Put a drop of the
Precious Blood of Jesus Christ on your heart
and fear nothing.
Love the Truth! Glory to the Blood of Jesus!
On January 1, 1874, around noon Blessed Pope Pius IX received, in the Consistory Hall, good wishes from all foreign seminarians then in Rome. He gave them this talk:
Yes, it is a very just thought that you have just expressed to me; yes, it is very true that the Church is founded supra firmam petram. This is an indisputable fact and a striking proof that the Church is the work of God. This foundation of solidity, strength and firmness is of her character and shines at all ages, especially in times of persecution and tyranny.
Example of St. Stephen, the first Martyr
If you want proof, you have it in the saint whom we were honouring a few days ago. Saint Stephen was one of the first children of the Catholic Church, and we know that he had nothing more at heart than to announce and defend the truth. But the truth, oh my children, was already fought by the Pharisees, as it always has been and is in the present day by the successors of the Pharisees: the truth we do not want to hear. The first martyr Saint Stephen was the first victim of love for the truth; he was sacrificed by unbelievers and enemies of the truth, and while he was subjected to the punishment of cast stones, and even at the moment when he gave his soul to God, he prayed for his executioners.
The Church is perpetually persecuted
There is no doubt: the Church has always won; oppositions, oppressions, tyranny could not tame it. The stones that were thrown nineteen centuries ago at the First Martyr, people still throw them today at the defenders of the truth. The ministers of God, the members of the regular or secular clergy are exposed to all the insults: to the blows of the stone, to the blows of the stick, to the blasphemies. Sad show! The very people who should put a stop to these disorders do like Saul, they guard the cloaks of the attackers, thus giving an encouragement, or at least a greater freedom of movement to those who want to throw stones at the anointed of the Lord.
But all this produces something very comforting: everywhere there is a great awakening of faith, which gives the faithful the holy courage to address themselves with a trusting love to Jesus Christ and to speak to the powerful of the earth with all the strength of their convictions. May God be praised and blessed in all the holy provisions of His Providence!
Miracles of virtue are greater
Imitate, my children, Saint Stephen, I recommend it ; you will not do miracles like him, signa multa et prodigia, but you can imitate him in a certain way which can also produce miracles. Yes, there are miracles available to everyone, and I will give you an example: that of overcoming your passions. A proud young man who becomes a lamb of humility is a miracle; another, subject to distractions, having little taste for study, becomes applied, recollected, regular in the performance of his duties, that is another miracle. It is these wonders that I wish you to do; by this you will prove to modern society which hardly believes in miracles that, by means of the grace of God, one can change one's character, that the lion can become a lamb, the eagle a dove. And these are great miracles.
The Precious Blood is the Source of our Peace
To be able to better reach the goal, I will remind you of an exhortation that Saint Francis de Sales made to someone on the day of Circumcision. He said: Let each one seek to take some small drop of this Precious Blood which comes out for the first time from the most holy body of Jesus Christ and that let each one place this Precious Blood on his heart; for when the exterminating angel presents himself, seeing this Blood, he will continue on his way and will not touch those who carry It within them.
Peace of heart
I address the same exhortation to you: put on your heart a drop of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and fear nothing: the exterminating Angel will not dare to touch you: you will not have to fear his sword; but you will overcome it and you will be able to repeat these miracles for yourselves about which I have just spoken to you. In this case, oh my children, you will be able to nourish the sweet hope of imitating Saint Stephen also in the consoling visions of the last hour, you will be able to repeat with the first martyr: Ecce video coelos apertos and Iesum stantem ad dexteram virtutis Dei. I see the sky open, and while men persecute and torment me, Jesus Christ stretches his arms towards me from the height of paradise and sends His angels to meet me: the angels come to me, so that after I will be separated from this material envelope which is called the body, I can fly with them to heaven.
I am far from affirming that you will all be able to see, at the time of your death, the sky open before your eyes; but after the miracles that I have just advised you, it is certain that you will have at this supreme hour a clear conscience, a soul filled with calm. You can say to God: Fidem servavi. O my God, I have not been unfaithful: Cursum consummavi: in reliquo reposita est mihi corona iustitiae, quam das, iuste iudex, non solum mihi qui nunc morior, sed omnibus illis qui diligunt adventum tuum .
Good wishes and final blessing
These are the wishes that I make for you, this first day of the year, and that I will accompany with my blessing. I bless you, so that you can make this precious end. I bless you in your studies, in your prayers and even in your recreations, in a word, in all that you can accomplish in life for the glory of God. Standing, dear children, standing; do not fall asleep, because the times are evil: tempus faciendi, Domine: dissipaverunt legem tuam. It is up to us, it is to the clergy, that it is up to defend the rights of the Church, to work for the salvation of souls, to extend to all the earth the reign of Jesus Christ.
God calls you to this high mission, and it is a great honour for you to be able to accomplish it. So fix your eyes, full of faith, to heaven and see Jesus Christ raising his arm, at this very moment, and blessing you by supporting the weak arm of his unworthy Vicar.
Benedictio Dei, etc.
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