The Feast of Jesus’s Precious Blood and the Sacrifices of Saints

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Today in the Catholic Church is the Feast of the Precious Blood of Jesus, but Christians across all denominations agree that we are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ. It is only because Jesus died that we can hope to enter Heaven. St. Faustina was told by Jesus to pray that God have mercy on us through Jesus’s Passion: “Through the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

God did not have to redeem mankind when we sinned, but He did. Jesus could have redeemed mankind in any way, but He chose the horrific Passion and Crucifixion, all with the weight of every sin ever committed weighing him down far more than the physical cross could. Jesus poured out the last drop of his blood—when His side was pierced, blood and water came out, indicating Jesus’s chest and heart were almost completely drained (see herefor a medical explanation). That is how much He loved us.

Jesus also wanted us to share in the sacrifice He made, and be in the closest possible communion with Him, so He instituted the Eucharist and told us to eat His body and blood. Jesus Christ said in John 6:54, “Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.” How much Jesus humbled Himself for our sakes!

We can never do enough to thank Jesus for His suffering and death on the Cross, but keeping this Feast of His Blood is one way to thank him. We must also live out holy Christian lives, and follow all God’s commandments. Three other saints whose feast is today certainly did so.

Jesus redeemed mankind through His Blood, and St. Oliver Plunkett like His Divine Master died a bloody and awful death, shedding his blood to stay loyal to Christ and His Church. Meanwhile, St. Junipero Serra suffered pain and hardship to follow Christ’s command (Matt. 28:19-20), “Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” And back before Christ came to earth, Queen Esther risked her life and high position to save her people, the Jews.