Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord

July 1st is the Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Feast was extended to the whole church in 1849 by Blessed Pope Pius IX who, in the wake of the 1848 Revolution, was living in exile at Gaeta in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. After learning that the French Army toppled the vile Roman Republic and restored the Holy See’s temporal power, His Holiness assigned the Feast to the first Sunday of June. This was later changed to June 1st by Pope Pius X in order to reduce the number of Feast Days allocated to a Sunday. Sadly, the feast was removed from the new church calendar in 1969, but it is still in the traditional Roman calendar of 1962 usage. The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood. In celebration I’m posting the Litany of the Most Precious Blood. The accompanying photo of the tympanum with genuflecting Angels and the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ was taken at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood in Little Italy, New York.

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word or God, save us.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, save us.
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in Agony, save us.
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us.
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us.
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us.
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us.
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us.
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us.
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us.
Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us.
Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, save us.
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us.
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, save us.
Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us.
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us.
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us.
Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us.
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us.
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.
Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us.
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us.
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.
V. You have redeemed us, O Lord, in Your Blood.
R. And made us a kingdom for our God.
Let us Pray:
V. Almighty and eternal God, You have appointed Your only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.