Despite being an outsider to those of the Jewish faith, the Persian king Cyrus is called to a leading role by the Lord, this Sunday’s first reading reveals. Mitt Romney, a Mormon, is campaigning to lead the Republican Party in the 2012 presidential race . . .

The “Who’s Listening” section of this week’s issue of PrepareTheWord frames a key question found in the Sunday readings: “How well do we each recognize God's authority in our lives?” Reporters and civil libertarians have been asking by what authority an American citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, was recently assassinated in Yemen . . .

Conflicts between church and state are as timeless as the answer Jesus gives in this Sunday’s gospel when asked whether it was lawful to pay the census tax. Conflicts between Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority and the military council now ruling the country erupted into violence . . .

In this Sunday’s second reading Saint Paul reminds the Thessalonians that the gospel is powerful and spirit-filled. Americans accustomed to seeking an extra power-boost from vitamin supplements may want to rethink that option in light of new studies . . .

If God unexpectedly used a Persian king to lead his people, as we read in this Sunday’s reading from the Book of Isaiah, could God also call on a retiring Catholic bishop? . . .

“It's a false idol, just as much as the Wall Street bull has been a false idol for so many of us for so long.”

Although financial derivatives may have played a role in causing the recent financial crisis, U.S. bank holdings of derivatives--worth $250 trillion--are up 11 percent from last year. The four largest banks--JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs--hold 95 percent of the total.