Jesus died outside of Jerusalem.

The sacrificed animals were burned outside the camp, therefore Jesus redeemed and purified us by suffering his Passion outside the walls of Jerusalem.

The High Priest carried the blood of the sacrificed animals to the sanctuary to offer it for the sins committed by the people during the past year. He offered the blood because blood is life, and the blood of every creature belongs to God. Through this rite, the community had the opportunity to "cleanse itself and have new life," thus restoring its union with God.

The Sanctuary was in the middle of the camp, representing safety in the hostile desert environment. Here God gathered his people so that they would cease to be "nobody" and become "somebody," because being inside the camp meant belonging to God, having value in God's eyes, being important to God, and also in the eyes of other people in the community. On the other hand, being outside the camp meant belonging to "solitude," to the desert, and this was dangerous, because killing someone who was "nobody" was not considered homicide. Also outside the camp were the garbage dumps, where garbage was burned, and chaos and death reigned.

In the early days of crucifixion, the Romans reserved it for agitators who threatened public order, and it was carried out precisely on landfills; this was done so that the death would be more shameful, since, in addition, the crucifixion was done with naked bodies to indicate that those who died in this way were trash; and they were not buried, remaining as garbage, as it was the last ignominy that could be done to them.

The fact that Christ died outside Jerusalem implied a reversal of values: God chose to live where there is no belonging or intimacy; the place of God's presence shifts from being in the Temple to being on the Cross.

The Cross disrupts our values and tells us that power lies in the powerlessness and dishonor of the Cross; therefore, to find God, we must leave our securities to find Christ in the contempt He suffers on the Cross.

Commitments arising from the Spirituality of the Blood of Christ:

1. We cannot escape failures and tragedies, but we must bring them closer to the wounds of Christ so that they may be redeemed and bring us new horizons in life.

2- We cannot discard others simply because they are different or because their appearance is not like ours.

3- We need to rescue the following from vacant lots:

Those who are homeless and those who, no matter how hard they try, will never be able to recover from life's adversities.

– These are people over 50 who suddenly find themselves unemployed and unable to find work because they are no longer profitable.

– Women and children who are victims of sexual and abuse of authority, who are afraid of intimacy and trust no one.

Some elderly people, despite receiving very good medical care, lack affection, a listening ear, and dignity in their homes or residences.

– People who are caught off guard by life's changes and are unable to adapt to new situations, and therefore live like robots.

4- To be witnesses that God does not "make" garbage, but that garbage is caused by selfishness, envy, pride... by our sin.

5- To offer those who are suffering a restorative love, not a love of pity (poor things), so that they realize that God counts on them because they are important to Him.

6- To be artisans of reconciliation, not adding "fuel to the fire," but rather "water" to extinguish discord and conflict.

7- We cannot let ourselves be discouraged by failures and when things don't go as planned, because the cross (the failure) of Christ was his great victory.

8- To recognize that God is above all and that He did not want His Son to remain on the garbage heap, but that He pitched His tent there, because His beloved children are also on the garbage heap. (Fr. Paulino, CPPS)