From Water to Wine to the Blood of Christ

From Water to Wine to the Blood of Christ

The element of blood was the most significant example throughout the Old Testament and became the truth of forgiveness in the New Testament.  My Last article dealt with the catechesis of the real presence of Christ in the elements of bread and wine to be absolutely a living being most people do not comprehend.

We need to go back to the mission Moses was sent to Egypt to bring the nation of Israel back home.  God knew how his chosen people were ready to find their way back through a meal that would forever be the path.  During the celebration of the Passover meal the angel of death would pass over their homes by the actual blood of an innocent lamb applied to the two doorposts and lintel of the doors where they ate their meal.  (Ex 12: 1-ff).  This is the first of many symbols of the Cross at Calvary and the role that the Blood of an innocent Lamb would be the only way humanity would be saved.

From the earliest scriptures blood becomes ritualistic to salvation and its prominence in the bible is the one truth of how God promulgated his plan to share his love and life with mankind.  (see Col 1: 26). The Mystery of the Church.

When attending a wedding reception the first salute or blessing is with a glass of wine to the Bride and Groom.  As the night grows lengthy and the wine is being depleted the hope is that the host has a back-up somewhere in the house.  Jesus and his disciples were invited to such a celebration and the wine was also running short.  When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, :They have no wine.”  Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me?”  “My hour has not yet come.”  (Jn 2: 3 - 4).  Although Jesus was not yet led to Calvary the symbolism has a lot to do with the fact that wine has its prime place as the elements of water, wine, and Blood

Can anyone calculate how much Blood Jesus lost from the scourging and crown of thorns, to the constant shedding of his Blood as he hung on the Cross?  From the movie “The Passion of the Christ,” we saw Mary depicted at the post where he was scourged, wiping up the blood that was left by his suffering.  

So precious is this element that symbolically was applied to the doorposts and lintels as Moses and the Hebrews prepared for the Passover that would lead Jesus to the Cross. 

Apparently, too many Catholics fail to see this wine that is part of the Transubstantiation during the consecration and through the Power of the Holy Spirit, using the anointed hands of the priest, becomes our very drink of perfection who now is the Risen Christ, Real, living, and always present with us in a pattern of the purification from water, blessed with wine, and finding salvation through his Blood.  (see Jn 19: 31 - 36).  The Blood and Water!

Ralph B. Hathaway