20 October, Votive Mass of the Most Precious Blood

We will be celebrating the Votive Mass of the Most Precious Blood today, without however forgetting Saint Paul of the Cross, founder of the Congregation of the Passion. In the following text, Saint Paul of the Cross is counseling a lady who, after having made her confession, was beset with doubts. He recommends confident recourse to the Blood of Christ over all else.

“You fear that you have not made good confessions because of lack of sorrow and purpose of amendment, and that you did not confess correctly. However, you tell me that you did what you could to confess your sins as they are in God’s sight. At least that was the way you wished to set them forth.
O true God! Do you not see that this fear has no foundation whatever, and that the devil is raising it to block your spiritual gain by making you stumble in the service of God? Cast out this empty fear and trust in your dear Savior, who has washed you in his Most Precious Blood, one drop of which is enough to wash away the stains of a thousand worlds, even of all possible worlds. Help yourself by ejaculatory prayers, with darts of love toward God, and words of childlike confidence: “O Jesus, love of my soul, I trust in you! In you I believe; you I love! O Dear Blood of Jesus! O Precious Blood! O Sweetest Blood! in you are my hopes! Ah, yes, my Dear Savior, you have washed me, you have made me clean in the sacrament of Penance. You have forgotten my sins. It were utter folly to doubt that! O Dear Wounds! Most Holy Wounds, Divine Wounds! you are the object of my hopes! I do hope, yes, my God. And were I even at the gates of hell, I would hope in you!”
I have given you these words as examples. They will serve to cast out these fears that come from little confidence in God. Use them with a gentle spirit.”

ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
MR
You have redeemed us, O Lord, by your Blood,
out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,
and have made us a kingdom to our God (Rev 5:9-10).
ACT OF PENITENCE
Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
that we may be ready to celebrate the sacred mysteries.
Your Blood, O Lord, pleads more eloquently
than the blood of Abel (Heb 12:24).
Kyrie, eleison.
Your Blood, O Christ, flowed with water
from your open side (Jn 19:34).
Christe, eleison.
Your Blood, O Lord, makes white
the robes of the saints (Rev 7:14).
Kyrie, eleison.
May Almighty God have mercy on us,
and lead us, with our sins forgiven,
into eternal life.
COLLECT
O God, who
by the Precious Blood of your only-begotten Son,
redeemed all men,
safeguard within us the work of your mercy,
so that we, in celebrating the mystery of our salvation,
may be found worthy of reaping its fruit.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
That the Church, made bold by the Precious Blood of Christ,
may invite all men and women
to experience the healing and pardon of God
and the mystery of his presence in the sacraments,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.
That the faithful of the world
may take up the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary
and, trusting in her intercession,
implore peace for the world,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. Christ, graciously hear us.
That the Blood of Christ offered in this Holy Sacrifice,
may plead more eloquently than the blood of Abel
for the peace of the world
and for an end to the bloodshed of violence and war,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.
That the fearful may find confidence in the Precious Blood of Christ;
the sorrowing, comfort;
and the sick and dying, hope,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.
That the Passionist priests, brothers, nuns, and sisters
may remain faithful to the charism of Saint Paul of the Cross,
who, for the sake of the Church,
lived in penance, austerity, solitude, and apostolic labours,
carrying always the Passion of Christ in his heart,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.
That in this Eucharist we may pass over
into the presence of the Father,
trusting in the everlasting mercy
obtained for us by the Blood of the Lamb,
to the Lord we pray: Christ, hear us. R. CHRIST, GRACIOUSLY HEAR US.
COLLECT AT THE GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
Thrice-holy God,
grant us, we entreat you,
to come into your presence free from fear,
made bold by the outpouring of your Holy Spirit
and by the Precious Blood of Christ,
our sacrificial Lamb and our High Priest
who is Lord forever and ever.
PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
As we bring to your majesty, O Lord, the gifts of our oblation,
let us approach Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant,
and be renewed, in these mysteries,
by the saving sprinkling of his Blood.
Through Christ our Lord.
PREFACE
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.
Through the saving passion of your Son
the whole world has been called
to acknowledge and to praise your majesty;
for in the ineffable power of the Cross
the judgment of the world
and the power of the Crucified shines forth.
And so, Lord, with Angels and all saints
we praise you and joyfully proclaim:
Or:
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
When, with a wondrous love,
he was lifted up on the Cross,
he handed himself over for us;
then from his pierced side he poured forth blood and water,
the source of the sacraments of the Church;
Thus all people, drawn to the open heart of the Saviour,
may ever draw water with joy
from the springs of salvation.
And so, with all the Saints and Angels,
we praise you together,
as we ceaselessly proclaim:
COMMUNION ANTIPHON
MR
The chalice of blessing which we bless,
is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ?
And the bread which we break,
is it not the partaking of the Body of the Lord (1 Cor 10:15).
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Refreshed, O Lord, by the food and drink of salvation,
we beseech you that we may be ever steeped in the Blood of our Saviour
that it may become within us
a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.
Through Christ our Lord.
Or:
Refreshed by heavenly food and drink,
we beseech you, Almighty God,
that you would defend against the terror of the enemy
those whom you have redeemed by the Precious Blood of your Son
who lives and reigns forever and ever.