In Her wisdom, the Church has dedicated each month, giving us another way to work through the riches of the Church as we live liturgically. This month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Christ, allowing us a full month to renew our devotion. As we prayerfully meditate on the Precious Blood in these last days of July, let us remember St. Catherine of Siena’s constant prayer: 

Precious Blood, ocean of divine mercy: Flow upon us!

Precious Blood, most pure offering: Procure us every grace!

Precious Blood, hope and refuge of sinners: Atone for us!

Precious Blood, delight of holy souls: Draw us! Amen.

Our Lady knew of the power and preciousness of the Blood of Christ and one of the beautiful images Cora Evans describes in her mystical account of the Scourging at the Pillar is Mary as a Tabernacle. In her pregnancy, Mary became the world’s first tabernacle, as her own body contained the Body of Christ. But even after she had given birth, Mary continues to act as a Tabernacle, reverently keeping and guarding any particles of her Son’s Flesh and Blood. During the scourging, Mary watches as Christ’s flesh is ripped off of Him and falls to the ground. Knowing the great power in His Flesh as well as the reverence and devotion that the sacredness of the Flesh of God demands, Mary asks the angels to bring the fallen particles to her: “As the particles of His Flesh were brought to her, she and Mary of Magdala, gazing upon the torn fragments, were caught up into rapture and there they saw all earth's ciboriums, in God's way of visions, stretching out in an unbroken row before them-reaching out into the ages-even until the end of time. Within this experience of holy delight, the two women bowed to the majesty and the mystery of time, the Sacred Flesh in the ciboriums, and the mercy of how God fed His children upon Himself, the Living Bread.” In her instinctual desire to protect her Son’s Body, God grants her a vision of the Blessed Sacrament, in Its reality as the Body and Blood of Christ, stretching forth into the ages, sustaining the Church and the faithful. Each time we receive Communion, we receive that same Body that Mary so lovingly protected during Christ’s Passion. In fact, the last words of Cora’s account are attributed to Our Lady, as she says, “It will be a perpetual sacrament.” This sacrament continues to live on in each of our parish’s tabernacles, waiting for us to recognize His Presence and respond with our love and adoration. 

The third line of St. Catherine’s prayer to the Precious Blood reminds of the power of Christ’s Blood in the conversion of sinners: “Precious Blood, hope and refuge of sinners: Atone for us!” And this is precisely what happens in Cora Evan’s account of the scourging. In her account, as the third scourger steps up to his gruesome task, he begins to taunt Jesus, asking Him questions, encouraging Him to curse His executioners. Instead, Jesus responds that He is ready to die for him, this man whose job it is to torture Him. This merciful answer so unnerves the scourger that he slips into the pool of Blood at his feet. Suddenly, covered in the Blood of Christ, he sees the angels carrying away the particles of Flesh to Mary, and the reality of what he is doing and Who this Man is comes crashing down upon him. Overwhelmed with love for Christ and disgust at his sins, he begins exhorting the other scourgers and those watching to repent. This leads to a scuffle and chaos; and two more scourgers encounter the power of the Precious Blood leading to their conversions. 

Oftentimes, it can be easy to overlook the power of the Blood of Christ. But for a first century Jew, it would have been impossible to miss. Having been commanded all their lives to avoid consuming blood, it would have stood out to them that Jesus commanded them to consume His Flesh and Blood. The reason for both commands was the same: the life of the thing was contained in its blood. Therefore, an encounter with the Blood of Christ is an encounter with His life. Often the Church uses the imagery of being washed in the Blood of Christ to describe this encounter. This imagery of a sinner being washed in the Blood of Christ and its profound power and effects in the soul is clear in this account of the scourging. 

Let us close by reflecting on this quote from St. John Chrysostom:

“This blood, when worthily received, drives away demons and puts them at a distance from us, and even summons to us angels and the Lord of angels. This blood, poured out in abundance, has washed the whole world clean. This is the price of the world; by it Christ purchased the Church.”