Adoration of the Precious Blood

When I gaze upon this image, I see so much.

Hidden behind the image, I see our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross, arms stretched wide, presenting us His Heart, loving.

Loving, forgiving, in the midst of His agony.

His heart, like the sun, beaming, warming, as Its rays touch each and every one of us.

In the early Church, Holy Mass was always celebrated at sunrise, the earthly symbol of the Resurrection of our Lord.

Sunrise and sunset are so very special – times where it is more easily possible to experience the connection between heaven and earth. It is special to pray at these times. To be silent and contemplate heaven.

One Holy Thursday, after Holy Mass, Roger and I were returning home and coming over the brow of a hill, were confronted with the most amazing sunset.

The sky was filled with pink and red, so deep it was, as if His Precious Blood was shed across the sky.

The sun is the source of life on earth: without it we would die.

A symbol for Him, Who is everything – The Source of all life. Without Him, we most surely die.

And there in the centre of the blazing sun, we see His Heart, issuing Its own flames, surrounded by a crown of thorns and surmounted by a cross. Just as It had appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque. She wrote of her vision in a letter. His Heart, she said, was…

shining in every direction, more brilliant than the sun and transparent as crystal. The wound He received on the Cross appeared visible. There was a Crown of thorns round this divine Heart and a Cross above it.

She then writes of that which she experienced the Sacred Heart say:

My divine Heart is so impassioned with love for men that, no longer able to contain within Itself the flames of Its burning love, It must spread them abroad.

This is how much He loves us. ‘Heart of Jesus, Burning Furnace of Charity’.

And here we see His Sacred Heart, pierced by the lance. Shedding His Blood through this pierced wound in His Heart.

Shedding his Precious Blood for the remission of our sin.

It falls like drops of rain, into a golden chalice.

He is surrounded by thorns. He is pierced. He is bleeding.

Yet, He is still resplendent as the sun, casting His rays all around, loving, loving, loving. He never stops loving and He is hurt. Shedding His Blood for us, for our sin. He is so hurt, but He never ceases to love.

He gives us His Precious Blood. And it is so precious. So precious, that according to Saint Thomas Aquinas, only one single drop would have sufficed to redeem the whole world.

And in the book, The Heart of the Mass, the anonymous writer says:

There is no sin so heinous that it cannot be forgiven, no stain so dark that it cannot be purged away, no debt so enormous that it cannot be remitted through the power of the Precious Blood.

The writer also points out, that in the Passion, the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ fell to the ground. But that at Holy Mass, whilst the very same Blood is shed, it does not fall upon the ground. The Precious Blood, he says:

is applied to the souls who are present. Thus, when we assist at Holy Mass it is just as if we stood beneath the Cross on Calvary, with contrition of heart, and were sprinkled with the Precious Blood.

And here we come to the greatest gift bestowed upon us – the Eucharist. As we look upon this image, we can see the Eucharist, the circular Host, beaming Its rays like the sun.

The Sacred Heart, Flesh and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, loving us under the appearance of bread and wine. The Sacred Chalice, containing His Precious Blood.

Unfathomable Mystery to be adored. To be honoured and praised and received most gratefully.

O Lord, you have given us everything. You have given us Yourself. Your fiery love, Your nourishing Flesh and Your oh so Precious Blood.