Oblate Chapel Community Honours Precious Blood

Precious Blood retreat at Oblate Community Chapel in Archdiocese of Maseru

By Bokang Tsoanamatsie – The Oblates of Mary Immaculate Chapel community organised a Precious Blood retreat at the Oblates Chapel within the Archdiocese of Maseru on July 19, in the month dedicated to Precious Blood. The retreat began with Mass. The keynote speakers for the event were Fr Joseph Paoane OMI and Fr Patrick Matsau OMI, both affiliated with the Oblates house in Mazenod.

In his keynote address, Fr Paoane emphasised that the Precious Blood of Christ was shed for the forgiveness of our sins. He stated that the Sacred Heart and the Precious Blood of Christ are inseparable, with the Sacred Heart of Jesus exemplifying God the Father’s love for humanity. He explained that the Sacred Heart reflects God’s emotions and outlined three reasons for the shedding of Christ’s Precious Blood for humanity: for the forgiveness of sins, for redemption, and for salvation. Fr Paoane reminded the attendees that God’s presence and His Heart is omnipresent.

He referenced the first epistle of St Peter, chapters 18-19, stating that those who are impure and encounter Jesus in faith return cleansed. He described mercy as God granting us what we do not deserve and affirmed that God’s disposition towards sinners is one of forgiveness (CCC 478). He concluded his reflection by asserting that the Precious Blood symbolises God’s love and serves as a testament to His divine love, while the Sacred Heart is the source of God’s love from which the redeeming Precious Blood flowed. The Church Fathers have stated that the pierced Heart is the origin of the Church (CCC 32).

Fr Patrick Matsau OMI gave a reflection on the relationship between the Precious Blood and the Eucharist. He said that the Precious Blood originates from God, describing it as a divine gift that grants life. He noted that we witness the Precious Blood of Christ during the act of redemption and explained that it is God’s will to be appeased through the shedding of the blood of lambs as described in the Old Testament.

Fr Matsau stated that the Precious Blood of Christ is the Blood that calls for vengeance on behalf of Adam. He reminded those present that Abel’s sacrifice involved a lamb without blemish (Isaiah 63:3) and that this sacrifice, along with others of a similar nature, preceded the Sacrifice of Jesus, during which His Precious Blood was poured out. He also noted that Christ was crucified at the time when lambs were being sacrificed. He explained that Jesus had to ‘sleep’ so that the Church could be established, just as Adam slept when Eve was formed. He mentioned that the Blood and Water that flowed from the Heart of Christ serve as the foundations for the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, which assist us in becoming worthy of Christ. He emphasised that all that came before Him were models pointing towards Him (1 Peter 1:18-19, Ephesians 1:6-7, & Corinthians 1:30).