Not all blood is equal

Blood has many physiological properties and effects: the most important of which is its necessity for life.

Blood has had many symbolic meanings throughout human history: most importantly symbolism of life, of death, and of shared commitment.

Today’s first reading (Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14) reminds us that not all blood is equal: contrasting the blood of goats and calves with the most precious blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The difference is not just that the blood of animals is infinitely less valuable than the blood of the incarnate Son of God, for when we speak of the blood of Christ, we speak not simply of the fluid that coursed through his veins in the years he walked this earth: we speak specifically of the blood He shed on Good Friday, as He offered Himself for us in the greatest possible act of sacrificial love.

How much more will the Blood of Christ,
who through the eternal spirit
offered himself unblemished to God,
cleanse our consciences from dead works
to worship the living God.