In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul declared, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath.”
Through the bloody death of Christ, we sinners were saved. The blood he spilled became the blood that redeemed. And so we ponder that truth during the month of July, as it is dedicated to the precious blood of Christ.
This is a month to contemplate the sacrifice that Christ made when he endured mockery, beatings, a crown of thorns, nails driven through his body, and a sword that pierced his side. He allowed his blood to be spilled so that we may live, filled with his divine life.
What an incredible gift! It’s one that we are certainly not worthy of. Yet he freely gave it to us anyway. Why? Because he loves us. It’s as simple as that. Each one of us matters to God.
That knowledge should fill our hearts with immense joy.
Though it is painful, take a few minutes to truly ponder our Lord on the cross. Picture his battered body hanging like a criminal, blood dripping down his face, pouring from his side and his hands and feet. It must have been a gruesome sight.
Understanding this, in 96 AD, St. Clement I said, “Let us fix our gaze on the blood of Christ and realize how truly precious it is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world.”
Christ endured that pain for you, for me, for everyone who has lived and who will ever live. He died so that we might live for eternity with him.
So this July, let us heed St. Clement’s words and fix our gaze on the blood of Christ. Let us contemplate how truly precious it is.
And as we do so, let us also think about the innocent blood spilled every day in abortuaries around the world. Tiny babies, slaughtered because of their mere existence, cry out for justice. They too are like lambs slaughtered. Like Christ, these babies were innocent and did not deserve the death sentence. They did nothing to deserve to be ripped apart, starved, or soaked with deadly chemicals.
Over 2,000 years ago, Pontius Pilate washed his hands of the innocent blood he was about to spill. Abortionists are the Pontius Pilates of today. They, too, have the blood of the innocent on their hands. They betray and kill goodness. And though they wash their hands after their deadly acts, they cannot wash away the stain of their sin. They cannot erase a life barely lived or make us forget that a baby once existed.
Every baby who has died in an abortion will be remembered by someone forever.
So as we focus this month on Christ’s precious blood, let us also remember today’s innocents whose blood is spilled out of fear, out of indifference, or out of pure hatred. Pray for the moms who feel they have no other choice. Pray for the babies who are threatened with death. And pray for a conversion of heart for the abortionists, whose hearts have been hardened by a culture of death and who don’t understand that shedding innocent blood is one of the most heinous acts imaginable.
The reason that the Son, the Word of God, became man—that he shed his blood—is to redeem us. No one is beyond redemption.
And as we pray, let us reflect on the words of St. Thomas Aquinas: “Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran, blood whereof a single drop has the power to win all the world forgiveness of its world of sin.”
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This is an apocalyptic holocaust. The most vile, most hideous, most revolting event in human history.
Thank you, Susan, for remembering our precious babies.
More than a billion gone around the world over the past half century.
That’s as if America were completely wiped out.
Three times.
Babies who were unformed. Unmourned. Unnoticed.
And Catholics are completely responsible for all of it.
All. Of. It.
Because our Church leaders have tolerated the killing.
Because half of us insist on voting for the political death cult responsible for this unutterable slaughter.
If all of us had voted our faith — if we’d voted for life — in even one national election over those fifty years, abortion would be finished. Because the death cult would have been wiped out at the polls.
And no candidate would ever again advocate for pre-natal murder for fear of losing by 20 points.
Think of the cutest, sweetest, funniest baby you’ve ever known.
And then multiply her by more than one billion.
America is the most evil nation that has ever existed.
And abortion is the eighth sacrament of the American Catholic Church.
May God have mercy on our souls.
I only disagree with half of what you said.
If ALL AMERICAN CATHOLICS had voted with a pro-life stance as a MINIMUM qualification, it would have changed more than the one party you have in mind. It would have changed BOTH major parties. As a former Baptist, I’ll call them out, too; they also needed to vote with the light given them.
As it is, the first Catholic president was a well-known adulterer; the second officiated a “gay marriage.”
May God have mercy on us! We are more than usually in need of mercy!
Praying for a homeless man doesn’t give him food. He needs alms.
Abortion is a mortal sin that cries out to Heaven for justice. Justice typically comes from the actions of humans.
The Three Days of Darkness has been prophesied. There are those who eagerly await the cleansing of the Earth of sinners. It is doubtful that more than 25% of the population of the world deserves to escape destruction.
I suspect that THIS IS THE 3 DAYS OF DARKNESS. It is more about wisdom and culpable knowledge than about the retina.
Each of us above, say, 30, have much to be forgiven for. We were adults, but we made no difference.
“There are those who eagerly await the cleansing of the Earth of sinners.” AKA “fools” and “pharisess”, who do not acknowledge their own sins, and who are therefore unrepentant.
A beautiful column!
I present also for the scrutiny of God through the Precious Blood of Jesus, the cabal that deviously presents accommodations among different types of abortion and like legalisms for muddling through as the only thing anyone could possibly do, lead or follow.
Beautiful article , Ms Susan Ciancio, reminding readers about Jesus shedding His Precious Blood (celebrated this July) for each of us for our sins. Terrible but true reality of myriad innocent babies’ blood shed from abortions.
Very important to pray Holy Rosary Mysteries for conversions (like Abby Johnson)! And for conversions and changes of minds and hearts from transgender ideology lies and surgeries also bloodying/mutilating children of God by same demonic practitioners. And we can offer Adoration prayers and sacrifices esp Wed, Friday, and Saturday.
Glad to read so many like-minded replies. Happy to be in The Ark with ye, Body of Christ/Catholic “Maties”! HEB 6 speaks of “Hope in Christ who is our anchor ⚓️“