There are some who not only waste the Precious Blood, but actually trample it under their feet. These are they who, being washed from all their sins in the most Precious Blood of Jesus, deliberately turn back again to the sins they have abandoned, set at nought His proffered love and friendship, and become far worse at the end than they were at the beginning. My Jesus, may I never be guilty of such base ingratitude!

But there are others still worse, who, after having been enrolled in the army of Jesus Christ, desert His standard and profess themselves unable to accept the teaching of the Church. Through pride or vice or covetousness they lose all their love of their holy faith and appreciation of its truth. These do indeed trample on the Precious Blood, and put Christ our Lord to shame. Yet at any time, without God's grace, I might be guilty of a like abandonment of my faith. O my God! make me always faithful to Thee!

There is a still lower depth. Some not only lose their faith, but become its enemies and traducers. They esteem the Blood with which they are sanctified an unclean thing, and offer an afront to the Spirit of grace. They assail the Church, its ministers, its sacraments, its doctrines, with lying lips and open insult. How can any ever fall so low as this! Yet among them will be found some, who were once more pleasing to God than I. May I take warning from them and humble myself, and cherish as an inestimable treasure the grace won for me by the Precious Blood!