July 3 - HOW WE MUST PRACTICE DEVOTION AT THE PREZ.MO BLOOD

Devotion to the Most Precious Blood must not be sterile, but fruitful of life for our souls. And the greater the spiritual fruits will be if we follow the method taught us by the saints, who were teachers in this. S. Gaspare Del Bufalo, the Seraphim of the Most Precious Blood, advises us to fix our gaze on the bloody Christ and to recall these thoughts: Who is he who gave the blood for me? The Son of God. If a friend had paid it as I would be grateful to him! For Jesus instead the blackest ingratitude! Perhaps I too have even come to blaspheme and offend him with grave sins. What did the Son of God give me? His blood. You know, exclaims St. Peter, that you have not been freed with gold and silver, but with the Precious Blood of Christ. And what merits did I have? Nobody. It is known that a mother gives blood for her children and whoever loves it sheds it for her loved one. But I, by sin, was an enemy of God. Yet he did not look at my faults, but only at his love. How did you give it to me? Everything, up to the last drop among the most atrocious insults, blasphemies and torments. Therefore Jesus wants from us in exchange for so much pain and so much love, our heart, he wants us to flee from sin, he wants us to love him with all our strength. Yes, let us love this God confessed to the cross, let us love him intensely and his sufferings will not have been useless and his Blood will not have been shed in vain for us.

EXAMPLE: The greatest apostle of devotion to the Most Blood was undoubtedly S. Gaspar del Bufalo Romano, born on January 6, 1786 and died on December 28, 1837. Sister Agnes of the Incarnate Word, who later died in a great concept of holiness, many years before he predicted the grandiose Work by affirming that it would be "The trumpet of the divine Blood", to mean how ardently it would propagate its devotion and sing its glories. He had to suffer unspeakable suffering and slander, but in the end he had the joy of being able to found the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, now scattered in many parts of the world. The Lord to comfort him in his tribulations, one day, while celebrating Holy Mass, immediately after the consecration he showed him the sky from which a gold chain descended, which passing in the chalice, tied his soul to lead it to glory. From that day he had to suffer even more, but his zeal to bring the benefits of the Blood of Jesus to the souls was more and more intense. He was beatified by St. Pius X on 18 December 1904 and canonized by Pius XII on 12 June 1954. His body rests in the church of S. Maria in Trivio in Rome and partly also in Albano Laziale, near Rome, closed in a rich urn. From heaven continues to spread graces and miracles especially to the devotees of the Precious Blood.

PURPOSE: I will often think, especially in the moment of temptation, about the sufferings suffered by Jesus for me.

JACULATORY: I adore you, O Precious Blood of Jesus, shed for my love.