During the Sunday, January 3 Mass celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord, we hear the psalmist praise the Lord as the one who "shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him."

President Obama campaigned on a promise to make health care more affordable and accessible to millions who currently lack the resources to obtain it. He and the Democrat-controlled U.S. Congress have spent much of the past year struggling to fulfill that promise amidst an atmosphere of often bitter partisanship. At year end they appeared close to a victory, but the final outcome is still uncertain.

Health care reform was also at or near the top of lists of religion stories of the year, in part because of controversies over abortion and the role the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other faith groups played in shaping the debate. Some accused religious leaders of stepping too far into partisan politics, while others defended the practice to be in keeping with the role of moral leadership.