Deacon Matthew Keller, C.PP.S., will be ordained to the priesthood on June 9. In preparation for his ordination, he asks that we join him in praying the Novena of the Precious Blood written by the late Fr. Ernest Ranly, C.PP.S.
Day One: Blood Is Life
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening Prayer
O God, our heavenly Father, out of love for the human family, you willed your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to be our Redeemer through the shedding of his blood.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus.
Who with his blood has saved us.
We give you thanks for the gift of our Lord’s blood, which he shed until the last drop for our salvation. May the blood of Jesus, shed for us, purify us and protect us from all evil.
In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we drink the blood of the new and eternal covenant. May it give us peace and may it unite us with all the human family, especially with the poor and the marginalized.
May the Precious Blood of Jesus become for us the blood of life, of unity and of peace. May this mystery of love and grace fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit. United with the Blood of Christ, may we participate with Christ in the work of redeeming our world of today.
Praise to the blood of Jesus.
Now and forever. Amen.
Presentation
“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’ ” (Luke 1: 30)
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth filled with the holy spirit.” (Luke 1: 41)
“We should love one another, unlike Cain who belonged to the evil one and slaughtered his brother. The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3: 11, 12, 16)
Reflection
Jesus, our Redeemer, who comes from God the Father, was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. He shares with us the totality of our humanity. Mary, his mother, and Elizabeth, understood perfectly well that blood is life, life is blood. The son of Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, “leapt in her womb”. Mary gave living birth to Jesus in a stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Jesus, boy and youth, lived a healthy life with his human blood.
Blood shed violently, like the blood of Abel, cries out to heaven for justice and reconciliation. In today’s world, there are many cries of blood: cries of the victims of violence, of the tortured, of abused and aborted children, and of the poor. Do we hear the shouts of blood in today’s world? In these cries, the Blood of Christ, which speaks better than that of Abel, begs the Father for reconciliation and pardon.
Meditation
“Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life. God did not send the son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world may be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him avoids condemnation.” (John 3: 16-18)
Resolutions:
- How can I get closer each day to God through the Precious Blood of his Son?
- How can I meditate and contemplate personally on the mystery of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus?
- Do I hear the cry of Christ’s blood in today’s violence and injustice?
Final prayer
Eternal father, creator of the universe, God of life, you have created us in your image and likeness. We are living creatures through blood. You listen to the cries of the blood of your Son Jesus that calls to heaven for reconciliation and pardon. Help us be attentive to the cries of the blood of our brothers and sisters. Preserve in us the work of your love, so that, remembering always the mystery of our salvation, we are able to integrate in our daily lives this very mystery. Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen
Our Father……
Glory to the Father….
V: Praise and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus.
R: Who with his blood has saved us.
V: Glory to the Blood of Jesus!
R: Now and forever. Amen.