# Devotions to the most precious blood of Jesus
*2022-07-07*

> Bill Young and John O'Rourke lead a series of powerful Catholic devotions, including the Chaplet and Litany of the Most Precious Blood, to pray for the world and the victims of violence.

## The Chaplet of the Most Precious Blood

We continue our focus for the month of July on the Most Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Using a special chaplet—which consists of seven mysteries, each with five small beads and two large beads—we meditate on the blood shed by Christ throughout His passion. We reflect on the first drops of blood shed at His circumcision, the blood sweat in the Garden of Olives, the scourging at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, the road to Calvary, the crucifixion, and finally, the piercing of His side by the lance. Through these mysteries, we ask the Lord to help us hate sin, destroy our pride, and learn to forgive our enemies.

## The Litany of the Most Precious Blood

Following the chaplet, we pray the Litany of the Most Precious Blood. In this prayer, we call upon the Blood of Christ as the New and Eternal Covenant, the stream of mercy, and the strength of martyrs. We acknowledge that without His blood, there is no forgiveness, and we ask for the purification of our souls and the freeing of souls from purgatory. We conclude by asking the Father to show His mercy to all people so that we may reap the fruits of our redemption.

## Intercession for the Souls in Purgatory

We take a moment to offer a specific prayer for the souls in purgatory. By the precious blood and body of the divine Son, Jesus, we ask that those souls—especially those most devoted to the mystery of His love—may be delivered to the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to praise Him forever.

## The Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena

To conclude our time of prayer, we pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the first day of the Novena to Divine Mercy. On this first day, Jesus asks us to bring all mankind, especially all sinners, to Him to be immersed in the ocean of His mercy. In light of the tragic shootings and violence that occurred over the Fourth of July weekend in the United States, we specifically offer these prayers for those who were injured and killed, and for a world plagued by chaos, asking for the consolation of Christ's compassionate heart.

*In times of violence and grief, we find refuge and hope by immersing ourselves and the whole world in the infinite mercy and precious blood of Jesus.*