Each month, we journey deeper into the Catholic year, following the Church’s devotional themes, feasts, and fasts, drawing strength from Scripture, the lives of the saints, and the liturgical calendar.
These posts will include poetry, devotions, catechesis, a meditation, a challenging quiz, and a heartfelt invitation to live as a Catholic not just on Sundays - but every moment of every day.
To begin our journey, we turn to
July: the month devoted to the Precious Blood of Jesus.
🩸 Monthly Devotional: Offering Each Day to the Precious Blood
"O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of all the Masses being said throughout the world today, for sinners everywhere - for sinners in the Universal Church, in my own home, and within my family. Amen."
This short prayer is a powerful way to begin each day in July. Offered sincerely, it places your daily work, joys, and sufferings into the chalice of Christ’s redeeming love.
🧘♀️ Monthly Meditation: Standing at the Foot of the Cross
Imagine yourself at Calvary. The air is dry and still. The crowds have gone. The sun is sinking. You are not alone—Our Lady is beside you. Before you stands the Cross, and on it, Jesus.
You see the dried trails of blood on His brow from the crown of thorns. You see His side, pierced, and the mingled blood and water staining the earth below. You kneel. You breathe the silence. And in that moment, something breaks in you—not out of despair, but out of reverence. He has done this for you.
Let the blood that falls from the Cross touch the soil of your soul. Let it cleanse, heal, and restore you. Carry that silence and awe into your day. Into every Mass. Into every act of love and reparation.
📆 Key Dates in the Catholic Calendar – July 2025
- 1 July – Traditional Feast of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
- 3 July (Thursday) – Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
- 11 July (Friday) – Memorial of St Benedict, Abbot
- 16 July (Wednesday) – Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- 22 July (Tuesday) – Feast of St Mary Magdalene
- 25 July (Friday) – Feast of St James, Apostle
- 26 July (Saturday) – Memorial of Sts Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Every Friday – Special day to honour the Precious Blood and the Passion of Christ
✝️ The Scriptural Witness
From Genesis to Revelation, blood is a sacred sign:
Exodus 12 – The blood of the Passover lamb marks God’s protection
Leviticus 17:11 – “The life of the flesh is in the blood”
Hebrews 9:22 – “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins”
John 19:34 – “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water”
The Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed the new and eternal covenant in the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
“You were ransomed... not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.” – 1 Peter 1:18–19
Seven Sheddings of Christ’s Blood
1. At His Circumcision (Luke 2:21)
2. In the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44)
3. At the Scourging at the Pillar (John 19:1)
4. At the Crowning with Thorns (Matthew 27:29)
5. When He carried the Cross (John 19:17)
6. At the Crucifixion (Luke 23:33)
7. When His side was pierced (John 19:34)
Each moment is an act of love, willingly accepted.
🕊️ Devotion in Practice
Pray the Litany of the Precious Blood (especially on Fridays)
Attend weekday Masses, offering your intentions in union with Christ’s sacrifice
Adore Christ in the Eucharist - even just a few minutes of silent Adoration
Fast from sin - offering up daily challenges in reparation for offences against the Sacred Heart and the Precious Blood
🔥 Saints Who Loved the Precious Blood
St Catherine of Siena – called it a furnace of love
St Gaspar del Bufalo – founded the Missionaries of the Precious Blood
St Thomas Aquinas – taught that even one drop could redeem the whole world
St Mary Magdalene – stood by the cross, witnessing the blood of salvation poured out
“O blood which heals the wounds of my soul, in you is found mercy, in you is found hope.” – St Catherine of Siena
✒️ A Poem for July: “The Cup and the Crown”
The chalice lifts in trembling hand,
The veil is torn at love’s
command,
And crimson tides that once ran
free,
Now flow in every liturgy.
Not silver coin nor golden rite,
But blood that quenched the dark of
night,
Was poured for me—was shed for
all,
A ransom writ in crimson call.
O Christ, whose blood is heaven’s
key,
Unseal my soul. Make mercy be.
That I may stand where saints have
trod,
Washed in the rivers of my God.
⛪ At Every Mass
“This is the chalice of my Blood, the Blood of the new and eternal covenant...” – Roman Missal
At every Mass, we encounter the sacrifice of Calvary. The same blood that was poured out once for all is present on every Catholic altar. We do not re-sacrifice Jesus—we are drawn into His one, eternal sacrifice.
Whether or not you receive from the chalice, the whole Christ— Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—is present in every host. The Eucharist is our communion with the Precious Blood.
🧠 The 24/7 Catholic Quiz – The Precious Blood of Christ
1. Which Pope instituted the Feast of the Precious Blood?
2. When is the traditional date for this feast?
3. What Old Testament event prefigures the Blood of Christ?
4. Which letter says, “You were ransomed... with the precious blood of Christ”?
5. Which saint referred to Christ’s blood as a “furnace of love”?
6. What flowed from Jesus’ side with blood?
7. What prayer includes “Blood of Christ, inebriate me”?
8. What saint said a single drop of Christ’s blood could redeem the world?
9. In which sacrament is Christ’s blood first applied to a soul?
10. What liturgical colour symbolises the Precious Blood?
11. What book of the Bible speaks of robes washed in the blood of the Lamb?
12. What Catholic devotion honours the seven times Jesus shed His blood?
13. What did Jesus say during the Last Supper about the cup?
14. What day each week traditionally honours the Precious Blood?
15. What is the chalice a symbol of at Mass?
16. What is the significance of the blood in the Passover?
17. Who founded the Missionaries of the Precious Blood?
18. What council affirmed the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist?
19. What is transubstantiation?
20. Name one thing you’ll do to honour the Precious Blood this July.
✅ Quiz Answers
1. Pope Pius IX
2. 1 July
3. The Passover in Egypt (Exodus 12)
4. 1 Peter 1:18–19
5. St Catherine of Siena
6. Water (John 19:34)
7. Anima Christi
8. St Thomas Aquinas
9. Baptism
10. Red
11. Revelation 7:14
12. The Seven Blood Sheddings of Jesus
13. “This is my blood... poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
14. Friday
15. The new and eternal covenant
16. Protection from death for the Israelites
17. St Gaspar del Bufalo
18. Council of Trent
19. The bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ
20. (Your personal answer!)
📍 Parish Invitation – Come and Be Washed
This July, come to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in New Milton. Whether you’ve been faithful for years or have been away for decades, you are welcome.
Come be washed in mercy. Come receive the Blood that was shed for you.
📍 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, New Milton
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Next Month: 1 August – The Assumption of Mary: Our Hope of Eternal Life
Return for another rich edition of The 24/7 Catholic Monthly – full of wisdom, beauty, and the joy of living our Catholic faith every day.
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Visit Our Parish Website
ourladyoflourdes.co.uk
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, New Milton
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Stay prayerful, stay faithful, and stay Catholic
– 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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