Month of the Precious Blood (July 10)
July 10, 2026
Day 10
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11)
RESPONSORY
Justified by the blood of Christ, --we shall be saved by him from God’s wrath.
Justified by the blood of Christ, --we shall be saved by him from God’s wrath.
He gave himself as an offering to God, a gift of pleasing fragrance – we shall be saved by him from God’s wrath.
From a letter of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (+1153)
Why should not righteousness come to me from another when guilt came upon me from another? One made me a sinner, the other justifies me from sin; the one by generation, the other by His blood. Shall there be sin in the seed of the sinner and not righteousness in the blood of Christ?.... The offence, indeed, came to me, but so did grace; and not as the offence so also is the free gift; for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification (Rom. 5:16). From the first man flowed down the offence, from the highest heaven came down the free gift: both from our father, one from our first father, the other from the Supreme Father. My earthly birth destroys me, and does not my heavenly much more save me? And I am not afraid of being rejected by the Father of lights when I have been rescued in this way from the power of darkness, and justified through His grace by the blood of His Son: It is God that justifies, who is it that condemns? The one who had mercy on the sinner will not condemn the righteous; I mean that I am righteous, but it is in His righteousness, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes (Rom. 10:4).
Therefore where there is reconciliation there is remission of sins. And what is that but justification? Whether, therefore, we call it reconciliation, or remission of sins, or justification, or, again, redemption, or liberation from the chains of the devil, by whom we were taken captive at his will, at all events by the death of the Only Begotten, we obtain that we have been justified freely by His blood, in whom, as St. Paul says again, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7). You say, “Why by His blood when He could have wrought it by His Word?” Ask Himself. It is only allowed me to know that it is so, not why it is so. Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, “Why have You made me thus?”
Thus the Blood which was shed was so powerful for pardoning that it blotted out that greatest sin of all, by which it came to pass that it was shed; and, therefore, left no doubt whatever about the blotting out of that ancient and lighter sin. Thus he rejoins: “Is there any one to whom it does not seem cruel and unjust, that any one should require the blood of an innocent man as the price of some thing, or that the death of an innocent man should in any way give him pleasure, not to say that God should hold so acceptable the death of His Son as by it to be reconciled to the whole world?” God the Father did not require the Blood of His Son, but, nevertheless, He accepted it when offered; it was not blood He thirsted for, but salvation, for salvation was in the blood.
Musical Selection
Complétis scriptis, a prophétis praeténtis, Dóminus crucem sanctíficans *Sánguine fuso Levíathan sub clave pressit hostilémque tyránnidem cessáre fecit. V. Recordátus Dóminus verbi, quod promíserat Ábrahae fidéli suo. *Sánguine fuso. V.Glória Patri ingénito, laus eius Unigénito, et Spirítui Sancto. *Sánguine fuso
In fulfillment of the writings set out by the prophets, the Lord, sanctifying the cross *With the blood He shed, held Leviathan fast under lock and key and brought to a halt the tyrant. V. The Lord remembered the word He had promised to his faithful Abraham. *With the blood He shed. Glory to the unbegotten Father, and praise to His only-begotten Son, and to the Holy Spirit. *With the blood He shed.
Collect
Remember your mercies,
O Lord, and with your eternal protection sanctify your servants,
for whom Christ your Son,
by the shedding of his Blood,
established the Paschal Mystery.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. (Good Friday)