This Sunday’s gospel tells of John the Baptist announcing the arrival on the scene of Jesus, “the Lamb of God.” Both John and Jesus would be executed for their faith—as were an alarming 2,123 Christians worldwide last year, nearly double the 1,201 martyred in 2012. More than half of those reported killings occurred in Syria . . .

The first reading this Sunday speaks of how the Lord will utilize Israel so that “salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is hoping the Vatican will be able to help save an imprisoned U.S. citizen from having to serve the remainder of his lengthy prison sentence . . .

The psalmist who “waited, waited for the Lord” is finally rewarded with “a new song,” as we hear in this Sunday’s responsorial psalm. Researchers have waited a long time for evidence that caffeine not only enhances mental acuity in general but also memory . . .

In this Sunday’s second reading Saint Paul wishes grace and peace for the followers of Jesus in Corinth. A steadily improving economy may bring a measure of peace to harried wage-earners and the grace of a new job to more of the long-term unemployed. An improving U.S. federal budget situation . . .

"The Holy See gets it. Let's not say too late or not. But there are certain things that need to be done differently."

According to a new Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the net worth of the world's 300 richest people climbed $524 billion in 2013 to $3.7 trillion, which is more than the gross domestic product of every nation in the world except the U.S. and China.