Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/480

 them. In fact  to  realize  ideals  is  to  reduce  them  to the  common. Even the  saints  of  God  amid  their greatest spiritual  triumphs  often  give  way  to  sadness and self-reproach. They see  things  through  God's eyes. They look  over  and  beyond  the  little  they have done,  to  the  much  more  that  might  have  been accomplished, or  they  gaze  regretfully,  as  Jesus  did, from their  single  selves  at  the  Saviour's  feet  to  the thankless nine  so  far  from  Him. This is  the  key  to the  incomprehensible  humility  and  penances  of  the saints; it  is  the  secret  of  Christ's  habitual  sadness. For the  saints  are  not  phenomena;  rather  theirs should be  the  normal  standard  for  humanity. The adoring Samaritan  is  doing  no  more  than  was  obviously his  duty;  the  ungrateful  nine  on  the  other hand typify  the  great  mass  of  men  and  women,  each of whose  lives  is  but  a  record  of  neglected  opportunities. Ah! no wonder  the  Saviour  is  sad,  and  the lonely Samaritan  ashamed. "Were not  God  an  all-sufficient  substitute,  the  happiness  of  heaven  even would  not  withstand  that  regretful  query:  "  Where are the  nine? " Where  are  the  nine?  He  who  was not  repelled  by  their  previous  hideousness  now  gazes with  pity  and  disappointment  on  their  retreating forms.  Indifference  and  ingratitude  are  more  offensive, more  hopeless  than  even  downright  sin. While  lepers  still,  how  piteously  they  cried  to  Him, how  eagerly  they  longed,  but  dared  not,  to  approach Him,  and  now,  now  that  their  cure  is  wrought,  they turn  their  backs  on  Him.  But  did  not  He  Himself command  them  to  go  before  the  priest  and offer  sacri-