"Guide me in your truth and teach me," the psalmist asks of the Lord in this Sunday's psalm. The U.S. Roman Catholic bishops have been lobbying Congress to come up with a health care bill more in line with what the church teaches.

The Lord will fulfill the promise and do what is right and just in the land, says the prophet Jeremiah in this Sunday's first reading. President Barack Obama, promising to "finish the job," will address the nation next Tuesday evening on his plans for the war in Afghanistan.

"Be vigilant at all times," Jesus counsels his disciples in this Sunday's gospel. Guards at the U.S.-Mexico border vigilantly search for contraband but worry that a program that offers trusted trucking companies speedy passage across U.S. borders is being hijacked by Mexican drug smugglers. Large shipments of illegal drugs have been discovered in recent months. 

The reading from 1 Thessalonians this Sunday begins with a prayerful wish: "May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all." If hate crime statistics are any indication, that wish has yet to be fully realized.

"We were shocked."

38.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more over the Thanksgiving weekend, with most of them, 33.2 million, traveling by car. The total is a 1.4 percent increase over last year.