[Christ Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)

 

 

God was pleased to reconcile all things in Christ 
– making peace through the blood of his cross. 

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell

– making peace through the blood of his cross. 

 

 

We find our dearest Jesus’ second bloodshedding, that dyed the rose of the passion, in the bloody sweat, which came from him while in the agony of his prayer; for “being in any agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat became as it were great drops falling down upon the ground.” Were we to ignore all the other bloodsheddings, would not this one alone suffice to deepen the red hue of our rose? In truth it would. Let my miserable heart tremble; let it be rent and become bedewed with bloody tears, for lo! it was for me that my Creator was drenched with a bloody sweat, and that not a little, for it ran right down to the ground. Alas that my wretched heart is not moistened with a sweat like his, and to the same extent! See the anguish which tortured that most gentle heart, for it caused a bloody sweat to break out from every part of his body. So great an amount of sweat like this would not have poured out of his visible body, unless the heart within had been breaking under the strain of his overwhelming sorrow. “My heart within me is broken,”said the prophet. His heart within was broken, as also was the external veil of the true Solomon, our most loving Jesus. His most bloody sweat is poured out upon the earth. Thus does the rose of charity and of the passion become reddened by the redness of Jesus. See how wholly red he has become. This general blood effusion of our most good Jesus has a mystical meaning also. He who came to bear the infirmities belonging to our flesh and blood, sweated throughout his whole body. This bloody sweat, which covered every part of the body of our head, Jesus, was to serve to strengthen and heal his mystical body the Church. Therefore, we are “delivered from bloodguiltiness, by the God of my salvation.” We are delivered by our most kind Jesus, who poured out his blood for us. Surely this bloody sweat may also signify the poured-out blood of the martyrs, which was to redden the whole body—his mystical body—the Church.

 

 

 

 

Let us give thanks to the Father

For having made you worthy

To share the lot

Of the saints in light.

 

He rescued us

From the power of darkness

And brought us

Into the kingdom of His beloved Son.

Through Him we have redemption

The forgiveness of our sins.

 

He is the image of the invisible God

The first-born of all creatures.

In Him everything in heaven and on earth was created

Things visible and invisible.

 

All were created through Him;

 

All were created for Him.

He is before all- else that is

In Him everything continues in being.

 

It is He who is head of the body the church!

He who is the beginning

The first-born of the dead

So that primacy may be His in everything.

 

It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in Him

And by means of Him to reconcile everything in His person

Both on earth and in the heavens

Making peace through the blood of His cross.

 

Glory to the Father and to the Son

And to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning

Is now and will be forever.

Amen.

 

 

 

Risen Christ,

may we who in baptism die to sin,

rise again to new life

and find our place in your living body.

May the new covenant sealed in your blood

bring healing and reconciliation to this wounded world.

Alleluia. You are risen.

We are risen with you.

Praise and glory to the living God. Amen. (Book of Common Worship)