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A PRICE MOST SACRED
“Precious Blood of our Saviour, the life-giving spring made ever open by the redeeming Cross. You wash away the stains of the  whole world and. In the Church, Paradise regained, you bring forth flowers of sanctity.”
The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of our Lord; and St John Chrysostom speaks to us in the Divine Office of the power of Christ’s Blood: “… The devil must now flee from the soul sealed with the very Blood of Christ the divine Lamb. If the Destroyer fled in terror from the mere figure [the blood of the Paschal lamb] with what unimaginable fright will Satan shrink away when he beholds the true reality! Do you desire to learn another power of this Blood? I want you to look and see whence it first runs and from what source it flows. It comes from the Cross itself, its origin is in the Lord’s side. What the soldier did was to open His side; he laid open the wall of that holy temple; what I have done is to find there a magnificent treasure: I have had the joy of discovering shining riches.”
That is why the response to the first reading admonishes us: “You have been bought at a great price. Glorify God in your body. You have been bought; do not become the slaves of men. Glorify God and bear Him in your body.”
HAIL JESUS HAIL
Hail, Jesus, hail! Who for my sake
Sweet Blood from Mary’s veins didst take
And shed it all for me;
Oh, blessed be my Saviour’s Blood,
My light, my life, my only good,
To all eternity.
To endless ages let us praise
The Precious Blood, whose price could raise
The world from wrath and sin;
Whose streams our inward thirst appease
And heal the sinner’s worst disease,
If he but bathe therein.
Oh, sweetest Blood, that can implore
Pardon of God, and Heaven restore,
The Heaven which sin had lost;
While Abel’s blood for vengeance pleads,
What Jesus shed still intercedes
For those who wrong Him most
Oh, to be sprinkled from the wells
Of Christ’s own sacred Blood, excels
Earth’s best and highest bliss;
The ministers of wrath divine
Hurt not the happy hearts that shine
With those red drops of His!
Ah there is joy amid the saints,
And hell’s despairing courage faints
When this sweet song we raise;
Oh, louder then, and louder still,
Earth with one mighty chorus fill,
The Precious Blood to praise.
[Tr. Rev F.W. Faber]
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
This article of faith in which we profess our belief every time we pray the Creed is one that most people rarely put into practice. We are one with the Holy Souls in purgatory (the Church suffering) and with the saints in Heaven (the Church triumphant) brought together under the one head, Jesus Christ. It is good and necessary to get acquainted with the saints — that is the very purpose of the Church which gives us the calendar of feasts, which are days of spiritual rejoicing.
July 8th was the feast of St Kilian, bishop and martyr. He was a native of Ireland, who entered the monastic life in St Columba’s monastery on the island of Iona where he was noted for his prayerful obedience. He went to Rome accompanied by some fellow monastics. There he was consecrated bishop and was sent to preach the gospel to the peoples of South Germany. He founded the bishopric of Wursburg and, after a fruitful apostolate, he was put to death with two other holy martyrs, SS Colman and Totnan, on July 8th, 689.
On July 10th we celebrated Seven Holy Martyrs and SS. Rufina and Secunda who suffered martyrdom in various ways during the persecution of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Januarius was scourged with leaded whips; Felix and Philip were beaten with clubs; Silvanus was thrown headlong from a high place; Alexander, Vitalis and Martialis were beheaded. The virgins Rufina and Secunda, because they would not abandon their vow of virginity to Christ, were afflicted with various tortures. Protected by Angels they persevered in their holy resolve, and were finally beheaded at the 10th milestone on the Aurelian Way. Their bodies were finally laid in the Basilica of Constantine near the Baptistery.
July 11th brought us the feast of St Oliver Plunkett. He was born of a noble Irish family and after studying for the priesthood in Rome, was appointed by Pope Clement 1X to the see of Armagh. There he found himself obliged to pass censures on the scandalous lives of some of his flock. In revenge they took advantage of the Titus Oates plot to denounce him as conspiring to raise troops against the government. He was taken prisoner to London and condemned to death. In Newgate prison his life was one of continual prayer. He strengthened his soul for the combat by the Holy Scriptures, the Divine Office and the prayers of the Missal. He gave no signs of fear or anguish, but maintained a sweet and holy recollection, a gentle courtesy and an unfailing cheerfulness. He suffered the cruel martyrdom of being hanged, drawn and quartered, at Tyburn on July 11th, 1681.
While in prison, he was admitted by Dom Maurus Corker to Benedictine confraternity. His body was taken to Germany, and his head to Rome. The relics have since been brought back, and now rest at Downside Abbey, Somerset, England; the head is enshrined in St Peter’s Church in Drogheda where also may be seen the door of his prison cell.
A profitable way in which to live the Communion of Saints is by uniting with the Church in celebrating the feasts by attending Mass. We must learn to live that true fellowship with the saints in Heaven that we are privileged to enjoy through our union with Christ, especially in the Holy Eucharist
ST JUDE’S CHRONICLE
St Jude’s Chronicle is published by the St Jude Society of South Africa; and the editorial of a recent Issue makes interesting reading. It is entitled “A Scene from Hell” and is written by Frank Sokolic whom I know as a devout Catholic and the father of a good family, and an ardent Pro-life advocate.
“Many people are unaware that the killing of unborn children was legalised in South Africa by the previous government. In 1975 the National Party voted in a restrictive Abortion law which resulted in an average of 800 abortions per year for the next 22 years. During that period, attempts to liberalise this abortion law came from the opposition Progressive Party, with the notorious Helen Suzman campaigning every year for abortion on demand. Fortunately, she was not successful, but incredibly, she was given a Human Rights Award in England.
“After Apartheid was abolished in 1991, a new and monstrous threat appeared on the horizon. It was to be found in the Manifesto of the ANC, which promised abortion on demand. Pro-Life analysed the life issues policies of the various parties who would compete in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. They publicised the ANC’s promise of abortion on demand. This brought howls of rage against Pro-Life from certain quarters. Prominent Churchmen contacted Pro-Life and protested vigorously. They demanded that their names be removed from Pro-Life’s mailing list! These prominent Church leaders, almost all Catholic, are still with us today. We know their names.
“When the ANC duly became the governing party in South Africa, they fulfilled their election promise to their voters, many of whom were Catholic religious, and gave South Africa abortion on demand.
“I was in Parliament on the day that this wicked abortion law was passed. Immediately on the declaration of the vote, the women Members of Parliament stood up with clenched fists, shouting and singing. They then left their seats and danced in the aisles. It was a scene from hell, I was there. I saw it. Two months later, in January 1997, President Nelson Mandela, who was also President of the Children’s fund, signed the abortion bill into law. Since that date, more than 600,000 children have been killed in their mother’s womb.
“The current level of abortions is in excess of 90,000 annually! But even one abortion a year is unacceptable! There must be a continuous campaign against the evil law of abortion. Unborn 'children must be allowed to be born to Baptism. Let this be our daily prayer: ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patron of the unborn, pray for us.’
“I learned recently that 10 million people a year go to Guadalupe as pilgrims to Our Blessed Mother. ‘The Rosary, in its essence, is a way to contemplate the face of Jesus Christ with the eyes and with the Heart of Mary, His Mother.’ With every Hail Mary, have in your heart the fervent request, that Mary will obtain for you a deeper insight into each mystery.”
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