God shelters, rescues, and secures us for the future, the psalmist assures us this Sunday. East Coast residents need that assurance after Hurricane Sandy, one of the biggest storms ever to hit the U.S., battered the densely populated area . . .

After Jesus skillfully answered the scribe’s question in this Sunday’s gospel, “no one dared” to ask him anything more. Americans hoping to give the “right” answer when asked about their church attendance seriously inflate the frequency . . .

In the first reading this Sunday Moses encourages the people to keep the Lord's "statutes and commandments . . . and thus have long life.” Two new studies say that statutes banning smoking in public places are also good for one’s longevity . . .

“I am safe from my enemies” thanks to God’s strength, the psalmist affirms this Sunday. Modern-day Israel has long believed in security through strength, especially when confronted by what much of the world agrees is a hostile nation in Iran that many think has a goal of producing a nuclear weapon . . .

"It is as if during the liturgy, all of this symphony of figures come to life, certainly in a spiritual sense, but inseparably also esthetically.”

Cremation is now chosen over burial in 41 percent of deaths in the U.S., up from 15 percent in 1985.