Each time we celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we stand before the true body and blood of Our Lord. This great mystery should fill us all with awe. Yet sometimes we become complacent, just going through the motions. We receive Holy Communion without any extraordinary sense of the powerful mystery in which we share. To avoid taking these heavenly gifts for granted, I often meditate on a number of themes during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. One theme in particular that helps me feel more spiritually involved, is a meditation on the precious blood that has been shed for us.

Blood can offer very powerful imagery. Blood is necessary for life. Without it, we cannot exist. To shed blood is very painful. It can be downright gruesome – especially the way in which Christ shed His blood for us. The agony and suffering inflicted by scourging Him, crowning Him with thorns, forcing Him to carry His own cross, and ultimately killing him by nailing him to a cross is truly horrifying. The blood and water flowing from His innocent and precious side are a very graphic representation of the way that Jesus gave himself for us completely.

If we are injured in some way that causes us to lose blood, the blood of another can be given to us to keep us alive. In the same way, the blood which Christ willingly shed for us is life giving. This heavenly blood offers us true sacramental grace, and can be life changing if we let it. It can become like a very powerful transfusion of grace in our lives.