Grace Thompson
The Blood of Christ, also known as the Most Precious Blood, is a reference to the physical blood shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross, and the salvation that Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby. The Catholic Church, along with the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox churches, and Lutherans, believes that the Eucharist or Lord's Supper is the real presence of Christ's body and blood. This belief is called transubstantiation, which describes the conversion of bread and wine into Christ's body and blood. While the Eucharist is considered a symbol by some, the Catholic Church emphasizes the Real Presence of Jesus in this sacrament. Various prayers, such as the Anima Christi and the Chaplet of Mercy, are part of the Catholic devotion to the Precious Blood.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is the Blood of Christ? | The physical blood shed by Jesus Christ primarily on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby, or the sacramental blood (wine) present in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper. |
| Who believes this? | The Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Assyrian and Ancient Churches of the East, and Lutherans, together with high church Anglicans. |
| What do they believe it to be? | The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. |
| What term does the Catholic Church use to describe the change of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ? | Transubstantiation. |
| What do the Eastern Orthodox Churches call this change? | Metousiosis. |
| What is the Catholic devotion to the Precious Blood? | Various prayers are part of the devotion, including Anima Christi, the Chaplet of Mercy of the Holy Wounds of Jesus, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. |
| What is the significance of the Holy Eucharist and the Mass? | One of the most intimate ways Catholics participate in the Mass is through the reception of Holy Communion, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. |
| Who receives Holy Communion? | The clergy (deacons, priests, and bishops) receive the Body of Christ separately from the Blood of Christ. |
| What is the significance of the Blood of Christ in Christian art? | The blood shed by Christ was a common theme in early modern Italian art, with paintings of Christ on the cross and as the Man of Sorrows being some of the bloodiest images in Christian art. |
| What is the month of July popularly called in the Catholic Church? | The month of the Precious Blood, as the first of July is the feast of the Most Precious Blood of the Savior, established by Bl. Pius IX in the 1800s. |
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What You'll Learn
- The Blood of Christ is a reference to the physical blood shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross
- The Catholic Church uses the term transubstantiation to describe the conversion of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ
- The Church Fathers, the earliest Christians, believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist
- The Precious Blood is not distributed at every Mass
- The Blood of Christ is a common theme in early modern Italian art
The Blood of Christ is a reference to the physical blood shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross
The Blood of Christ, also known as the Most Precious Blood, is a reference to the physical blood shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross. It is a core concept in Christian theology, specifically within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox churches, Assyrian and Ancient Churches of the East, and Lutheranism, alongside high-church Anglicans.
The Blood of Christ is understood in two ways. Firstly, it refers to the actual blood shed by Jesus Christ during his crucifixion, and the salvation that Christianity teaches was achieved through this sacrifice. Secondly, it refers to the sacramental blood, or wine, present in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper, which some Christian denominations believe to be the same blood shed by Christ on the Cross. This is known as the "'real presence' of Christ in the Eucharist.
The Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran churches all use the term "transubstantiation" to describe the change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. However, the Eastern Orthodox Churches also use the term "metousiosis" without the same theological elaboration as "transubstantiation".
The tradition of offering both the consecrated bread and wine to the faithful during communion is more common in the Eastern Church, while in the Western Church, only the clergy typically receive both elements, with the laity receiving only the consecrated bread. This practice in the Western Church arose due to concerns over the spread of disease and the potential sacrilege of spilling the consecrated wine.
The Blood of Christ holds significant theological importance, as it is believed to be the basis of the New Covenant between God and humanity, doing away with the Old Covenant requirement for continual animal sacrifices. It is also seen as a means of redemption and salvation, as Christ's blood is believed to have paid the debt of sin that humanity owes to God, freeing believers from eternal punishment.
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The Catholic Church uses the term transubstantiation to describe the conversion of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ
Transubstantiation is derived from the Latin word "transubstantiatio" and the Greek word "μετουσίωσις" or "metousiosis". It refers to the change of the whole substance of bread and wine into the substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. The outward characteristics of the bread and wine remain unaltered, but their essence is transformed. The manner in which this change occurs is considered a mystery by the Catholic Church.
The doctrine of transubstantiation is central to the Catholic faith and is affirmed by the Church as the "source and summit of the Christian life". It is based on the belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, which was defended by theologians such as Luther and Cyril of Jerusalem. However, a survey found that most self-described Catholics do not believe in this core teaching. Instead, they view the bread and wine as symbolic representations of the Body and Blood of Christ.
The term transubstantiation is not used by all Christian denominations. For example, the Eastern Orthodox Church uses the term "metousiosis" without the precise theological elaboration that accompanies transubstantiation.
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The Church Fathers, the earliest Christians, believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist
The doctrine of the Real Presence asserts that in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is literally and wholly present—body and blood, soul and divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine. This belief is held by the Roman Catholic Church, the Latin Rite Catholic Church, and other Catholic Churches in communion with Rome. The Orthodox Churches and most other Churches of the East also subscribe to this doctrine.
The early Church Fathers, including St. Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and Tertullian, interpreted the Scriptures pertaining to the Eucharist literally. They believed that the consecrated bread and wine were truly the body and blood of Christ. St. Ignatius of Antioch, who was a child during Jesus' crucifixion and grew up when the Apostles were preaching the Gospel, wrote about his desire for "the bread of God, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ".
The early Christian writer Irenaeus taught that the bread and wine of the Eucharist are really the Lord's body and blood. He argued against the Gnostic and Docetic rejection of Christ's real humanity, stating that the bread is the flesh of Jesus, and the cup is his blood. Hippolytus spoke of "the body and the blood" through which the Church is saved, and Tertullian regularly referred to the bread as "the Lord's body".
Another early Church Father, St. Justin Martyr, a prolific writer and defender of the faith from the 2nd century, also spoke of the Eucharist as the same body and blood of Christ that was present in his Incarnation. He wrote about the Eucharist as a food that believers receive, partaking of the body and blood of Christ.
The Sacramentary of Serapion, Prayer of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, attributed to St. Ephrem, a great author of the Syrian Church, also speaks of the Real Presence. In this prayer, Jesus takes bread, blesses and breaks it, calling it His living body, and distributes it to His disciples.
The doctrine of the Real Presence in the Eucharist is further supported by the Bible, particularly in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-29, and John 6:32-71, where Jesus says, "My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink".
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The Precious Blood is not distributed at every Mass
The Catholic Church uses the term transubstantiation to describe the conversion of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. This is also referred to as the "Precious Blood" or the "Blood of Christ".
However, some areas of the Church continued to offer Communion under both species even into the 12th century. The Nestorians, an heretical group from the early 400s, stated that the Sacred Host contained only the Body of Christ, and the Precious Blood contained only His Blood. Thus, in their view, one only truly received the sacrament when partaking of both species.
In 1970, the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship allowed bishops to determine the extent to which Holy Communion could be received under both species. Since then, the decision to distribute the Precious Blood has been left to the discretion of the diocesan bishop and the pastor of a particular parish.
It is important to note that, according to Catholic theology, receiving either the Precious Blood or the Sacred Host is sufficient to receive the fullness of the grace of the sacrament. This is because, through the resurrection, the Body and Blood of Christ are not separate but united. Therefore, even when the Precious Blood is not distributed, the Risen Jesus is still fully present in the consecrated host.
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The Blood of Christ is a common theme in early modern Italian art
In Christian theology, the Blood of Christ refers to the physical blood shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross and the salvation that Christianity teaches was accomplished thereby. The Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox churches, the Assyrian and Ancient Churches of the East, and Lutherans, together with high church Anglicans, believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper, which some Christian denominations believe to be the same blood shed by Christ on the Cross.
In late medieval and Renaissance Italy, theologians continually emphasized the humanity of Christ and the need for the faithful to lead lives modeled on Christ’s own. This perspective welcomed visual images that stressed his human existence and particularly favored themes related to his earthly birth and death. The relative neglect of other parts of Christ’s life nevertheless distinguishes Italian painting of the Renaissance and after from many other European traditions. Early Christian art, for instance, favored the miracles of Christ, while his Baptism and Transfiguration became important in Byzantine art, and his preaching and parables were preferred in Northern Europe at the time of the Reformation.
Italian painters continually renewed the Passion narrative, which relates to the events of Christ’s last week on earth, through creative engagement with established conventions. Unlike the stories associated with Christ’s birth, the episodes of the Passion are colored by painful emotions, such as guilt, intense pity, and grief, and artists often worked to make the viewer share these feelings. In this, they supported the work of contemporary theologians, who urged the faithful to identify with Christ in his sufferings that they might also hope to share his exaltation.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Catholics believe in the Blood of Christ, also known as the Most Precious Blood. This refers to the physical blood shed by Jesus Christ on the Cross, and the sacramental blood (wine) present in the Eucharist or Lord's Supper, which some Christian denominations believe to be the same blood shed on the Cross.
The belief in the Blood of Christ is rooted in the mystery of the Incarnation of God taking on a human nature, including body and blood. The Church Fathers, the earliest Christians, also attested to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, with St. Ignatius of Antioch writing about it on his way to martyrdom.
The distribution of the Precious Blood varies across different Catholic parishes. In some churches, only the priest partakes of the Blood of Christ during Holy Communion, while in others, it is offered to the congregation as well. The Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship allows local bishops' conferences to determine the extent and conditions under which Holy Communion can be received under both species.
