Feast of the Circumcision - Jan 1st

Blessed New Year Everyone::
 
Today is the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ – January 1st. Happy and Blessed New Year! The year begins with the shedding of the Blood of Jesus. And in the Middle of the year we also have July 1 commemorating the Precious Blood of Jesus. It is through the Blood of the Lamb that we will be saved!
 
I will focus on the words found in "The City of God – The Incarnation" by Mother Mary Agreda because they are so beautiful and help us to see the details of love during this precious time in history.

First, Our Lady knew Her Scripture and knew the destiny of Jesus. It is theologically correct to say so. She could not have given Her Fiat if She did not know what the Fiat was for. She knew He was to shed His blood for the Redemption of mankind - but this Son of God was now a sweet baby and She had a small hope that the Eternal Father would will that this procedure be taken away from Her Divine Son since He was a sinless God. She only wanted this because She wanted to spare Him the pain. Then She offered to suffer the pain instead of Her Son but the Eternal Father revealed to Her that Jesus came into the world to suffer and be an example for us to be obedient to the Laws of God. She fully accepted and even held Her Beloved Son during this procedure to comfort Him the best She could. This was not customary but the Priest allowed Her to do so.

According to these writings, Mary sent Joseph into Bethlehem to summon the priest to come to the cave of the Nativity. He brought the priest with two assistants. It is written that the priest was astonished at the rudeness of the cave as he entered into it but was quickly drawn away from these thoughts when he set eyes on the Mother and Child. He was then filled with devotion and tenderness. Joseph lit two candles. Mary held Her Precious baby. She had a cloth that was warmed against her skin because the day was cold. This cloth was held under the knife in order to catch the Precious Blood and Relics and then they were kept in this cloth after the procedure. It is written in these writings that St. Joseph kept this cloth.

As Mary held Baby Jesus during the performance of the ritual, She had asked that it be done with as much tenderness as possible on account of the delicacy of the Child. The priest promised and allowed her to hold Her Infant. She therefore became the first altar on which this sacrifice was being made and She herself offered up this new morning’s sacrifice on Her own arms in order that it might be acceptable to the Eternal Father in all particulars. At the same time, the Son of God, with immeasurable love, offered up to the Eternal Father three sacrifices of so great value that each one would have been sufficient for the Redemption of a thousand worlds…

1. He, being innocent and the Son of the true God, assumed the condition of a sinner (Phil. 2,7) by subjecting Himself to a rite instituted as a remedy for original sin and to a law not binding on Him (II Cor 5,21)
2. His willingness to suffer the pains of circumcision which He felt as a true and perfect man.
3. The most ardent love with which He began to shed His blood for the human race, giving thanks to the Eternal Father for having given Him a human nature capable of suffering for His exaltation and glory.

The Incarnate Word offered these first fruits of His blood as pledges that He would give it all in order to consummate the Redemption and extinguish the debt of the sons of Adam. Mary knew and understood all of this and offered all in union with Her Divine Son.
 
 Jesus shed human tears and not so much because of the physical pain but because of Jesus’ supernatural sorrow caused by His knowledge of the hard-heartedness of mortals. This was more rude and unyielding than the sharpness of the blade – the resistance of His sweet love and the divine fire that He came to enkindle in the world and in the hearts of all faithful (Luke 12, 49)

Mary wept and the Infant Jesus clung to His Mother. She sweetly caressed Him and then She handed the cloth with relics to St. Joseph while she tended to His wound and wrapped Him back in swaddling clothes.

The “Name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9) was given to this Divine Child. The priest asked the parents what name they wished to give to the Child. Our Blessed Mother, attentive to Her spouse, looked to St. Joseph. St. Joseph turned to Her and looked at Her as though the name should come from Her lips and it happened that they both said: “JESUS is His name” together.

The priest wrote the name and shed copious tears, saying: “I am convinced that this Child is to be a great prophet of the Lord. Have great care in raising Him; and tell me in what I can relieve your needs.”
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After the priest received some candles and articles from St. Joseph for his service, he left and Mary and St. Joseph were filled with love and reverence for the Christ Child and together they sang canticles and shed tears of joy together.

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF JESUS NOW AND FOREVER. BLESSED BE HIS MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD!!

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Seven Offerings of the Precious Blood