# Novena of the blood shed by Jesus
*2020-07-19*

> Bill Young introduces and leads a nine-day novena dedicated to the Precious Blood of Christ, focusing on the various moments of Jesus's passion and sacrifice.

## Introduction to the Novena

Good afternoon. This is Bill Young and welcome to the Prayer and Lunch Podcast. Today is Monday, July 20th. As you know, July is dedicated to the Body and Blood of Christ. We are praying a novena of the blood shed by Jesus. Like all novenas, this is prayed for nine consecutive days. I hope you continue with the other prayers we have started this month, including the meditations on the Most Precious Blood and the feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the parents of Mary.

## The Origin and Intent of the Prayer

This novena was composed by the venerable Father Basilio Huamanambu of Sao Paulo, Italy (1588–1617). When invoking God's help, we pray: 'O Father, O Son, O Holy Spirit, O Most Holy Trinity, O Jesus, O Mary, O Saints of Paradise, I ask this grace through the Blood of Christ.' You may be sure that if you have faith and persevere in prayer, you will receive the grace for which you humbly ask, provided it accords with God's holy will.

## Opening Prayers and Intercession

We begin in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. We call upon the Lord to come to our aid and recite the Glory Be and the Apostles' Creed. We then turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, asking for her intercession. In virtue of the Passion of Jesus Christ and His divine blood shed for our salvation, we bring the graces we carry in our hearts to our Mother of Mercy.

## Meditations on the Precious Blood

Throughout this novena, we reflect on the specific moments Jesus shed His blood. We pray for the blood shed during His circumcision at eight days old, the blood shed in the agony of the Garden, and the blood shed when He was stripped and scourged at the column. We remember the blood from His head when He was crowned with thorns, and the blood shed while carrying the cross to Calvary, accompanied by the tears of His Mother.

We further meditate on the blood shed from His body when He was stripped of His clothes, the blood from His hands pierced by nails, and the blood shed during the torment of the cross. Finally, we honor the mysterious blood and water that flowed from His side when His heart was pierced by the lance, which we adore as our drink at the table of the Lord.

## Closing Invocations

We conclude by addressing the angels and saints in heaven, asking them to unite their intercessions with the Virgin Mary. We invoke the holy souls in purgatory, offering the Most Precious Blood of Jesus to the Eternal Father on their behalf. We remember that the Lord has redeemed us with His blood and made us a kingdom for our God. We end with a simple invocation: 'Dear and admirable Jesus, sweet and merciful, have compassion on me and on all souls, both living and deceased, whom you have redeemed by your precious blood.'

*By persevering in faith and prayer through the merits of the Precious Blood of Christ, we can confidently ask for God's grace and mercy.*