FROM How to Root Out Hidden Faults by Fr. James F. McElhone:

Too many persons are satisfied with mediocrity. They are neither good nor bad; they are ordinary, commonplace; and they remain so through their own fault. Let us glance over the various kinds of mediocrity and then determine whether or not we are ordinary, Some are mediocre in general. They have a lukewarm, careless attitude about everything. Their standard is ordinary in regard to spiritual things, studies, manual labor, to the proper attitude in recreation. They do not pray well or keep rules, they do not study with any real effort, they work in an indifferent way, they are slothful even in games. There are others who are lukewarm concerning some particular thing; they are ordinary in spiritual affairs, or studies, or manual labor, or recreation. Certain others are mediocre in a still more particular way; they practice obedience, or charity, or mortification, or rule-keeping in an ordinary way. They have a pronounced weakness, and seemingly sloth holds them in power, for they do not correct what is at fault; and the danger is that this one weakness will soread and become the cause of other falls. Those who are mediocre as far as studies are concerned have commonplace attention, or application, or willingness to learn, or effort. It may be they have a class to which they give no interest or very little; or they are neglecting a certain study that is hard for them. Those who are mediocre in regard to manual labor work in a careless or lazy fashion, being satisfied with indifferent results. Those who are mediocre in recreation commit the same faults time after time; they do not urge themselves to better things; they lack zeal in the correction of their faults; they remain uncharitable. Now, none of us would care to be mediocre in everything, but are there not any number of us who seem to be satisfied with mediocrity in a particular way? Sloth keeps us from perfection; sloth holds us back; sloth enters daily into some of the things we do.

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