July – Month of the Precious Blood

The month of July is dedicated in a special way to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus (cf. Pope Francis, Angelus address, 1st July 2018). “In some places and in certain particular calendars, the feast of the Most Precious Blood of Christ is still observed on 1 July.” (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 2001) Among popular devotions to the Precious Blood of Our Lord is the Litany of the Precious Blood, which in its current form was promulgated by Pope St John XXIII in 1960. In his Apostolic Letter issued at that time the Pope expresses his heartfelt desire that Christians “cherish warmly that marvellous manifestation of divine mercy toward individuals and Holy Church and the whole world redeemed and saved by Jesus Christ: we mean devotion to his Most Precious Blood.” The Holy Father also adds this touching personal note: “from infancy this devotion was instilled in us within our own household. Fondly we still recall how our parents used to recite the Litany of the Most Precious Blood every day during July.” The Pope goes on to teach: “Unlimited is the effectiveness of the God-Man’s Blood — just as unlimited as the love that impelled him to pour it out for us, first at his circumcision eight days after birth, and more profusely later on in his agony in the garden, in his scourging and crowning with thorns, in his climb to Calvary and crucifixion, and when finally his side was laid open by a great wound, which symbolises the divine Blood cascading down into all the Church’s sacraments. Such surpassing love suggests, or rather demands, that everyone reborn in the torrents of that Blood adore it with grateful love.” (Apostolic Letter Inde a Primis, June 30th, 1960) May we respond to St John’s words and his example by honouring the holy Blood of Our Redeemer in this month of July.