"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light," proclaims the reading from the Book of Isaiah for the Nativity of the Lord Mass at Midnight. The struggling economy heads up many lists of the "top ten" news stories for the year . . . .

The reading from the Letter to the Colossians for the Sunday, December 27 celebration of the Holy Family implores: "Let the peace of Christ control your hearts." But even in this season celebrating the Prince of Peace, war is never far from the headlines . . . .

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 . . . .

During the January 1 Mass of the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the gospel reading from Luke tells us that when the newborn savior was eight days old, "he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb." Debate over matters related to the womb . . .

During the Sunday, December 27 Mass celebrating the Holy Family, the reading from the First Letter of John proclaims, "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed." Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of the day when "all of God's children . . . will be able to join hands . . . ."

"Keep your government hands off my Medicare."

Approximately 50 million Americans have contracted the H1N1 flu, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 10,000 have died, with most of the victims under age 50.