O wretched mediocrity,
 With which the church is cursed,
How loathe are men to part with thee;
 How loathe thy bands to burst!

How gladly men embrace thy ways,
 How low the goals they set!
They live for one another’s praise,
 And God they full forget.

They love to think that all is right,
 And that what is should be.
The status quo is their delight,
 And blind conformity.

God grant us vision to behold
 A higher, truer form;
To break the mediocre mold,
 And rise above the norm.