Good Friday -- Christ Sheds His Blood for us

 

The Power of Christ's Blood

The Power of Christ’s Blood

From the Catecheses by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop

Blood and Water of Christ

If we wish to understand the power of Christ’s blood; we should go back to the ancient account of its prefiguration in Egypt.  Sacrifice a lamb without blemish, commanded Moses, and sprinkled its blood on your doors.  

If we were to ask him what 

he meant, and how the blood 

of an irrational beast 

could possibly save men 

endowed with reason, 

his answer would be 

that the saving power lies 

not in the blood itself, 

but in the fact that it is 

a sign of the Lord’s blood.  

In those days, when the destroying angel saw the blood on the doors he did not dare to enter, so how much less will the devil approach now when he sees, not that figurative blood on the doors, but the true blood on the lips of believers, the doors of the temple of Christ.

If you desire further proof of the power of this blood, remember where it came from the Master’s side.  The gospel records that when Christ was dead, but still hung on the cross, a soldier came and pierced his side with a lance and immediately there poured out water and blood.  Now the water was a symbol of baptism and the blood, of the holy Eucharist.  The soldier pierced the Lord’s side, he breached the wall of the sacred temple, and I have found the treasure and made it my own.  So also with the lamb: the Jews sacrificed the victim and I have been saved by it.

There flowed from His side water and blood.  Beloved, do not pass over this mystery without thought; it has yet another hidden meaning, which I will explain to you.  I said that water and blood symbolized baptism and the holy Eucharist.  

The Eucharist - Christ's Body and Blood

From these two sacraments the Church is born: 

from baptism, 

the cleansing water that gives rebirth 

and renewal through the Holy Spirit, 

and from the holy Eucharist.  

Eve fashioned from the side of Adam

Since the symbol of baptism and the Eucharist flowed from His side, it was from His side that Christ fashioned the Church, as He had fashioned Eve from the side of Adam.  Moses gives a hint of this when he tells the story of the first man and makes him exclaim: Bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh!  As God then took a rib from Adam’s side to fashion a woman, so Christ has given us blood and water from His side to fashion the Church.  God took the rib when Adam was in a deep sleep, and in the same way Christ gave us the blood and water after His own death.

Do you understand, then, how Christ has united his bride to Himself and what food He gives us all to eat?  By one and the same food we are both brought into being and nourished.  As a woman nourishes her child with her own blood and milk, so does Christ unceasingly nourish with His blood those to whom He Himself has given life.

Taken from the Liturgy of Hours Good Friday