Second Shedding of Christ’s Blood – Victory Over Greed and Selfish Desire | Sevenfold Shedding Devotion


    In the sacred moments of Christ’s passion, we witness the profound shedding of His Blood, a divine act that speaks to the depths of human frailty and the boundless mercy of God. Just as He bore the weight of our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, His Blood cries out against the sins that ensnare our souls, particularly the grievous sins of covetousness and avarice (Luke 12:15; Exodus 20:17). In this mystery, we are invited to confront the disordered desires that draw the heart away from God and toward the false security of possessions.

Prayer

(Keep exactly as printed in the original source)

Second Shedding: Against Covetousness and Avarice

    O Lord Jesus Christ, in Thy agony, Thou didst pour out Thy precious Blood as a testament of Thy infinite love and sacrifice. In that moment of profound suffering, when Thy soul was heavy with the burden of the world's iniquities, Thou didst willingly offer Thyself to the Father, shedding Thy Blood to redeem us from the chains of greed and selfishness.

    By this sacred shedding of Thy Blood, grant us the grace to overcome the desires that bind our hearts. May we learn to embrace generosity and contentment, reflecting Thy divine love in all our actions.

    Let us pray with humble hearts, seeking deliverance from the snares of covetousness and avarice, that we may walk in the freedom of Thy grace and truth.

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

    O Savior of the world, who by Thy Cross and Blood hast redeemed us, hear our prayer and deliver us from the snares of covetousness and avarice.

Biblical Citations for Meditation

  • Exodus 20:17 (NABRE): “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
  • Luke 12:15 (NABRE): “Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’”
  • Colossians 3:5 (NABRE): “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry.”
  • Hebrews 13:5 (NABRE): “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’”
  • Ephesians 5:3 (NABRE): “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”
  • Proverbs 28:25 (NABRE): “A greedy person stirs up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.”
  • 1 Timothy 6:10 (NABRE): “For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Conclusion

    The shedding of Christ’s Blood against covetousness and avarice calls us to a profound pastoral contemplation grounded in the enduring wisdom of the Catholic Magisterium and Sacred Tradition. These teachings reveal that such sins estrange the human heart from divine love, fostering attachments that disrupt the harmony of Christian charity and wound the soul’s deepest longing for God. As Sacred Scripture warns, “the love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Timothy 6:10), and greed itself becomes a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5). The Church Fathers, including St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom, illuminate avarice as a root of many evils, urging repentance and inviting us to embrace the healing grace offered through Christ’s sacrifice.

    Drawing upon papal teachings, notably St. John Paul II’s Veritatis Splendor, we are reminded that true freedom and fulfillment are found not in earthly wealth but in conforming our will to God's divine plan. Scripture echoes this truth: “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5), and again, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed” (Luke 12:15). This sacred shedding invites us to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, nurturing contentment, practicing charity, and growing in detachment from material possessions. In doing so, our lives bear witness to the Kingdom of God, embodying the selfless love of Christ in a world longing for grace and redemption.

Manual of Prayers: For the Use of the Catholic Laity (Baltimore: John Murphy & Co., 1888), p. 246. Public Domain.

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