“You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.”  (1 Peter 18-19)

 

Christ paid for our release from slavery to sin and death by His own Precious Blood.  This Blood, which coursed through His Sacred Heart and Body, was freely shed for our redemption.  Our Savior held nothing back emotionally, spiritually, or physically during His agony and suffering for us.  He still holds nothing back as He daily gives us His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist.  How do we respond to the eternal gift of His Precious Blood poured out for us?

 

The angel, who appeared in 1916 to the three Fatima visionaries, Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta, revealed the two most important ways to respond, prayer and sacrifice.  That Summer he appeared while the children were resting during an incredibly hot day.  He said, “What are you doing? Pray!  Pray very much! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you.  Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High!”  He explained that they could make everything they do a sacrifice offered to God as an act of reparation and for the conversion of sinners.

 

On the angel’s third and final visit in the Fall of 1916, Lucia said he appeared “holding a chalice in his hands, with a Host above it, from which some drops of Blood were falling into the sacred vessel. Leaving the chalice and the Host suspended in the air, the Angel prostrated on the ground and thrice repeated this prayer:

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‘O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles throughout the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He Himself is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and those of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of all poor sinners.’

“Then, rising, he once more took the chalice and the Host in his hands. He gave the Host to me, and to Jacinta and Francisco he gave the contents of the chalice to drink, saying as he did so: ‘Take and eat the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God.’”

 

As the angel made clear, too many people repay Christ’s sacrifice with sin, contempt, and indifference.  However, we can atone for this cruelty through our prayer and sacrifice.  The angel’s prayer is a great and powerful way to do this.  

 

While our world constantly tells us to run from suffering and bombards us with products to avoid it at all costs, as Christians we are called to embrace suffering in imitation of Our Lord.  Paul tells us, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.” (Romans 8:29) To be conformed to Christ and to be part of His family, we must be like Him in all ways, including His redemptive suffering.  

 

In this month of July dedicated to the Most Precious Blood, let us truly prize this most infinite gift.  Accept the gift of His Blood pouring over you and purifying you.  Give Him due honor and glory.  Respond to the Angel of Fatima’s call.  Offer up continual prayer and sacrifice in all you do.