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 an impossible  thing  as  the  cure  of  leprosy  was  but  a pretext  for  renewing  the  war. But Eliseus,  hearing of what  was  passing,  sent  to  the  king  saying,  "  Send the  man  to  me  that  he  may  know  there  is  a  prophet in  Israel." The prophet  lived  with  old  Giezi,  his man-servant, outside  the  town  in  a  little  cabin,  before which the  Syrian  troop  presently  drew  rein. By and by Giezi  came  forth  with  the  prophet's  message,  bidding Naaman  proceed  some  thirty  miles  farther  to the  banks  of  the  Jordan  where,  after  washing  seven times, he  would  be  healed. Then was  Naaman  angry, and turning  about  he  started  for  home  saying:  "  I thought  the  prophet  himself  would  have  come  out  to me,  and  invoked  his  God,  and  touched  my  leprosy with  his  hand  and  healed  me.  And  why  wash  in  the Jordan?  Are  not  our  Syrian  rivers  better  than  all  the waters  of  Israel?  "  Naaman  was  willing  to  accept  a favor  from  Israel's  prophet  and  Israel's  God,  and  he had  come  prepared  to  pay  for  it,  and  now  to  be treated  as  a  person  of  no  account  and  to  be  asked  to do  such  silly  things! He was  indignant  and  mortified. But Eliseus  knew  the  man's  pride  and  conceit and that  the  first  necessity  was  to  humble  him,  for God resisteth  the  proud  and  giveth  grace  to  the humble. When non-Catholics  of  great  wealth  or education  or  social  influence  join  our  faith,  they not infrequently  come  to  us  in  the  spirit  of  Naaman, feeling they  are  honoring  the  Church  and  should be lionized  accordingly. Pretentious Catholics  are sometimes similarly  disposed,  and  the  pity  of  it  is  that they often  find  clerical  sycophants  to  suit  their