Heroes of the Faith
"On Saints and Saintliness", Part I
by John Henry Newman, 19th cen.
An ordinary man thinks it enough to do as he is done by; he will think
it fair to resent insults, to repay injuries, to show a becoming pride,
to insist on his rights, to be jealous of his honor, when in the wrong
refuse to confess it, to seek to be rich, to desire to be well with the
world, to fear what his neighbors will say. He seldom thinks of the
Day of Judgment, seldom thinks of sins past, says few prayers, cares little
for the Church, has no zeal for God's truth, spends his money on himself.
Such is an ordinary Christian, and such is not one of God's elect.
For the latter is more than just, temperate and kind; he has a devoted
love of God, high faith, holy hope, over-flowing charity, a noble self-command,
a strict conscientiousness, humility never absent, gentleness in speech,
simplicity, modesty, and unaffectedness, an unconsciousness of what his
endowments are, and what they make of him in God's sight. This is
what Christianity has done in the world; such is the result of Christian
teaching; viz., to elicit, foster, mature the seeds of heaven which lie
hid in the earth, to multiply (if it may be said) images of Christ, which,
though they be few, are worth all else that is among men, and are an ample
recompense and "a crown of rejoicing" for Apostles and Evangelists "in
the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming" (P.P.S., IV, 157-159).
[Part II]
excerpted from A Newman Treasury, selected and
edited by Charles Frederick Harrold, (c) 1943 by Longman, Green and Co.,
Inc., Arlington House Publisher, New Rochesse, New York
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