July: Month of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

Thoughts of the Saints Regarding the Precious Blood of Jesus:

"I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God." 

--St. Albert the Great

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St. Catherine of Siena:

"Take caution to see priests only as the dispensers of the Blood of the humble, Immaculate Lamb and overlook the faults you may see in them. A priest is a man and therefore fallible and capable of making mistakes, but this does not prevent him from being the Anointed of the Lord, marked forever with the indelible sign and having the power to consecrate the Body of Christ and administer the sacraments and to preach to the people in the name of God."

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St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi:

 
“It is not as severed from Jesus' Sacred Body that the Precious Blood 
is now to be adored and offered, but as It is, at this moment, 
within the living Jesus, in heaven and in the Blessed Sacrament. 
Therefore, the soul that possesses the Precious Blood 
has everything and desires nothing more. 
The offering of the Precious Blood is of infinite efficacy. 
It begs remission for past sins or rather exacts it; 
It is a remedy against future sin; 
It returns thanks for all graces general or personal; 
It procures help from on high and brings comfort 
to the living and the dead. 
The practice of offering the Precious Blood is most pleasing to God; because, through It, He is glorified in the most sublime 
and excellent manner. 
As often as a creature offers the Precious Blood by which it was redeemed, it offers a gift of unequaled and infinite price." 

St. Gaspar del Bufalo, from Letter No. 57 to Countess Lucrezia Ginnasi, April 14, 1813
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"By the effusion of his holy blood, [he] has given so great efficacy and strength to the holy sacraments of his church, that when we receive any one of them, we shall be sprinkled and made clean by the virtue of his precious blood."

--St. John Fisher
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"He opened up for us in his most sacred wounds four founts, as St. Bernard says: a fount of mercy, a fount of peace, a fount of devotion, a fount of love and summons all to quench their thirst there" 
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St. John Chrysostom says "When you see the Lord immolated and lying upon the altar, and the priest bent over that sacrifice praying, and all the people empurpled by that precious blood, can you think that you are still among men and on earth? Or are you not lifted up to heaven?" 

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Prayer from the Racolta (188) Offering the Precious Blood 

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, in satisfaction for my sins, in supplication for the holy souls in Purgatory and for the needs of Holy Church [especially for the soul of (Name)]. 
  

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This Blood, when worthily received, drives away demons and puts them at a distance from us, and even summons to us angels and the Lord of angels. . . This Blood, poured out in abundance, has washed the whole world clean. . . This is the price of the world; by it Christ purchased the Church... This thought will check in us unruly passions. How long, in truth, shall we be attached to present things? How long shall we remain asleep? How long shall we not take thought for our own salvation? Let us remember what privileges God has bestowed on us, let us give thanks, let us glorify him, not only by faith, but also by our very works.

 -- St. John Chrysostom

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"I adore You, O Precious Blood of Jesus, flower of creation, fruit of virginity, ineffable instrument of the Holy Spirit, and I rejoice at the thought that You came from the drop of virginal blood on which eternal Love impressed its movement; You were assumed by the Word and deified in His person. I am overcome with emotion when I think of Your passing from the Blessed Virgin's heart into the heart of the Word, and, being vivified by the breath of the Divinity, becoming adorable because You became the Blood of God."

---St. Albert the Great

Activities for the Month of the Precious Blood

Catholic Cuisine has a file full of recipe ideas for the month of July,  and, though, I couldn't find anything specifically in honor of the Precious Blood online, I've been brainstorming, and find it's not at all difficult to come up with "feasting" ideas, from cookie-cutting sliced cranberry sauce into heart shapes, to making a heart shaped red-velvet cake, similar to a Sacred Heart cake, but emphasizing the droplets of blood, perhaps using jello-mold "droplets" on top.  

Aussie Annie has a host of ideas and activities for children for the month of the Precious Blood! Do run over and have a visit.  This reverent devotional, for instance, can be found at her blog, Under Her Starry Mantle:

Here is a lovely coloring page to print:

And another, more intricate one, for your hard core artists:

Prayers for Devotion to the Sacred Blood of Jesus

"O Sacred Blood,

that flowed so copiously seven times for my salvation, I love Thee, I

praise Thee, I adore Thee with the deepest feeling of gratitude! The purest fountain from which Thou didst flow makes Thy memory so sweet. O Precious Blood, with trumpet tones Thou speakest to me of the love of my God and Redeemer. How I deplore my coldness and indifference towards Thee! Now, at last, I wish to return love for love, blood for blood, if necessary. As often as my pulse beats, it shall greet Thee, Thou sweet Guest of my soul, and shall return to the arteries warmed and purified by Thy love. As long as the blood courses through my veins, it shall flow only for love of Thee; it shall circulate only for Thy interests and it shall turn cold and stand still only because I am about to love Thee in eternity. Oh, let this stream of Thy love flow through every heart and inebriate it with holy joy!

My dearest Mother Mary, I beseech Thee with confidence, obtain for me, although thy unworthy child, the blessing of God the Father, by covering me with the merits of thy Son Jesus, that I may regain my eternal birthright in Heaven. Clothe me every evening, Sweet Lady of Mt. Carmel, but especially on the eve of my life, with the "Dyed Garments" of the Precious Blood. Amen."

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us. 

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, save us.

Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, save us.

Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, save us.

Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in Agony, save us.

Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us.

Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us.

Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us.

Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us.

Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us.

Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us.

Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us.

Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us.

Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, save us.

Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us.

Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, save us.

Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us.

Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us.

Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us.

Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us.

Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us.

Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.

Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us.

Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us.

Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us.

Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood. And made us, for our God, a kingdom.

Let us pray.

Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Latin version can be found here.

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite this litany, which is approved for either private or public use.

Oh, Precious Blood of Jesus,

Be my salvation!