In each century, our world has been a place of conflict and war, of starvation in the midst of plenty, of riches gained by some at the expense of others. It was that way when Jesus walked on earth, and it is that way today.

However, in every era, there is also a strong force for the good and the just. Jesus, the Light of the World, is our best example. Over the centuries since Jesus' death and resurrection, there have always been people who followed his teaching to bring the light of love, fairness and compassion to a suffering world. Indeed, in looking back at history, we can see that many times the only hope was the love and compassion that good Christians and other caring people shared and showed. We need to continue the work of this absolutely necessary tradition.