"The Israelites offended the Lord" (Jgs 2:11). They persisted in sin and eventually began to receive the wages of sin (Rm 6:23). The Lord "allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand. Whatever they undertook, the Lord turned into disaster for them" (Jgs 2:14-15). In their affliction, the people cried out to the Lord, and He took pity on them by sending the "judges" to lead them to repentance. However, the people did not completely repent. "When the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their fathers" (Jgs 2:19). Eventually, the nation even became so perverted as to sacrifice their sons and daughters to demons (Ps 106:37).

The moral standards of our society and even of some members of our Church have likewise deteriorated. We have sinned, repented, sinned, and repented, but we have done more sinning than repenting. We have sinned seriously, and then more seriously, while repenting superficially. This has resulted in an ever greater accommodation with evil. We must repent with a sincerity that we may have never before experienced. We should desire to go to Confession at least monthly and ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins (see Jn 16:8). Otherwise, today's perversions will be tomorrow's ordinary events. Repent as never before.

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 4, 2013

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