In the long form of the Sunday gospel, Jesus encourages his disciples to get their priorities in order: "Sell your belongings and give alms . . . . For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. " Research suggests that advice is good not only . . .

"Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own," remarks the psalmist this Sunday. Presidents choose those they would like on their foreign service team, but choices for ambassadorships must be "blessed" by the U.S. . . .

In the long version of the second reading this Sunday, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the Jewish people awaiting the Promised Land "greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth" . . .

"Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival," Jesus says in the Sunday gospel, singling out "the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food . . .

"This pope gives people a reason to be excited about the Catholic Church. And not just the faithful. I’m an Israeli Jew and I’m paying attention.”

According to calculations by the Wall Street Journal, over the course of a three-hour baseball game a fan will see an average of 17 minutes and 58 seconds of action.