The Precious Blood – Short Meditations for July
By Rev. Richard F. Clarke
5th Day – Types of the Precious Blood: (2) The Blood of the Paschal Lamb
On the night when God delivered His people from Egypt a lamb was slain that was a type of the Lamb of God. It was to be a lamb without blemish, no bone of it was to be broken, it was to be wholly consumed by those in whose dwelling it was slain, and its blood was to be shed to the last drop. Apply these conditions of the paschal lamb to the Lamb of God, and see how perfectly they were fulfilled in the sacrifice of the cross.
The blood of the paschal lamb was to be sprinkled on the door-posts of the Israelites, and thereby they were to be rendered safe from the judgement that fell upon the Egyptians. So the Precious Blood sprinkled upon our hearts saves us from the punishment we have justly deserved. It appeases the anger of God and marks us as belonging to Him, and travellers to the heavenly Jerusalem longing to be freed from the bondage of earthly things.
How is the Precious Blood sprinkled on our souls? In all the sacraments of the Church, in every act of contrition, in every deed of supernatural charity, in every prayer offered humbly and with confidence, it falls upon us, and renders us safe from the avenging angel, and secures us from the anger of God that our sins have justly merited. Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo et mundabor – ‘Sprinkle me, O Lord, and I shall be rendered clean in Thy sight.’
AnaStpaul 