Our pastor annually sends us a Lenten meditational book. Last year's was more of a "feel good" type. This year's is drawn from John Henry Newman's sermons and books, and he is unsparing in telling it how it is:
An ordinary man thinks it enough to do as is done to him; he will think it fair to resent insults, to repay injuries, to show a becoming pride, to insist on his rights, to be jealous for his honor, when in the wrong to refuse to confess it, to seek to be rich, to desire to do well with the world, to fear what his neighbors will say. He seldom thinks of the Day of Judgment, seldom thinks of sins past. Such is the ordinary Christian - and such is not among God's elect.
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This is the highest excellence to which we ordinarily attain: to understand our own hypocrisy, insincerity, and shallowness of mind - to own that, while we pray, we cannot pray aright, to repent of our repentings, and to submit ourselves wholly to his judgment, who could indeed be extreme with us, but has already shown his loving kindness in bidding us to pray.
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