During the celebration, the stone of the agony, on which Jesus prayed the night He was handed over, is covered with red rose petals, remembering the blood He shed for us.
Israel – Jerusalem (02/07/2021 15:23, Gaudium Press) The vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, Father Dobromir Jasztal, presided last Thursday, July 1, the feast of the most Precious Blood of Christ. The celebration took place in the Catholic Basilica of the Agony, located on the Mount of Olives, in the ancient garden of Gethsemane.
Pious tradition of rose petals
The temple preserves in its interior the stone of the Agony. According to tradition, Our Lord Jesus Christ prayed upon it on the night he was handed over to Pilate. During the liturgical ceremony, this same stone is covered with red rose petals, remembering the blood that Jesus shed for us.
These petals are collected at the end of the celebration by the faithful, who take them home to continue meditating on the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Gethsemane and Calvary: places marked by the presence of Christ’s blood
During his homily, Fr. Dobromir Jasztal stated that in the Holy Scriptures, blood appears essential for life. “Several times, God commands not to shed blood, not to drink it, and not to eat meat from animals that still contain traces of blood. Because blood is life, blood is sacred,” he stressed.
Gethsemane and Calvary are the two main places in the Holy Land that were marked by the presence of Christ’s blood and that the faithful can meditate on it, translating it into concrete deeds as they contemplate Christ’s sacrifice.
Addressing the forgiveness obtained by the Precious Blood of Christ, the priest explained that “those who have received God’s mercy are called to repay God’s love by practicing unlimited mercy toward their brothers and sisters. Fraternal forgiveness is a consequence of the mercy and forgiveness of God that we have received.” (EPC)
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
