J.M.J.
It is often said that the communications media—radio,
television, print and Internet—tend to report primarily “bad news.” The morning
headlines and the evening news programs have at least one thing in common:
gore. The more blood that is ruthlessly spilled, the more ink that is used to
describe in chilling detail the gruesome facts.
To rational people, this continuous bloodletting seems
insane. The murders, suicides and maimings pile up with no relief in sight.
From such violence comes the inevitable fallout: society at large becomes
bitter and unforgiving, desensitized to the horrendous reality of such
brutality. Shedding blood, whether one’s own or another’s, seems nowadays to be
no big deal.
The Church has traditionally dedicated July to the
Most Precious Blood of Jesus. The Faithful everywhere recall, as the
Consecration of the Mass states, “the Blood of the New and Eternal Covenant,
Which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
While countless gallons of blood in our contemporary
era are senselessly wasted in vain, the Blood of Christ was shed for the noble
purpose of reuniting fallen humanity to its Creator.
The warm, soothing Blood of the Redeemer served as a
healing salve for a world grown cold. As Jesus, soaked in His own Blood, hung
on the Cross for the world’s salvation, the human race witnessed proof that God
would spare nothing in His desire to reestablish sanctifying grace in His sons
and daughters.
Although Christ poured out His Blood on Calvary nearly
two millennia ago, the merits of that generous act extend to today. Those who
have been baptized “have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of
the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14) The
Precious Blood of Jesus urges the followers of the Lord to imitate the
remarkable charity of Christ by selflessly serving God and neighbor.
The World Apostolate of Fátima has long used this
Morning Offering which captures the essence of the redemptive power of Christ’s
Blood and the subsequent invitation given by Jesus to all believers: “O my God,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus
Christ from all the altars of the world, joining with It the offering of my
every thought, word and action of this day.”
The Blood of Christ has been shed. But the
transforming force of the Precious Blood will be realized only in the hearts of
those who are receptive. To resist the stirrings of the Holy Spirit is to
render the subjective efficacy of Christ’s Blood ineffective. As with all of
God’s gifts, the Precious Blood must be yielded to if It is to have the result
for the individual that Christ intends.
Often it appears that our world thirsts for violence.
We are inundated by crime waves, wars and ugly domestic quarrels. The Blood of
Christ reminds us of a different way to pour out blood: a generous, unforced
sacrifice on behalf of others. Instead of responding to hatred with more of the
same, we adore the cleansing Blood of Jesus that knows no limits in
demonstrating love for a misguided race.
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