On July 6, we celebrated the feast of St. Maria Goretti. She drew strength from the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist to remain chaste, even unto death. When she was only eleven years old, Maria was killed for refusing to sin against purity with a young man named Alessandro who stabbed her fourteen times. She forgave Alessandro and he later converted through her intercession.
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church,” wrote Tertullian. We may think of these words regarding the state of our world today, between senseless wars, vitriolic persecutions, and violent crimes. Ven. Fulton J. Sheen warned that when we stop calling down the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, we start calling down the blood of each other. Sheen explained that there must be the shedding of blood for the remission of sins. This is why Jesus came to die on the Cross for us, to offer every drop of His Precious Blood so that, freed from sin, we might be saved.
What power we have in the Precious Blood of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist! In Exodus 12, God told Moses to have His chosen people mark their door posts with the blood of an unblemished lamb during the first Passover. Those who did this were spared when the Egyptians were struck down. Jesus, our Divine Lamb, remains here to protect us and to be our refuge and our redemption today—if we let Him.
When the horrific attacks on 9/11 occurred, the Red Cross asked Americans to give blood. Our spiritual response in these times of upheaval needs to be the same: call down the Precious Blood of Jesus through Mass and Adoration. By uniting ourselves to Jesus on the Cross and the Holy Eucharist, we receive and “donate” graces to those who are suffering in our divided country and war torn world.
In 2002, I attended World Youth Day in Toronto and my pilgrimage group visited the chapel of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, famed for his devotion to the Precious Blood. We spent time in Adoration of the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. It struck me that the faithful aren’t always aware that, under the species of the Precious Blood, Jesus’ Real Presence is there completely. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1377) This is why, if someone is sick or has a gluten allergy and is unable to receive Jesus in the Sacred Host, they may receive the Precious Blood only and still receive the fullness of the Sacrament. St. Gaspar wrote of the great importance of devotion to the Precious Blood:
“There should be dedicated persons who, by means of solemn worship, provide adoration and reparation, and at the same time preach to the people the glories of the divine Blood, emphasizing the fact that in this devotion we go to the heart of our faith. Hence, we say in the consecration of the chalice, The Mystery of Faith. There is an intimate connection between the devotion to the Blood of Christ and the salvation of souls.”
Scripture says “they have conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11). An excellent habit to adopt is to plead the protection of the Precious Blood of Jesus daily, especially in times of fear or temptation. St. Teresa of Calcutta wrote, “Put your sins in the chalice for the precious blood to wash away. One drop is capable of washing away the sins of the world.” Several years ago there was a popular song titled “World’s Apart,” by Jars of Clay. Some of the lyrics speak of the challenges that we face in this life:
“To turn away and not become
Another nail to pierce the skin of One who loved
More deeply than the oceans
More abundant than the tears
Of a world embracing every heartache
“And can I be the one to sacrifice?
Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow?…
“I look beyond the empty cross
Forgetting what my life has cost
And wipe away the crimson stains
Dull the nails that still remains.”
Throughout the history of the Church, numerous Eucharistic miracles have occurred which manifest the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. In his book A Cardiologist Examines Jesus: The Stunning Science Behind Eucharistic Miracles, cardiologist Dr. Franco Serafini catalogues five Church approved miracles. Shockingly, heart muscle was found in each phenomenon and some studies revealed the tissue showed signs of extreme and ongoing stress. In other words, the heart was still suffering.
One of the most famous Eucharistic miracles occurred in the 8th century in Lanciano, Italy. When a priest who doubted the Real Presence of Jesus celebrated Mass, the bread visibly changed into flesh and the wine turned into blood. The blood was preserved and later analysis shows that it is type AB, consistent with other verified miracles, like the Shroud of Turin.
Likewise, Dr. Serafini relates that between 1992 and 1996 five Eucharistic signs took place at St. Mary’s Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The local archbishop, Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis), suggested having the miracle professionally photographed. In 1999, he allowed scientific testing. A cardiologist found the sample from 1996 was inflamed human heart tissue, which had experienced severe trauma and agony, resulting in a heart attack. When medical tests were done on Eucharist from 1992, a hematologist observed an area “rhythmically beating.”
During these days of Eucharistic Revival may we praise, thank, love and adore the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord. Mindful that He is our remedy for whatever sufferings that we face, let us unite ourselves to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and place our trust in Him.
Many saints wrote about the power of the Precious Blood of Jesus. May we reflect with them:
“O Lord, we cannot go to the pool of Siloe to which you sent the blind man. But we have the chalice of Your Precious Blood, filled with life and light. The purer we are, the more we receive.” (St. Ephrem)
“What need I fear? He Who sustains the world is within me. The Blood of a God circulates within my veins: Have no fear, O my soul. The Lord of the Universe has taken you up into His Arms and wants you to find rest in Him.” (Luisa M. Claret de la Touche, Servant of God)
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