Jesus, Light for the World: living the gospel today Australian Catholic Bishops Statement on Social Justice 2005 Just as a light attracts those in darkness so Jesus - the light of our lives - will attract those in need. As light for the world Christians need to take up the challenge of living the Gospel today. Jesus' life is an example: the way he cured a sick woman (Lk 8:40f); cared for the hungry and thirsty (Mt 25:31f) recognized the light in others (Lk 17:11f) and offered people a spirituality for living out justice (Mt.5:3f).

The world needs Jesus' light: (a) Waste and want - the world is out of balance: of about six billion people, one billion have too much and own 80% of global gross domestic product, while another billion struggle to survive on less than a dollar a day. So much is wasted and thrown away (energy; food; consumer products). (b) Never enough time - a culture of busyness creates a frenetic and empty life. Australians suffer from the disease of affluence. Are Christians among the patients or the healers and carers? (c) Looking beyond ourselves - to the needs of other countries that suffer injustice, violence and famine is vital.

This year is the fortieth anniversary of the document 'Church in the modern world' (Second Vatican Council) which sets the grounds for actions for justice and peace. It speaks of the pressing obligation on us to be neighbour to every single individual. Christians are called to serve humanity. The Christian life can never be a flight from humanity, with all its joys and hopes and sorrows and anxieties, in order to find and worship the divinity In order to find the divinity Christians must serve humanity.

In the Eucharist, under the sign of the cross, listening to the word of God, through the bread and cup we become more fully the body of Christ, and so we are challenged to give witness to the communion we have with the poor and suffering in our world. There are many famous and many not-famous people who bring the Gospel message of Christ and show that something can be done. As the people of God we are to build the kingdom of God in our actions for justice.

The full text is available at http://www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au