As the psalmist walks through the valley of darkness, he takes comfort in having a shepherd to guide and protect him. Many of those in need during these hard times are turning to their spiritual shepherds for guidance and help. . .

Elite private colleges are accustomed to rejecting a high percentage of those who apply to them, but with the financial crisis leaving prospective students and their parents feeling overwhelmed, those schools may have to adopt a policy . . .

The psalmist speaks of verdant pastures and restful waters this Sunday, but these and other natural resources are in serious danger of disappearing if overconsumption of the Earth's natural resources continues . . .

"Hope does not disappoint," we read in this Sunday's first selection from the Letter to the Romans. Manuel Uribe can attest to that. After considering suicide as his weight spiraled to 1,230 pounds in 2006—a Guinness world record . . .

"The village has been flattened. You can't see a house still standing."

In 2007, Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley—Wall Street's then-five largest firms—gave out $39 billion in bonuses to employees, while shareholders lost $74 billion. In the third quarter of 2008, two of those firms, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, plus Wells Fargo increased payments to lobbyists.