blood brother
"Their guilt stretches from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who met his death between the altar and the sanctuary! Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to account for it." —Luke 11:51
Jesus told the religious leaders of His time that their generation would have to account for all the blood shed from Abel to the priest Zechariah, from the beginning to the end of the Old Testament. This came true as Jesus in that generation shed His blood to atone for all the bloodshed and sins of the whole human race for all time. "Through His blood, God made Him the means of expiation for all who believe" (Rm 3:25).
Think of the sins and guilt of your whole life. Multiply that by the sins of all the people that have lived or will live on this earth. Include all the atrocities, tragedies, and wars of human history, and pack them all into three hours. Then you have a sense of what Jesus went through on Calvary to atone for all sins. What price Jesus has paid for our salvation! What love Jesus has for us! Let us give Him our lives, hearts, minds, and love in return.
Prayer: Jesus, may I cry tears of joy because of what You've done for me.
Promise: "All men are now undeservedly justified by the gift of God, through the redemption wrought in Christ Jesus." —Rm 3:24
Praise: St. Ignatius gave his life to the Lord and accepted his martyrdom of being fed to the wild beasts in imitation of Jesus, Who gave Himself as eucharistic food to the world.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Jesus, the Redeemer on audio AV 50-3 or video V-50.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 22, 2013
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