The Most Precious blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Missa “Redemísti nos”
In an age increasingly dulled by comfort, sentimentalism, and spiritual amnesia, the devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus is not merely a pious option for the spiritually inclined; it is a holy obligation imposed upon us by the Cross itself. For how can a soul redeemed by such a price remain indifferent to the cost?
The devotion is not a mere emotional response. As rightly noted, true devotion comprises veneration, invocation, and imitation. We must first venerate the Precious Blood—that is, come to understand, love, and adore this ineffable mystery. Herein lies the failure of our times: a loss of the sense of sin has led to a loss of the sense of redemption. For modern man, sin is no longer the transgression of Divine Law but merely a psychological inconvenience. The Precious Blood, then, becomes unintelligible, even irrelevant, when sin itself is trivialized.
But to look upon the Crucified and behold His Blood pouring forth is to grasp, however faintly, the gravity of sin and the immensity of Divine love. As St. Catherine of Siena cried out, “It is not nails, but love, that held Him to the Cross!” That love was expressed and sealed in His Blood—“poured out for many unto the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28).
Pope St. Clement I, writing before the close of the first century, exhorted the faithful: “Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious It is.” Here we see the early Church already steeped in the mystery of the Passion, not as history, but as present spiritual reality. For the Blood of Christ is not a past fact—it is the living stream that flows from the altar, that still pleads for mercy, that still vivifies the Church through the sacraments.
And so we are to invoke the Precious Blood—not abstractly, but particularly: to plead It over our families, our nations, our priests, our dying. “By Thy Precious Blood, O Jesus, cleanse and protect us!”—a prayer needed now more than ever, when the Church herself is bleeding from internal wounds and apostasy.
Lastly, we are to imitate the Precious Blood. This is perhaps the most neglected dimension. For to imitate the Precious Blood means to accept the Cross, to embrace suffering, to offer ourselves—body and soul—as oblations united to the Lamb who was slain. Devotion to the Precious Blood is not sentimental; it is cruciform. It means interior mortification, sacrificial love, and readiness for martyrdom—literal or spiritual.
Devotion to the Precious Blood is the antidote to the secularism and spiritual lethargy of our day. It is the lex orandi of a soul that has not forgotten what it cost God to love us. Let us then renew our devotion, not as a pious custom, but as a necessary act of fidelity to the Lamb of God who “loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).
Let us daily plead:
“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today…”
For that Blood still speaks. It speaks not vengeance, but mercy. Not despair, but hope. Not annihilation, but love—a love stronger than death.
INTROIT Apoc. 5: 9-10
Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, by Thy Blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation: and hast made us a kingdom for our God. Ps. 88: 1-2. v. The mercies of the Lord will I sing for ever: I will shew forth Thy truth with my mouth, from one generation to another. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
COLLECT
Almighty and everlasting God, Who didst ordain that Thine only begotten Son should be the Redeemer of the world, and hast vouchsafed to accept His Blood as the propitiation for our sins: mercifully grant that we who here rejoice to honour that Blood, the price of our salvation; may be defended by its power in this present world, and rejoice in the everlasting fruits thereof in the world to come. Through the same Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R. Amen
EPISTLE Hebr 9:11-15
Brethren: When Christ appeared as high priest of the good things to come, He entered once for all through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands – that is, not of this creation, – nor again by virtue of blood of goats and calves, but by virtue of His own blood, into the Holies, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkled ashes of a heifer sanctify the unclean unto the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the Blood of Christ, Who through the Holy Spirit offered Himself unblemished unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And this is why He is mediator of a new covenant, that whereas a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the former covenant, they who have been called may receive eternal inheritance according to the promise, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GRADUAL 1 John 5: 6 and 7-8; 9
1 John 5:6-8 This is He Who came in water and in blood, Jesus Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood. V. There are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three are one. Alleluia, alleluia. 1 John 5:9 V. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. Alleluia.
GOSPEL John 19:30-35
At that time, when Jesus had taken the wine, He said, It is consummated! And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. The Jews therefore, since it was the Preparation Day, in order that the bodies might not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath for that Sabbath was a solemn day, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other, who had been crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs; but one of the soldiers opened His side with a lance, and immediately there came out Blood and water. And he who saw it has borne witness, and his witness is true.
OFFERTORY ANTIPHON 1 Cor. 10: 16
The Cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ?
SECRET
Grant, O Lord of hosts, we pray Thee, that in these holy mysteries we may draw near to Jesus, the Mediator of our new covenant: and at Thine altars be sprinkled yet again with the Blood that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R. Amen.
PREFACE of the Holy Cross
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who didst establish the salvation of mankind on the tree of the Cross; that whence death came, thence also life might arise again, and that he, who overcame by the tree, by the tree also might be overcome: Through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat Thee that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted while we say with lowly praise: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth!
COMMUNION ANTIPHON Hebr. 9: 28
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and to them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
POSTCOMMUNION
O Lord, Who hast suffered us to approach Thy holy temple, and with joy to draw water out of the wells of salvation: we pray Thee, that the precious Blood of our Redeemer may be in us a well of water springing up unto life eternal. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. R. Amen.