Sanguis Christi: O most Precious Blood

Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine which I have mingled for you. Proverbs 9:5

But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water. John 19:34

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. John 6:55

Sanguis Christi: O Most Precious Blood

Son of man,
Who had no place
to lay His head,
on the eighth day,
His Blood He shed,
Word-Made-Flesh,
His Blood did give,
Eternal Drink
that we would live.

O glorious,
Precious Blood
that rained down
upon mankind―
as in the days of Noe,
the awful, dreadful Flood,
symbolic portent
of Thy Precious Blood―
poured forth
upon the earth,
sacramental birth,
to wash away
the stain of sin,
to make us
new-made wine.

Thy sacred Side,
the Door―
as in Noah’s Ark―
from which,
Thy Sacred Heart
did pour
Thy most Precious Blood;
sacramental wine,
glorious, mystic Sign;
Eucharistic drink―
The Blood Thou shed,
The Fountainhead,
The Rock,
which Moses struck.[1]

Life-Giving Water
atop Jacob’s well
imbibed Samaritan woman,
boldly she did tell;
The good wine at Cana,
which from water
Thou didst make,
foretaste of
Thy Precious Blood,
our souls’ thirst to slake.

The wine
tread at
the winepress,
the prophet did prophesy,[2]
the Blood
that drenched
Thy garments,
as Thou trod
to Calvary;
that mingled with
Thy sweat
in Gethsemani;
that poured from
Thy sinless Flesh,
the Scourging
ripped and torn,
flayed by sinister soldiers,
who did mock and scorn;
from Thy hallowed Head
pressed by
the Crown of Thorns;
from Thy Hands and Feet,
which nails did adorn;
from Thy sacred Side,
forsaken and forlorn,
fulfilling David’s prophecy:
His Lord’s bitter agony.[3]

As our Sorrowful Mother
mourned and agonized,
Immaculate heart pierced,
as Simeon prophesied
Virgin ewe
whose blood
was fed
to the Lamb
Whose Blood
was shed―
in the Circumcision;
at the Pillar;
by the Crown of Thorns;
the nails;
the soldier’s spear―
Precious Blood,
O so dear.

The Angelic Salutation,
proclaimed at the
Annunciation:
Ave Maria
gratia plena
Dominus tecum
Word-Made-Flesh
in Virgin Womb
flesh and blood
He did assume…
She His holy habitation,
Chalice of His sweet libation
Blood poured forth
for our salvation
O most Wondrous
Incarnation!

Take and drink ye all of this.
For this is
the Chalice of My Blood,
of the New and
Eternal Testament
—The Mystery of Faith—
Which Shall be Shed for You
and for Many
unto the Remission of Sins.