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Wednesday, August 27, 2003

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St. Monica


1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Psalm 139
Matthew 23:27-32

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setting new records for evil

"You say, 'Had we lived in our forefathers' time we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.' " —Matthew 23:30

The "religious" people of Jesus' times insisted that they would not have committed the sins of their ancestors. We likewise don't believe we would ever again perpetrate the racism and slavery of our forefathers. We can't imagine ourselves staffing concentration camps and bombing civilian populations. We think we would never treat women like animals.

Jesus told the people of His time that they were in what psychologists call "denial." Jesus says the same thing to us. We would commit and are committing some of the worst sins of our ancestors. In fact, we are surpassing our ancestors in evil. Is racism really a thing of the past? Aren't many employees today treated more like slaves than children of God? The death toll in concentration camps is minuscule compared to the deaths due to surgical and chemical abortions. Who is more innocent than a pre-born baby? Yet they are so often murdered by chemical warfare. What is pornography? It is nothing less than treating women (as well as men and children) as animals or even objects.

Stalin, Hitler, and other villains of history have nothing on us. Repent!

Prayer:  Father, free me from sin. Make me holy no matter what.

Promise:  "You are witnesses, as is God Himself, of how upright, just, and irreproachable our conduct was toward you who are believers." —1 Thes 2:10

Praise:  St. Monica shared her home with a violent-tempered husband and a disagreeable mother-in-law. Her prayers and patience resulted in the conversion of both of them.

Reference:  (For a related teaching, order our tape The Culture of Death on audio AV 73-3 or video V-73.)

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Richard L. Klug, February 27, 2003


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, March 3, 2003