The feast of the Precious Blood was introduced and appointed for the entire Church by Pope Pius IX in 1849. He assigned the first Sunday in July as its proper date. Its institution was to perpetuate the memory of the triumph of the French army in vanquishing the enemies of the Church who had driven the Pope from Rome, and to acknowledge that it was due to divine intervention that this had been possible. Pope Pius X changed the date of the feast to the first day of July.
"Blessed are they that wash their robes in the Blood of the Lamb." Apol. 21:14 The reasons for honoring the most precious Blood of our Lord are noteworthy. The dignity and sublimity of this sacred Blood, and Its participation in the divine and human calling and mission of Christ render It an object of adoration. The continual effectiveness and redemptive activity of this Blood, which is an essential part of the sacred humanity and, consequently, hypostatically united to the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, also make it deserving of homage. Finally, Christ continually offers this Blood at Holy Mass; it is His Blood that cleanses the soul in Baptism and in Penance; and this Blood strenthens and sanctifies the soul in the other Sacraments.
What does the Precious Blood of Christ have to do with the Immaculate Conception? The idea of the preservation of Mary from all sin was vigorously debated by theologians during the Middle Ages, but was clarified more and more under the authority of the popes. Thus the dogma announced by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, had already been universally accepted as such in the seventeenth century. Mary is preserved free from sin, mankind is rescued; she is without spot or stain, we are cleansed; the Precious Blood protected her, for others the Precious Blood obtains pardon.
The blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for mankind's redemption; a symbol of the sacrifice and suffering of Jesus. The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His blood.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me!Hail, saving Victim, offered on the gibbet of the cross for me and for the whole human race. Hail, precious blood, flowing from the wounds of our crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away the sins of the whole world. Remember, O Lord, Thy creature that Thou hast redeemed by Thy precious blood.
Why Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Two Historic "Fiats". . . . The parallelism of the absolute almighty power of God and the relative power of Mary is nicely seen when we reflect that when God in the beginning of creation spoke His "Fiat": *** "May it be done" *** He gave existence to all creatures. When Mary spoke her "Fiat" at the incarnation, she gave a new kind of being to the Creator Himself. God's "Fiat" drew things forth from nothing. Mary's "Fiat" drew God forth from the very bosom of God. God's "Fiat" gave God power over the things He created. Mary's "Fiat" gave Mary power over the Creator Himself. God's "Fiat" is as powerful and creative today as ever. Mary's "Fiat", with reference to the things she wants her Son to do in favor of clients, is as powerful now as was her first "Fiat" in her sacred dwelling in Nazareth.
Whatever our Saviour did upon this earth in His mortal life, even if it appeared to be entirely casual and, as we say, accidental, was carefully planned and arranged by Him for a wise purpose long before hand. When, then, He had Mary to play so prominent a part in the performance of His first public miracle, He designed this to serve a special object, and to convey a wholesome lesson to us in every phase of it.
Above all, He wanted to honor Mary by working the first public miracle at her request. God is partial to and attaches a great deal of prominence to first fruits. In the Old Law He insisted on the first fruits of men, animals, fields, and gardens being offered to Him. They are particularly valuable in His sight. The miracles of Christ were to be the grandest events the world had ever seen or would ever see. The first public miracle of His was naturally to occupy a place of extraordinary eminence and impressiveness. Hence He dedicated it advisedly to His dear Mother, and had it to demonstrate, it seems, not so much His own infinite power over beings and non-beings, as Mary's quasi-infinite power over Him, the eternal God. Her irresistible maternal might over Him is more emphasized by the miracle than His own limitless power over creatures, actual and potential.
For Our Lady's sake Jesus anticipated, so to say, the schedule of His revelation of His divine power to the world. Speaking humanly, when He went as a guest to the wedding of Cana, He had no intention of working His first public miracle. He was not invited to the wedding, it seems, on His own account, but only because of His Mother. "The Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage" (John, 2,1,2).
"The wine failing, the Mother of Jesus said to Him: They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to Me and to thee? My hour is not yet come. His Mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye"., It appeared to be a mere accident that the wine failed at the wedding. It was foreordained by God, however, to set the state for the exhibition of Mary's power over Jesus.
Jesus, no doubt, noticed the failing of the wine as well as Mary did. He could have remedied it without her intervention and before she even took notice of it. But He wanted to be solicited by Mary to work the miracle to bring into relief her resistless power over Him on behalf of her clients.
Mary's request seemed to embarrass her Son. He was not yet ready to work His first public miracle. His program, given Him by His Father, did not call for it until a later time. His hour was not yet come. Moreover, the occasion did not seem big enough, and the call for relief did not seem urgent enough to warrant His first public miracle. He or, rather, His Father might have planned that He should work His first public miracle in a very conspicuous place and a much frequented theatre and in favor of a cause that had attracted or would attract nation-wide or world-wide attention: rather than in a small unknown village, at quite an ordinary occasion, before a group of people of little or no consequence in public life.
After all it was of very little moment whether the wine failed at the wedding or not. Besides, more wine could have been procured by natural means ready at hand, say from the neighbors or relatives or friends through purchase, donations, or loans. To requisition the divine power of Jesus, and the working of His first public miracle to remedy such an ordinary situation for which other remedies were easily and immediately available seemed to be on Mary's part - we are speaking humanly and with the greatest reverence - hardly a resonable and called for request. To save the nuptial couple from embarrassent she did not seem to mind embarrassing her Son, choosing, as it were, to embarrass Him rather than to let embarrassment come upon the couple. Now you know the Secret of Mary's Help and why Catholics have devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Her promise to the world..."in the end My Immaculate Heart will Triumph!
Ave Maria, full of grace . . . We lift our eyes to you . . . And pray that you will pray for us . . . For strength and spirit new . . . The wrongs that we have done . . . And all the sorrow and the grief . . . That we have caused Your Son . . . The Lord is with you, Mary dear . . . And you are far more blest . . . Than any other woman with . . . A baby at her breast . . . You are the Mother of our God . . . Our Lord and Saviour true . . . And no one else can pray to Him . . . As wonderfully as you . . . Please pray for us poor sinners now . . . Whom God has given breath . . . And pray for us, O Mary, at . . . The hour ofour death.
When Mary closed her loving eyes . . . In soft, departing sleep . . . Her body was not given to . . . The earth to hold and keep . . . She was not left to decompose . . . Beneath this common sod . . .But angels came to comfort her . . . And carry her to God . . . All Heaven then rejoiced in her . . . And sang her lasting praise . . . And she was reunited with . . . Her Son of earthly days . . . O Mother Mary, comfort us . . . And listen to our prayer . . . That in the Kingdom of your Son . . . Someday we too may share . . . That we may be united with . . . Our Saviour and Our Lord . . . And be forever happy in . . . His wonderful reward.verse above by James J. Metcalfe
SEPTEMBER. . . Month of Our Sorrowful Mother
"O all ye that pass by the way, attend,and see if there
be any sorrow like to my sorrow" (Lament., 1,12) After Mary had enjoyed the ineffable bliss of bearing the divine Child, of hearing the angels sing their carols in honor of their Sovereign's birth, of seeing the shepherds and the Magi adoring her Infant as God, she carried Jesus in the temple. There a most crushing sorrow awaited her. "And behold, there was in Jerusalem a man named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. And he came by inspiration of the Spirit into the temple. And when His parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the Law, he also received Him into his arms and blessed God, saying, 'Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word, in peace; because my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples: a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and a glory for thy people Israel.'
"Behold, this child is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."(Luke, 2,25 forward)
In the very beginning of her divine motherhood her heart was pierced by the dire foreboding communicated to her by these inspired words of the prophet, embittering, so to speak, in advance all the maternal joys her child might provide her with. In the divine babe, in the ravishing boy, in the inspiring youth, in the entrancing young man Who was her Son she was henceforth and constantly to see a future victim of man's utter inhumanity, perfidy, and cruelty. "There is no beauty in Him, nor comeliness: and we have seen Him. . . despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows." (Isaias, 53, 2,3)
All the caresses she gave and received from the divine Infant brought to her mind the bitter buffeting and scourging He was destined to be the victim of. His smiles of love at her and her loving smiles at Him were a forecast of the grins of hatred and grimaces of insult He was one day to be subjected to.
His face, a thousand times more beautiful than angels or archangels, she knew would end by being spit upon, disfigured, and distorted until it was barely recognizable anymore as the face of a human being. The cradle in which she rocked him with motherly devotion and pride she could not help visualizing as being converted into the cross, the hard and cold bed of supreme ignominy and excruciating torture.
The Rosary of Our Lady's Tears
Our Lords words to Sister Amalia on November 8, 1929 were: "My daughter, whatever I am asked through the tears of My Mother, I shall give lovingly." On March 8, 1930 the most Pure Mother stated: "Through this rosary the devil will be subdued and the power of Hell will be destroyed. Prepare yourself for this great combat." Today the devil has much power because we have forgotten sin and no longer believe that Satan exists.
the Rosary of Our Lady of Tears is seven groups of seven, the same form used for the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows. Each group of seven represents one of the SORROWS of Mary. INSTEAD OF THE CREED SAY: Crucified Jesus! We fall at Your feet and offer You the tears of her who with deep compassionate love accompanied You on Your sorrowful Way of the Cross. Grant, O Good Master, that we take to heart the lessons which the tears of Your most holy Mother teach us, so that we may fulfill Your holy will on earth, that we may be worthy to praise and exalt You in Heaven for all eternity.
INSTEAD OF THE OUR FATHER SAY three times: O Jesus, look upon the tears of her who loved You most on earth, and loves You most ardently in Heaven.
INSTEAD OF THE HAIL MARY, SAY: O Jesus, hear our prayers, for the sake of Your most holy Mother's tears.
CONCLUDE BY PRAYING O Mary, Mother of love, sorrow and mercy, we beg you to unite your prayers with ours so that Jesus, your Divine Son, to Whom we turn may hear our petitions in the name of your maternal tears and may give us in addition to the favors we ask, the crown of everlasting life. Amen.
THE ORIGIN OF THE CHAPLET This rosary or chaplet was revealed in 1929 and 1930, by Our Lord and His most holy Mother to Sister Amalia in Campina, Brazil, and was confirmed as supernatural by Bishop Campos Baretto, this rosary of Our Lady's Tears is NOT MEANT TO REPLACE THE TRADITIONAL ROSARY WE ALL LOVE AND PRAY DAILY.
Remember too, at LaSalette in 1846 an approved vision of the Church, Our Lady is pictured with tears.
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