‘But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony’ (Rev 12:11). The Holy Bible testifies that the important weapon that ensures the victory of saints over the devil in the end times will be the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ..
Apostles like Peter, John, and Paul have written extensively about the merits of Lord’s precious Blood (1 Pet 1:18-19, Rom 5:9, 1 Jn 1:7, Heb 13:12). John Maria Vianney, John Chrysostom, Dominic, Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, Catherine of Sienna, Gertrude, and many other saints were devotees of the Precious Blood.
We are familiar with the prayer of St Gertrude to the Precious Blood. ‘Eternal Father, I offer You the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen.
Again prayer to the Precious Blood is the refuge of the dying in their final hours. ‘O Most Merciful Jesus, Lover of souls, I pray Thee, by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart, and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother, cleanse in Thine Own Blood the sinners of the whole world who are now in their agony and who are to die this day. Amen. Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have pity on the dying.’
A short prayer intended for frequent use is also suggested. ‘O Most Precious Blood of Jesus, save us and the whole world’.
Devotion to the Precious Blood has become more popular during the past three decades, thanks to the messages our Lord gave through Baranabas Nwoye from Nigeria. It was in 1995 that Barnabas started getting messages from our Lord calling for a special devotion to the Precious Blood as reparation for the insults and sins committed against the Holy Eucharist and His Precious Blood throughout the world. This devotion as we know today consists of the Chaplet of Precious Blood said in honor of five wounds of Jesus. It is to be said after the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin. Certain prayers follow it. They are Consolation Prayers, Adoration Prayers, Anguished Appeals, Mystical Prayers, Atonement Prayer, and the Gethsemane Hour Prayer. The Consolation prayers are addressed to God the Father and Jesus Christ to console them for the insults and atrocities committed in the Church and in the world against the Precious Blood.
In the seven Adoration prayers that follow, we honor, glorify and adore the Precious Blood and submit our supplications. It is followed by seven Anguished Appeals where Jesus describes the irreverence, insults and atrocities against the Holy /Eucharist by way of neglect, immodesty, greed, lust and the like. Then Jesus appeals to each one of us to live a life of penance and reparation. Mystical Prayers are special intercessory prayers. Jesus has told Barnabas that these are the same prayers that Jesus submitted to the Father in his hours of suffering in the cross.
The final part of this devotion consists of a powerful prayer to be said from 11.00 pm every Thursday through 3.00 am on Friday. It is a bit lengthy and those who are unable to go through the full session could do a shorter version of one hour any time between 12.00 am and 3.00am. During the Gethsemane Hour, all the prayers mentioned above are to be said. This will help us to remain steadfast in faith during times of a terrible apostasy that would plague the Church. It will also help us to face the days of chastisement with grace.
As for Church’s approval of this devotion, a commission appointed by the bishop of Enugu Diocese in Nigeria has examined all these prayers and has given their approval. Other bishops from Nigeria like Ayo-Maria Atoyebi O.P also recommend this devotion. St Pope John Paul II had high regard for the devotion to the Precious Blood.
Traditionally 1 July was celebrated as the Feast of the Precious Blood in the Roman Calendar. The month of July is specially dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
With Catherine of Sienna, let us also pray for the protection of the Precious Blood. “Precious Blood, ocean of divine mercy, flow upon us! Precious Blood, most pure offering, procure us every grace! Precious Blood, hope and refuge of sinners, atone for us! Precious Blood, delight of holy souls, draw us!
