Before and during the Middle Ages it was the Church which took the lead, principally through the diocesan bishops and the religious orders, in organising these works of compassion.  Much of what they did was concerned with running hostels for people who were sick, afflicted or destitute.  The bishops, monks and nuns brought to their work a personal love and care which was an expression of their own love for Our Lord.

This quality of compassion, which was one of the most noticeable features of Our Lord’s character, is one which every Christian must possess, not least because it is the quality above all others which raises a person to his or her full stature as a human being.  Without it, one is not only unChristlike but actually less than human.