One pious devotion that is often overlooked is the traditional Precious Blood devotion, which highlights the blood Jesus poured out for all humanity.
While it is not often a part of many modern Catholics' spiritual lives, the mystery behind the devotion is central to the Christian story.
The Directory on popular piety goes so far as to state, "the mystery of the Blood of Christ is to be found at the very center of the faith and of our salvation."
The Bible contains many events that recall this mystery, which the Directory on popular piety expertly lists in the following way.
1Incarnation
the Incarnation of the Word (cf. John 1:14) and Christ's becoming a member of the people of the Old Testament through circumcision (Luke 2:21);
2Lamb of Sacrifice
the biblical image of the Lamb abounds with implication: "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29), in which Isaiah's Suffering Servant image (Is 53) is also to be found, carries upon himself the sins of mankind (cf Is 53:4-5); the "Paschal Lamb", symbol of Israel's redemption (cf. At 8:31-35; 1 Cor 5:7; 1 Pet 1:18-20);
3Chalice of the Passion
the "chalice of the passion" of which Jesus spoke in allusion to his imminent redemptive death, when he asked the sons of Zebede: "Can you drink this chalice that I must drink?" (Mt 20:22; cf Mk 10:38) and the chalice of the agony in the garden of olives (cf Lk 22:42-43) which was accompanied by the Lord's sweating blood (cf. Lk 22:44);
4Eucharistic Chalice
the Eucharistic chalice, under the form of wine, contains the Blood of the New Covenant poured out for the remission of sins; is a memorial of the Lord's Pasch (1 Cor 11:25); and the drink of salvation according to the Lord's own words: "he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall have life eternal and I shall raise him up on the last day" (John 6:54);
5Jesus' Death
the event of the Lord's death, since by pouring out his Blood on the Cross, Christ reconciled heaven and earth (cf Col 1:20);
6Blood and Water from the cross
the lance that transfixed the immolated Lamb, from whose open side flowed blood and water (cf John 19:34), a sign of the redemption that had been achieved, and of the sacramental life of the Church -blood and water, Baptism and Eucharist, symbol of the Church born from the side of Christ dying on the Cross.
