord Jesus Christ cover us now and forever. Amen.

THE FIRST MYSTERY
The Nailing of the Right Hand of Our Lord Jesus... (Pause) PRAYER: By the Precious Wound in Thy Right Hand and through the pain of the nail which pierced Thy Right Hand, may the Precious Blood that pours out from there, convert many souls and save sinners of the whole world. Amen.
Our Father (once), Hail Mary (once)---both on white bead. On the twelve beads. Say,
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
 Save us and the whole world.

Glory be, etc.

THE SECOND MYSTERY
The Nailing of the Left Hand of Our Lord Jesus... (Pause) PRAYER: By the Precious Wound in Thy Left Hand and through the pain of the nail which pierced Thy Left Hand, may the Precious Blood that pours out from there relieve Souls in Purgatory and protect the dying against the attacks of evil spirits. Amen.
Our Father (once), Hail Mary (once)---both on white bead. On the twelve beads. Say,
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
 Save us and the whole world.
Glory be, etc.

THE THIRD MYSTERY
The Nailing of the Right Foot of Our Lord Jesus... (Pause) PRAYER: By the Precious Wound in Thy Right Foot and through the pain of the nail which pierced Thy Right Foot, may the Precious Blood that pours out from there cover the foundation of the Catholic Church against the plans of the evil spirit and evil men. Amen.
Our Father (once), Hail Mary (once)---both on white bead. On the twelve beads. Say,
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
 Save us and the whole world.
Glory be, etc.

THE FOURTH MYSTERY
The Nailing of the Left Foot of Our Lord Jesus... (Pause) PRAYER: By the Precious Wound in Thy Left Foot, and through the pain of the nail which pierced Thy Left Foot, may the Precious Blood that pours out from there protect us from the plans and the attacks of evil spirits and their minions. Amen.
Our Father (once), Hail Mary (once)---both on white bead. On the twelve beads. Say,
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
 Save us and the whole world.
Glory be, etc.

THE FIFTH MYSTERY
The Piercing of the Sacred Side of Our Lord Jesus... (Pause) PRAYER: By the Precious Wound in Thy Sacred Side and through the pain of the lance which pierced Thy Sacred Side, may the Precious Blood and Water that pours out from there cure the sick, bring repentance to the dying, and bring us to eternal happiness with God. Amen.
Our Father (once), Hail Mary (once)---both on white bead. On the twelve beads. Say,
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
 Save us and the whole world.
Glory be, etc.

Conclude with:

HAIL, HOLY QUEEN

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy; our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this our exile, show unto us the Blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
 Pray for us, Oh holy Mother of God;
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY .

O Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, we honor, worship and adore Thee Heal the wounds our souls and wash away the sins of the whole world. O Precious Blood, have mercy. Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Have mercy on us.
 Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Pray for us.
 St. Joseph,
Pray for us.
Ss. Peter and Paul,
 Pray for us.
 St. John at the foot of the Cross,
 Pray for us.
 St. Mary Magdalen,
 Pray for us.
All ye Saints and Angels,
 Pray for us.
The above image is a texturized version of Detail from The Crucifixion by Velasquez, 1632.

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A "vintage train" ride. Enjoy the sounds of long ago, ( and yes, I did get soot on me). This is a coal powered steam train.