Precious Blood, rescue us

By Ottrisha Carter

When we think of Jesus’ blood, we immediately associate the painful image of Jesus being crucified. We are able to visualise Jesus being whipped, kicked, beaten, nailed to a cross and crowned with thorns. Although Mel Gibson’s depiction of Jesus’ crucifixion in The Passion is brutal, we are aware that Jesus went through worse than what we saw in this movie. For us, Jesus’ blood is a true representation of sacrifice. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16).

Jesus’ blood was shed to give us the opportunity to experience life. Our lives are valuable gifts from God. Jesus paid a very heavy price for us and we should never forget that His innocent blood was shed to rescue us from our sins and the hands of the evil one. “But God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). We can therefore associate Jesus’ blood with our redemption from the shackles of sin and slavery.

Sin separates us from union with God. We are all sinners on different life journeys but we are all connected through the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. In other words, Jesus died for each one of us so we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. As children of our Heavenly Father, Jesus invites us to respect each other’s dignity. This can be difficult at times since we are all suffering from some type of sin sickness in one way or another. Very often we get addicted to sins like unforgiveness, hatred, violence, resentment, anger among others.

As our country continues to experience an increase in murders, chaos, injustice, discrimination, disharmony, suffering and trials, let’s use this month to plead the Precious Blood of Jesus to wash our nation and cleanse us from all that is not of God. Let’s try to bear with one another in love by encountering Christ in the distressing disguise of others.

Instead of holding on to resentment, let’s ask the Precious Blood of Jesus to wash away all the anger from our hearts and replace it with genuine love for those who have hurt us. Jesus’ blood highlights the importance of forgiveness for us as He invites us to love those who have caused us pain by opening our hearts to God’s healing love and the restoration of broken relationships.

We’re all unworthy yet Jesus still loves us, wants what’s best for us, forgives us on a daily basis and would do anything to save any one of us. Why don’t we give the Precious Blood of Jesus a chance to rescue us and help us change our lives? Let’s plead the Precious Blood of Jesus to help us transform our unhealthy behaviours into healthy behaviours that will lead to our conversion, healing, transformation and flourishing.

CONSECRATION TO THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST

Conscious, merciful Savior, of my nothingness and of Thy sublimity, I cast myself at Thy feet and thank Thee for the many proofs of Thy grace shown to me, Thy ungrateful creature. I thank Thee especially for delivering me by Thy Precious Blood from the destructive power of Satan. In the presence of my dear Mother Mary, my guardian Angel, my patron Saint, and of the whole company of Heaven, I dedicate myself voluntarily, with a sincere heart, O dearest Jesus, to Thy Precious Blood, by which Thou hast redeemed the world from sin, death and Hell. I promise Thee, with the help of Thy grace and to the utmost of my strength, to stir up and foster devotion to Thy Precious Blood, the price of our redemption, so that Thy adorable Blood may be honored and glorified by all. In this way, I wish to make reparation for my disloyalty towards Thy Precious Blood of love, and to make satisfaction to Thee for the many profanations which men commit against that Precious Price of their salvation. O would that my own sins, my coldness, and all the acts of disrespect I have ever committed against Thee, O Holy, Precious Blood could be undone. Behold, O dearest Jesus, I offer to Thee the love, honor and adoration, which Thy Most Holy Mother, Thy faith disciples and all the Saints have offered to Thy Precious Blood. I ask Thee to forget my earlier faithlessness and coldness, and to forgive all who offend Thee. Sprinkle me, O Divine Saviour, and all men with Thy Precious Blood, so that we, O Crucified Love, may love Thee from now on with all our hearts, and worthily honor the price of our salvation.

Amen.