The Precious Blood of Christ is a true sacrificial gift of Christ which- if we are in the state of grace- we are able to receive each time we participate in the Holy Mass. It truly awakens us to Jesus’ sacrificial love for us.
St. Peter states,
“You were ransomed from your futile conduct…not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
In honoring the precious blood, Catholics remember the sacrifice of Christ in shedding his blood on the cross, and this sacrifice is renewed every time at Mass.
“Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on the behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26: 26-28)
How do we partake in the Precious Blood of Christ? Now, one might begin to think, “Well, at my parish, we are only able to receive the BODY of Christ because they don’t distribute the precious blood.” Did you know that when you receive Jesus in the form of the Eucharistic host or in receiving His precious blood you are actually receiving Jesus entirely under each species? This means that you are receiving His precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity when you receive the Eucharistic consecrated host, the same as when you receive His Precious Blood. The reality is that when we receive the consecrated host we are truly receiving all of Christ, in both His human divine natures. It is a powerful and a complete gift!
As we honor the Blood of Christ at Mass, we should never forget the drops of blood that He shed for us in His salvific act of brutal torture and crucifixion. Those precious drops of blood, are God, Himself, in the fullest form. This sacrifice is, indeed, renewed at every Mass and is the entire reason we need to be present at Mass; to participate in the sacrifice that our priest offers to God for the forgiveness of our sins.
This source of life is available for us at every Mass. Let us not waste a drop of grace!