Chapter IX: Part 9

In the Heart of Jesus we live, and move, and have our being. O Jesus, Thy care of me is so wise and gentle, that nothing can harm me so long as I leave myself in Thy hands. I know the trials which Thou sendest me are irksome, that my passions goad me on to rise up against Thee, and the demon also whispers in my ear, “Thou hast Jesus no longer, He has abandoned thee for aye.” But no, never will I lose my hope in Thee; I shall not be affrighted; remembering the loving lessons Thy Heart has taught me, I will fear no evils. Too powerful in the strength, my God, that comes to me from the assurance that Thou, sweet Love, rulest my life and art a sharer in all my sorrow. No, I will not fear, for Thou art with me. With Jesus, my God, by my side, my hope acquires new strength. I have with me a Father Who loves me and Who is ever intent on blessing me. My eyes behold Thee not, yet through the wondrous agency of Thy grace, Thou art near to me at every place and at every moment. Be Thou then, sweet Jesus, my comforter, my delight, my crown. My senses will murmur, it is true, my passions will arise in rebellion, but fortified by Thy grace and strength, I will fight against sin with a fortitude invincible. Aid me then, O divine Heart, for Thou art my only hope. Let me rest and repose on Thy bosom and forget my wanderings. Let me learn that there and there only, I am in my true home, where alone I can be happy.

Prayer.

O most compassionate Jesus! Thou alone art our salvation, our life and our resurrection. We implore Thee, therefore, do not forsake us in our needs and afflictions, but by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart and by the sorrows of Thy immaculate Mother, succor Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy most precious blood. Amen.

Twenty‐eighth Day. All Graces Come from the Heart of Jesus.

All virtues are found in the Heart of Jesus. His Heart is the furnace of divine love, always burning with the fire of the Holy Spirit, purifying, kindling, and transforming into Himself all who yield themselves to Him, or who wish to be His. “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.” I will extol Thee, O God, my King, and I will bless Thy name forever. Since all good flows from Thy most sweet Heart, O Jesus, I should not attribute to myself anything of the good I may have done, nor regard with self‐ satisfaction the gifts of God, but ascribe all to Him, and return all to their original source, which is the Heart of Jesus. Place all your sins in the Heart of Jesus. Through that Heart you should ask for grace and pardon, and praise and bless Him for all His mercies. I acknowledge, O my God, Thy supreme dominion over me, and all created things. I bow down before Thy infinite sanctity, perfection and excellence, which entitle Thee to the fullest love, service, and praise of all Thy creatures. In Thy presence I protest my detestation of my countless sins, with which I have outraged Thy love, and deeply repentant, I implore of Thee a full pardon. Open wide Thy Heart of love, and let stream on my heart all the full sympathy of Thine. I know Thou canst not trust me, as I am ever prone to break my word and betray Thee. Hence I need all Thy care, all Thy grace to persevere in the good resolutions Thou formest in my soul. O sweet Virgin Mother of my Jesus, help me to praise and bless the Lord for all the benefits He has bestowed on me, and for all those He will grant for all eternity.

Prayer.

My sweet Jesus, I give Thee my soul, my body, and my will, resigning myself in all and forever to Thy most holy grace. Do with me what Thou pleasest. Make me ever love Thee in this life and in the next; do this, and then dispose of me and of everything I have as Thou wilt. Tell me what Thou askest of me; for with Thy grace I will execute it, be it what it may. Amen.

Twenty‐ninth Day. The Heart of Jesus the Source of Sanctity.

This adorable Heart offers to us at once the motive, the example, and the grace of holiness. What could be more of an incentive to keep ourselves from sin, than the remembrance of Our Lord’s Sacred Heart, which was saddened by sin to such an excess as to cause His sacred body to sweat drops of blood? What more calculated to inspire us with zeal for our sanctification than the study of this Heart, which calls us to it with so much love, and by so many sacrifices? St. Bernardin of Sienna speaks of this divine Heart as a furnace of the most ardent love, capable of setting the whole world on fire. We find in the Heart of Jesus the grace of holiness, for as Blessed Margaret Mary says, “Nothing is better calculated to raise the soul in a very short time to the loftiest degree of holiness than devotion to this dear Heart.” She also says that those who labor for the salvation of souls will find in this devotion the gift of touching the hardest heart. It is because this divine Heart is the throne whereon mercy is seated, that invocations made to it are never in vain. It is the strong tower against which all temptations are powerless. It is the source of all benedictions. Oh, we should love with all our strength the amiable Heart of Jesus, no matter what it may cost us! We should sanctify ourselves at any cost, and to do this we should love and burn incessantly in the furnace of the pure love of God, which will purify and sanctify us at one and the same time. Let us, then, abandon ourselves into the hands of God, and we shall soon see that He will employ every means to make us perfect. He who loves perfectly makes no resistance. My Jesus, take unto Thee my heart; I give myself wholly to Thee. May I ever be scrupulously faithful and unflinchingly constant in loving Thee, this day and every day of my whole life.

Prayer.

O beloved One of my soul, would that I had always loved Thee! Alas, there was a time when I not only did not love Thee, but despised Thy grace and Thy love. I am consoled by the sorrow which I feel for it, and I hope for pardon through Thy promise to forgive him that repents of his sins. To Thee, O my Saviour, do I turn all my affections; help me, through the merits of Thy Passion, to love Thee with my whole strength. Amen.

Thirtieth Day. The Heart of Jesus in Holy Communion.

Oh, how shall I dare to approach Thy heavenly banquet, that mystery which is the greatest and most stupendous work of even Thy almighty love? that banquet of which the noblest and purest spirits are in no sense truly worthy? Yet I feel myself comforted, when I read in Thy Gospel that Thou sendest forth Thy servants in quest of the poor, the blind, the lame, and the wretched, to invite them to Thy bounteous feast divine. O goodness of God! O Heart of Jesus, truly loving art Thou, and truly worthy of all love. Not only willingly, but eagerly do I accept Thy sweet and merciful invitation. What a consolation to be allowed to enjoy the loving embraces of the divine Spouse of my soul! As the hart panteth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after Thee, O God. Oh, come then, Heart of my Jesus, come to Thy poor servant. I desire to tell Thee all my needs, to protest to Thee my love, to clasp Thee to me. Come, and as Thou enterest my heart, let me hear Thy sweet, consoling words, “Peace be to thee.” Oh, fortify me with Thy light and strength, that I may no more lose Thee or drive Thee from me. But as long as I live, I am in danger—my resolution may become weak and I may betray Thee as I have done before. O Love unbounded, do Thou help me; from Thee and from Thy Heart, I hope all good. Let not that hope grow weak at any time, nor waver for a single instant. This I implore of Thee through the same love which has made Thee remain with us day and night, and which has induced Thee to give Thyself for our food in the Blessed Sacrament.

Prayer.

Remember, O most loving Jesus, that it is unheard of that any one ever had recourse to Thy Sacred Heart, implored its help without obtaining relief. Confiding in Thy infinite goodness and mercy we cast ourselves before Thee, and do most humbly supplicate Thee to hear our prayers, and to take upon Thyself the care of our salvation. Show, divine Jesus, that Thou hast the Heart of the best of Fathers. Shelter us therein, and let it not be said that we have perished, where no one ever found but mercy, grace and salvation. Amen.

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

(_For Private Devotion Only._)

Lord, have mercy on us. _Christ, have mercy on us._ Lord, have mercy on us. 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 Ghost, _Have mercy on us._ Holy Trinity one God, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, hypostatically united with the Word of God, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, sanctuary of the divinity, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, temple of the Holy Trinity, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, abyss of wisdom, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, ocean of goodness, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, throne of mercy, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, treasure inexhaustible, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, whose plenitude is diffused in us, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, model of all virtues, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, infinitely amiable and most worthy of being loved, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, fountain of living water springing up to eternal life, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, love of the celestial Father, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, atonement for our sins, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, full of bitterness for our sakes, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, sad unto death in the Garden, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, wrung with ignominy, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, wounded from love, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, drained of Thy blood on the cross, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, broken with grief on account of our sins, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, still outraged by ungrateful men in the Most Holy Sacrament of love, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, refuge of sinners, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, strength of the weak, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, comfort of the afflicted, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, perseverance of the just, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, sweet support of Thy adorers, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, delight of all the saints, _Have mercy on us._ Heart of Jesus, help in our afflictions, _Have mercy on us._ Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Spare us, O Jesus!_ Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Hear us, O Jesus!_ Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, _Have mercy on us, O Jesus!_ Christ, hear us. _Christ, graciously hear us._

_V._ Jesus, meek and humble of Heart.

_R._ Make my heart like unto Thine.

_Let Us Pray._

O Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, cast Thine eyes upon Thy beloved Son; accept, we beseech Thee, the satisfaction He offers Thee; be appeased by His divine homage, and mercifully protect us, through the same Christ, Thy Son, Who, being God, livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Mass in Union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Introibo.

O divine Jesus, Thou art the Victim laden with all the iniquities of the world: Thou didst shed bitter tears for them; Thou didst expiate them by the most dreadful torments, and by the most cruel of deaths. I come to mingle my tears with Thine; I confess to Thee, in the presence of Mary, ever Virgin, and of all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly; that it is my ingratitude that pierced Thy Heart, and put Thee to a cruel death. O God, my Saviour, through Thy tears, through Thy agony in the Garden of Olives, through Thy precious blood and the wound in Thy Sacred Heart, I beseech Thee to pardon me, and to grant me the remission of all my sins. Amen.

Introit.

Let us adore the Heart of Jesus, which has loved us so much; let us prostrate ourselves before Him, and bewail the sins of which we have been guilty. Grant us, O Lord, a contrite and humble heart; let the homage of our adoration be as acceptable to Thee as if we offered Thee thousands of victims. Amen.

Kyrie.

The days of propitiation have arisen upon me; I may call Thee by Thy name, O God of majesty; I may call Thee my Saviour and my Father. Thou art present on our altars, that Thou mayest heap Thy favors upon us. I will draw nigh, therefore, with confidence unto the throne of mercy, and I will say unto Thee: Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. Amen.

Gloria.

Glory be to God, Whose justice is satisfied by the perpetual sacrifice of so noble a Victim. Peace and happiness on earth to men of good‐will, who behold a God annihilating Himself daily to save them, and to feed them with His own substance. I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I adore Thee, O Lord, and I stand amazed at the sight of the wonders of Thy love. Shall I suffer them to be of no avail to me through the evil dispositions of my heart? Shall I reject that peace which Thou offerest me? Shall I not labor to acquire that good‐will by which it comes? O my God, allay the strife which is so often excited in my heart, making the flesh rebel against the spirit. Amen.

Collect.

O Divine Jesus, inexhaustible fountain of all good things, open unto us, we beseech Thee, the interior of Thy Heart: that, having entered by pious meditation into this august sanctuary of divine love, we may fix forever there our hearts, as the place wherein is found the treasure, rest and happiness of holy souls; Who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

Epistle.

“Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewed her out seven pillars. She hath slain her victims, mingled her wine, and set forth her table. She hath sent her maids to invite to the tower, and to the walls of the city: Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me. And to the unwise she said: Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you. Forsake childishness, and live, and walk by the ways of prudence” (Prov. ix. 1‐6).

Gospel.

Praise, honor, and glory be to Thee, O Jesus, Saviour of the world! Who, thirsting for the salvation of souls, didst endure for them so much labor and fatigue; Who for their sakes didst pass entire nights in prayer, and didst weary Thyself going from city to city, from village to village. Grant, I implore Thee, that Thy love may also make me prompt and apt in every good work, and that I may never grow tepid in Thy service. Help me to know and practise the holy counsels contained in Thy Gospel, and grant above all that I may penetrate the divine wisdom contained in Thy words: “If any man will come after Me, let him take up his cross and follow Me.”

Credo.

I believe, O my God, the truths which Thou hast revealed to Thy Church. I desire to live and die in this faith. Grant, O Lord, that my life may be conformable to my faith; that my faith may be animated by good works; that I may never be ashamed to declare myself a Catholic, and may constantly maintain the interests of Thy holy religion. O holy Roman Catholic Church, the persecutions which thou hast endured, far from weakening my faith, do but strengthen it the more, since thy divine Spouse foretold them. Sweet Heart of Jesus, draw close the bonds that bind me to Thy holy Church; put into my heart a spirit of perfect obedience to my lawful pastors. In its bosom I became Thy child, and in its bosom I wish to live and die. Amen.

Offertory.

O Jesus, we draw near with confidence to Thy sweet Heart: cast upon us, we beseech Thee, a look of pity, and make our hearts a perpetual offering consecrated to Thy glory. O Heart of infinite goodness, I offer Thee my heart; vouchsafe to change it, to bless and sanctify it. O my soul, how Jesus Christ hath loved us! At what a price He hath redeemed us! Not with gold, nor with riches, but by the voluntary shedding of His blood. He hath sacrificed Himself for us: let us then live only for Him; let us sacrifice ourselves together with Him. But, O my God, my heart is not full enough of love and fervor to be an offering worthy of Thee. What then shall I give Thee? I will give Thee Thy Son. That Son, the most worthy object of Thy complacency, will supply my inability. O Lord, look not on me, but on this divine offering. Amen.

Preface.

Lift up, O Lord, do Thou Thyself lift up my heart to Thee. Take from it all unholy thoughts, all earthly affections. Lift it wholly up to heaven, where Thy Heart is worthily adored, and to the altar, where it is about to manifest itself to me. Through Thy most kind Heart, I beseech Thee to draw my heart wholly into Thine. Bury it in Thine, so that it may be so absorbed into and united to Thy Heart, that I may no longer have any heart but Thine. Suffer me, then, to join my feeble voice with the voices of all the heavenly spirits, and in union with them to say, in transports of joy and admiration: Holy, holy, holy is the Heart of Jesus! the worthy object of the divine complacency, and of the homage of heaven and earth! The whole earth is full of Thy glory; let my heart be full also of its love. Amen.

Canon.

O God infinitely holy, if my sins provoke Thee, and make me hateful in Thy sight, look upon the Lamb without spot, Who is going to immolate Himself to take away the sins of the world, and beholding His merits, remember not my ingratitude. Remember only that I have been graciously admitted into the Heart of Thy divine Son. This Heart infinitely merciful prayed for me on Calvary, and will soon renew the sacrifice of itself for me. O my sweet Jesus, how many times have I sinned against Thee? How many times have I despised the interior graces Thou hast bestowed upon me? Oh, how earnestly I now desire a perfect contrition, equal to the greatness of the love that I have offended. But, since it is impossible for my sorrow to equal Thy goodness towards me, I offer the loving contrition of the Heart of my Lord Jesus Christ to supply my insufficiency. Amen.

Consecration.

O my soul, behold thy God, thy Saviour, thy Judge! My God, I adore Thee! My Saviour, I love Thee! My sovereign Judge, I am sorry for ever having offended Thee! O Heart of my Jesus, Whom I believe to be here really present, suffer me not to be separated from Thee during life. Grant that my heart may ever find repose in Thine, that I may die in Thy love, and thus go to contemplate and praise Thee for all eternity. Amen.

After The Consecration.

The heavens are opened: the Holy of holies has descended on the earth: this altar is now the throne where dwells the majesty of the Most High; the angels surround Him, and with the most lively homage of reverence and love, make reparation to Him for the contempt, the neglect, and the indifference of men. O divine Lord, I lay all my petitions at Thy feet; vouchsafe to present them to Thy Father. I pray for the conversion of sinners, the perseverance of the just, and the triumph of our holy religion. O Jesus, Who didst die for all men, bring back to the fold of Thy Church those who are separated from it. Enlighten all infidels and heretics, bless the efforts of those who labor to convert them. Have pity on the souls of the faithful departed; remit to them their debts, and grant them a place of refreshment, light, and peace. I beseech Thee particularly to have compassion on (_name them_).

Pater Noster.

O my Father, if it be permitted that a guilty child call by so tender a name a God Whom he hath so often offended, grant that I may ever labor for the glory of Thy holy name, that in all things I may do Thy will, and sigh unceasingly for Thy heavenly kingdom. Let the forgiveness which Thou didst grant Thy murderers be my example in forgiving those who have injured me: give me superiors, both spiritual and temporal, that love Thee, and friends that serve Thee faithfully; and if ever I expose myself to sin, do Thou deliver me from the danger, that I may never outrage Thy loving Heart. Amen.

Agnus Dei.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world! Pure and spotless Victim, Who alone canst satisfy the justice of an offended God, vouchsafe to make me a partaker of the merits of Thy sacrifice! What lessons of humility, meekness, charity and patience dost Thou give me! Impress these virtues upon my heart, that it may be to Thee a pleasant habitation, wherein Thou mayest repose, as in an abode of peace. Amen.

Communion.

O Christ, mighty Lord, most sweet Jesus, my strength and my refuge, defender of my soul, God of my salvation! O Thou in Whom I believe and hope, Thou Whom I love, behold I draw near to Thy throne of grace, I knock at the door of Thy mercy, and beseech Thee to open it for me. Thou Who didst promise entrance into paradise to the penitent thief, bring me, through the most holy wound of Thy side, to the centre of Thy breast, and let me drink at the fountain of wisdom that flows from Thy Heart. O God of infinite mercy, receive me, enclose me, hide me in the bosom of Thy mercy. Amen.

After Communion.

I have found Him Whom my soul loveth: I possess Him, and will nevermore leave Him. What have I to desire in heaven, and what can I henceforth love upon earth, but Thee, O my God, the God of my heart! O most loving Jesus, were it possible, I would fain praise Thee as perfectly, love Thee as ardently, serve Thee as faithfully, please Thee as completely, and contribute to Thy glory as efficiently as do all angels and men collectively and as each one does in particular. O most merciful Lord, God of holiness, vouchsafe to cleanse my heart from all self‐love and all sinful affections. Make it a pleasing abode for Thee. Let it become like unto Thy Heart, that Thou mayest delight to dwell in it forever. Amen.

Benediction.

O loving Heart of Jesus, I will not depart till Thou hast blessed me. Bless me in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost! and let Thy blessing descend upon all those for whom I ought to pray. Amen.

Last Gospel.

O eternal Word, Who wast made man that Thou mightest make men the children of God, I thank Thee for this unspeakable grace. How great is the blessing I enjoy, not only of hearing the name, but of being indeed the child of God! Grant, O my sweet Jesus, that I may preserve this blessed title, by faithfully imitating Thy Sacred Heart, and showing myself always filled with love for Thy holy law. If I remain faithful Thou assurest me that I shall be co‐heir with Thee, and shall enjoy the happiness which Thou hast purchased for us with Thy precious blood: and this I hope to obtain through Thy infinite mercy. Amen.

After Mass.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me: Body of Christ, save me: Blood of Christ, inebriate me: Water from the side of Christ, wash me: Passion of Christ, strengthen me: O good Jesus, hear me: Within Thy wounds hide me: Permit me not to be separated from Thee. From the malignant enemy defend me: In the hour of my death call me, And bid me come to Thee; That, with Thy saints, I may praise Thee Forever and ever. Amen.

JULY. THE PRECIOUS BLOOD.

Our Lord shed His blood for our ransom, to buy us from the slavery of the devil and of sin. Not one drop of blood did He reserve for Himself; He shed it all most generously in our behalf. He was the Lamb of God without blemish, Who, according to God’s designs for the redemption of mankind, was to be sacrificed. His blood was to be shed on the cross; from five great wounds it was to flow upon the earth, like the sacrifices of the Old Testament. These sufferings were precious in the sight of God, the Father, and gained for us the remission of our sins, the ransom from the slavery of Satan. Every drop of this blood was all powerful, because it represented the sacrifice of a God‐man.

How precious are those drops of blood in the chalice on the altar at Mass, when the sacred blood of Christ is offered daily to God for our salvation! How we desire to drink that blood, that we may have life in us, for the Lord has said, “Unless you drink of My blood, you shall not have life in you.” How this blood flowed in the Garden of Gethsemani, at the scourging, at the crowning with thorns, and at the crucifixion! Precious blood of my Jesus, I adore thee; pour thyself over my soul that I may be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Considerations and Prayers for Every Day.

First Day.

Unhappy mankind was bound in the slavery and tyranny of Satan, in the shadow of death, without being able to free itself. Jesus, the Victor over death and hell, came into the world to destroy the kingdom of the prince of darkness, and to set the human race free, so that it might look up once more to God the Father. This great work, so beneficial to our souls, was effected by the shedding of the blood of Christ at the circumcision, and the completion of the sacrifice when He shed the last drop of His blood on the cross. In this sacred blood we have received the power to co‐operate with the graces of God, which are to free us; for certainly we must do something on our part to keep this newly‐acquired privilege of children of God. Let us, then, feel in our hearts the necessity of a devotion to the precious blood of Our Lord, the cause of our salvation; and continue during this month of July to adore it, and to conceive an unbounded confidence in the almighty power of its intercession.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood of Jesus in satisfaction for my sins, and for the wants of holy Church. Blessed be the precious blood of Jesus, which renders bearable the thorns of earth, redeems our souls, purifies them from their iniquities, and prepares for them an eternal crown. Amen.

Second Day.

When Constantine had become a Christian, he found himself confronted by many enemies of his kingdom, and of our holy religion. He was told to have confidence in the cross, because in this sign “Thou shalt conquer.” We, too, will conquer by this sacred symbol of our salvation, stained with the blood of Our Lord; we, too, have the enemies of our liberty and religion before us; we have to fight against the world, that is full of deceits and vanities; we have to make war against the flesh, that rises frequently against the spirit; we have to fight against the prince of darkness, that goes about like a roaring lion seeking to tear us to pieces. Yes, my dear Jesus, I see that my enemies have great power and activity; give me also the power and activity to oppose my will and intellect against them, so that I may conquer. Thou didst come upon the earth for the purpose of giving me this victory; let me not be conquered and led back into slavery.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Third Day.

We come to understand the value of our soul from the price which was paid for its ransom. When you wish to purchase a precious gem, you judge of its value from its cost. We must judge of the value of our souls, then, by the same standard. It cost the precious blood of Jesus Christ to purchase our souls. Christ would have given it for the possession of only one soul; for even one soul is the likeness of God. The price that is asked for its possession is nothing less than the life and blood of a God‐man. Think, then, seriously, that all the goods of the world, its riches, honors, and comforts, are not precious enough to buy your soul; that if you gain these things by the loss of your soul you have gained nothing; that you have been deceived and cheated, and that you got the worst of the bargain. “For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world and to lose his own soul?” You are sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb of God. Even one drop of this blood would be sufficient to redeem mankind, it is so precious in the sight of God the Father, to Whom it is offered.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Fourth Day.

O my soul, where will the thorns, the nails, the cross, the death and blood of your own martyrdom be, when you are asked how you co‐operated with the saving power of the blood of Christ? when you have to show what you have done on your part? Jesus suffered so much for us, and we do nothing for His love. Are you going to heaven without prayer, without mortification of the flesh and your passions, without the practise of virtue? The salvation of Christ, instead of being a help to you, will become the source of your damnation. The Israelites, crossing the dried bed of the Red Sea in their flight from the Egyptians, found their liberation, while the Egyptians met with their destruction. So also we shall be happily found and brought to heaven if we apply to our souls the blood of Christ, while we will find ourselves condemned to eternal perdition if we abuse that adorable gift. O my Jesus, let me appreciate the great gift of Thy precious blood.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Fifth Day.

Since Almighty God has done so much for us through the sufferings of His divine Son, what are our obligations for all that Christ endured? We should think very much during this month on the great mercy of God. We have already meditated on the Passion of Christ during Lent, and on other occasions have thought of the shedding of the blood of Christ; but this month, especially, we will try to make a particular devotion of our dear Lord’s precious blood, and engrave holy sentiments regarding it deeply on our souls. In everything that concerns the spiritual life we feel the power of the blood of Christ; and when we are thoroughly imbued with the importance of the precious value of the sacred blood, and how great were the sufferings of Our Lord, we will begin to have an idea of how stupendous an undertaking our redemption was. Our Lord will visit with special blessings those who love and honor His sacred blood. You will feel a new life from this sacred blood coursing through your veins, and circulating in your heart and brain. It will give a life of spiritual energy.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Sixth Day.

We ought to imitate the virtues of the Heart of Jesus, from which His sacred blood flowed; and this imitation will produce in us a perfect purity. For what purpose has the sacred blood been offered but to cleanse us from sin and to bring us back to the love of God? It preserves purity in our soul, because it gives us the grace of loving God, and gives us strength to say, “I feel within me the energy of the divine blood; and I am ready to make every sacrifice with joy, in return for the one perfect and all‐sufficient sacrifice which has been made for me.” The nearer we are to the Sacred Heart, and to the influences of the sacred blood of Christ, the fountain of all grace, the more holy we become. Let us then love the virtues which shine so conspicuously in the Heart of Jesus. Let us be generous with God and gentle and indulgent with others, as a reflection of the charity of the Heart of Jesus.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Seventh Day.

The precious blood obtains the forgiveness of our sins. Then with what great eagerness should we seek for this pardon! In what an unhappy state is our soul when stained by sin! By sin death came into the world and into our heart. We were robbed of the grace of God, lost His friendship, and came under the dominion of Satan, which is worse than death, and of which it is true that “it were better we had not been born.” In all this wreck and misfortune there is but one object to which we can turn, and that is the sacred blood of Christ as it flows from His wounds, and which He offers to the Almighty to condone for our faults, and to restore us to the grace of God. We do not get immunity from corporal death, which they say mankind would have enjoyed had it not fallen by the sin of our first parents. We are still afflicted by frailty, ignorance, and the inordinate demands of passion; but we have received the greatest gift, which cannot be surpassed by any other: the gift of the sacred blood of Christ.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Eighth Day.

The only thing that is asked of us is a horror of sin. We renounced Satan, sin, and hell at our baptism, but we are only too apt to forget the promises made then. During this month we will recall to ourselves our duty, and impress it deeply upon our souls; we will avoid sin and look upon it with horror, for it is a most loathsome object, hateful to God, and consequently it ought to be hateful to us. Sin was punished in the angels, in Adam, and even in ourselves; we must convince ourselves of this truth. St. Paul says, “Jesus has redeemed us with His blood,” and for the destruction of sin has given inexhaustible treasures of grace. O my dear Jesus, when I remember my sins, I would wish to have the courage to ask Thee that I might die at Thy feet in punishment for them; but at least make me really understand that I belong to God, to the angels, that I have renounced Satan, his demons and darkness, and that I must remain faithful to the part I have chosen.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Ninth Day.

If we trust in the efficacy of the precious blood, we are sure to remain in the state of redemption, even though severe temptations assail us. The devil will surely attack us; but let us not be dismayed, because we are fortified with supernatural strength by the merits of the blood of Jesus. These temptations will even be a source of glory to us, for St. James says, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life.”—Jas. i. 12. The devil trembles before a soul that is protected by Christ; he flies because he knows that there he will find no human weakness. Remember the Jewish Passover, which was instituted in commemoration of the plague in Egypt: every first‐born son was to die on that night, unless the blood of the Lamb was sprinkled on the door‐posts; so also will the devil pass the house of our soul, when he finds the blood of the Lamb of God used as a protection. Yes, my dear Jesus, I know that when I am washed in Thy divine blood in the Sacrament of Penance, or when strengthened by the drinking of Thy blood in holy communion, the tempter flies from me because he knows he will be defeated.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Tenth Day.

Sin brings great sorrow and misfortune to a soul. As sin brought all trouble into the world, so it repeats itself in our souls. Have we not heard of the wages of sin? No sooner have we revolted against the law of God than all the unruly passions of our souls are let loose. Incessant demands are made on our ingenuity to seek for occasions of gratifying our appetites; ambition, vanity, and pride spur us on to every excess. You can well imagine that in such a soul there is no peace nor happiness. God rises in anger against the sinner, the world even strikes us down; we have the sign of Cain on our forehead, and all nature is at enmity with us. Where can you find peace for your soul but in Jesus, the Prince of peace?—Who takes us up and leads us to God, where the past is forgotten and innocence reigns once more in our hearts. Let us preserve this peace by a virtuous life, and by observing the Commandments of God. Let us also keep peace with our neighbor; let us love him because he is our brother, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Eleventh Day.

If our heart is to preserve the true, interior peace of God, we must approach the Lord Jesus with the cross, and with the blood that falls on us beneath the cross we must wash away the stains of sin. St. Francisca of Rome had a vision in which she saw many chains issuing from the wounds of Our Lord’s sacred body, and these went out to a multitude of souls and bound them to the Redeemer. She understood that in this attachment was the peace, the happiness, and the victory of many who otherwise would have perished. Let us look for the particular chain intended for us, as we can thereby bind ourselves to the contemplation of the Passion, in which we shall find peace and comfort as long as we remain faithful. Heavenly Father, I offer to Thee, for Thy glory and my salvation, the blood of Jesus; let me appreciate its value in its fulness. Thou, my Jesus, seest the many dangers by which I am surrounded, and as Thou didst at one time command the winds to cease and the waves of the stormy sea to be calm, so watch over me that I may find peace in Thy service and be attached to Thee out of love for that peace which Thou alone canst give.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Twelfth Day.

Our Lord had a great desire to gain our souls. He made it easy for us to approach His sacred wounds, from whence the blood flowed. He instituted the Blessed Sacrament for our nourishment; speaking of this sacred blood, He said: “Drink ye all of this; this is My blood; and if any thirst let him come to Me and I will give him to drink.” The sacraments are nothing but channels by which the blood of Christ is conveyed to our souls. It was the Passion and sufferings of Christ that gave the sacraments their efficacy. The water of Baptism becomes, as it were, the blood of Christ; the penitential accusation is carried to the presence of the Lord Himself, and by the mouth of the priest He speaks the absolution; the blood of Christ is in reality in the Holy Eucharist. Confirmation makes us strong Christians, because the blood of Christ is there, and the Spirit of God comes to complete the work of Jesus. What is Extreme Unction but the application of the blood of Christ to the sick, that they may become strong?

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Thirteenth Day.

St. Bernard says of the blood of Christ: “that it is like a trumpet that calls for mercy; it is a voice that speaks more strongly than Abel’s, not for vengeance but for forgiveness. This blood binds the hands of God’s justice.” We may then hope that the voice of this adorable blood will be raised in our behalf, as it was used to promise the penitent thief eternal happiness. It was with sincere love that Jesus Christ cried to the heavenly Father for us. He came to this world that His blood might always call to God for mercy. His blood was spilled over the surface of the earth, that all mankind might drink of its benefits. Satiated by the precious blood we will really hate sin, we will triumph over our evil passions, we will substitute virtues in their stead. Jesus is the fountain of all graces; it is He that takes such a great interest in us that whatever we do in His name will add to our glory, so that though we may have been poor and despised creatures, by the blood of Christ we have been ennobled and made heirs of the kingdom of God.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Fourteenth Day.

When Our Lord died on the cross one of the soldiers pierced His side, to make sure that He was dead. It was a real death, for we know that blood and water poured from that wound. Here we see the water of Baptism applied to our souls; in Baptism we are born again, we become children of God, our sins are forgiven and we have a right to the reward of heaven. We are no longer outcasts, nor an accursed race; we have become children of God. And why? Because we have become the brothers of Jesus Christ, Who is a child of God, the Son of God; it was this Child that made us children too, because from His sacred side on the cross He poured out water and blood over the human race; the curse was taken away from the race of mankind, and they may now go to heaven if they will. But have we preserved this life of grace, this new life of a supernatural order? No, indeed. There is not a human creature on the earth that has been cleansed by the blood of Christ, but has fallen back, and rebelled against God.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Fifteenth Day.

Man’s life is a struggle for good from the beginning to the end. We are taken out of wickedness by Baptism, and we are frequently redeemed by penance. We need a sacrament that will give us perseverance. “Be thou faithful unto death,” is the watchword that St. John cries out to the bishop in the Apocalypse, “and I will give thee the crown of life.” We are never sure of ourselves; even the sharpest intellect will not be able to say whether he be worthy of God’s wrath or of God’s love. Therefore Jesus Christ has applied the merits of His sacred blood to the Sacrament of Confirmation, by which we are to be made strong, by which human weakness is to be taken away. After receiving this sacrament what noble works we are capable of! In the olden ages martyrs died for Christ; mothers saw their children martyred before their eyes, all for the love of Jesus, strengthened by this sacrament. People give up the world and persevere in the heroic practice of virtue by the grace of the precious blood of Jesus.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Sixteenth Day.

How comes it that although we are endowed with virtue from on high, nevertheless we sometimes make the blood of Christ of no avail to us? By Confirmation we ought to be perfect Christians, and still we are far from being such. The reason of our weakness, is that we are addicted to the things of this world, and we are very much inclined to follow the demands of our passions. We do not place implicit confidence in the efficacy of the precious blood; we do not desire to be cured of our maladies; we do not pray to be freed from our evil inclinations. What great strength did not the saints gather from the precious blood! How strong they were against the devil! How mortified their lives! How sincere in the service of God—and all through the power of that sacred blood. How firm the martyrs stood in their testimony for the faith! how many Christians persevere in doing good by means of the graces derived from the adoration of the precious blood! If we would be as they were, we must turn to the suffering Jesus, and adjure Him, by the blood that He shed, to sustain us also in our struggle against the foes of our salvation.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Seventeenth Day.

In nothing is the beauty of the Church more noticeable than in her love of devotions. The devotion to the precious blood becomes manifest on many occasions. She has established the feast of the precious blood, and others more or less intimately united to this sacred practice of piety. Full of divine instincts, her worship grows with all the exuberance of a tropical plant, covering herself with verdure and blossom; she makes devotions of joys and of sorrows; none of the old blossoms fall off—on the contrary new varieties make their appearance. The Church is more beautiful now than she was three centuries ago, and three centuries from the present time new glories will have developed themselves. Every century has given rise to new devotions, according to the needs of the Church. Sometimes a holy man looks at the incarnation in a new light, and a new devotion springs up. The devotion of the Holy Childhood has developed itself into devotion to the Infant of Prague, or has taken a more practical turn in the society of the Holy Childhood for the redemption of heathen children.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Eighteenth Day.

Who were the great worshippers of the precious blood? St. Paul wrote in his epistles most beautifully of the precious blood, and he may be said to be the author of this devotion. It was in this devotion that the power of his apostolate consisted. St. Chrysostom, the great preacher of the East, spoke most touchingly of the precious blood, and of the sufferings of Our Lord. St. Augustine, after his conversion, attributed all his improvement in the supernatural life to the love that Jesus bore him. St. Gertrude’s writings are full of the most beautiful sentiments concerning the precious blood. In modern times, St. Catharine of Sienna, the prophetess of the precious blood, singled out this devotion with a special love, with reference to the needs of her time, to which, in her judgment, sufficient importance had not been given. We read of Frances of the Mother of God, a Carmelite, that these words of the Apocalypse were deeply imprinted in her mind: “He hath loved us, and washed away our sins in His blood.” Our Lord said to her interiorly, “I have shed My blood for your sins, and now I come in holy communion to wash away the stains which remain.” When she had received Our Lord she saw her soul all covered with blood.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Nineteenth Day.

In the life of the Venerable Ann of Jesus, a companion of St. Teresa, we read that at communion her mouth was sensibly filled with very sweet blood, which flowed from the Host. St. Clare of Rimini’s holy and mysterious thirst was appeased only by the blood in the Host. Marcella Benci used to serve St. Philip of Neri’s Mass, and frequently saw the chalice full of blood. Margaret Beanne the Carmelite saw habitually the blood of Jesus in the souls of men; they were so beautified by it that she could not bear to hear any one censured because of the reverence she felt even for the souls of the wicked, for she saw them covered with the blood of Jesus. Sister Benedict of Egersheim after communion used to feel sensibly Our Lord’s blood flowing as a torrent down into the abyss of her soul, and burning away all the remnants of sin, leaving her a most pure vessel of sanctity. Such are some of the examples of the thoughts and experience of the saints in communing with the precious blood, which made them what they were, friends of God and intimate with Jesus Christ, the Spouse of their souls.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Twentieth Day.

There is no surer sign of the growth of a special devotion than when the Church erects a confraternity in its honor. These confraternities keep the devotion alive, direct it, and embody all its practices. There is the archconfraternity of the Precious Blood in Rome, and this confraternity forms the keystone of all the confraternities throughout the world. Popes have enriched it with many indulgences, and have given to the Passionists and to the missionaries of the precious blood special blessings. Among the people of Spain we notice particularly the rise and continuance of societies devoted to the honoring of the precious blood. Leo XIII. enriched the societies with many indulgences. Pope Pius IX., of glorious memory, authorized the wearing of the red scapular. When he returned from exile he instituted a new feast distinct from the one celebrated in Lent. So many favors have been granted to it that we receive the impression that it is the special devotion of the Holy See.

Prayer.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the precious blood, etc., etc.

Twenty‐first Day.