Advancing the story just a bit, we find Jesus addressing the towns He had visited that remained unrepentant (Mt 11:20-24).  These experienced His miraculous works but did not change their ways.  Jesus points out cities of historical infamy that would have converted and been saved if the same was done within their limits.  What happens if they remain steeped in their evil ways?  The closing line (at top) is what they can anticipate.  Now that we’ve had nearly two thousand years of the Church, how much progress has been made?  As society in general sinks deeper and deeper into depravity one must wonder: How did we get here?  This is a worldwide epidemic but we need go no further than the United States to consider this question.  In a country where about 75% of the population purports to be Christian (the number was significantly higher not so many years ago) how is it that abortion on demand is the law of the land?  How is it that pornography is rampant and a multi-billion dollar industry?  How is it that same sex “marriage” is being legalized in more and more states?  How it it that the breakdown of the family is at epidemic proportions, with so many couples living in sin and out-of-wedlock births skyrocketing?  How is it that serious violence is on the rise?  They are supposed to know that we are Christians by our love.  Yet there is no authentic love in any of the situations just described.  How did  we let it get to this point?  And what are we going to do to stop this evil in its tracks and reverse all these horrible trends?  This country is under the protection of Our Lady under her title as the Immaculate Conception (formally since 1857).  Let us pray for her intercession under this title and may all Christians — nay, all the people — come to her for her unfailing aid.  May she no longer be forgotten, ignored, belittled, or despised.  The pure and sinless one said “Fiat!” to life, no to impurity, and no to hate.   May her example and prayers embolden us to change the world starting with ourselves.