The shining presence of Jesus, the newborn king of kings, fills the earth with its light and draws all people to bring their spiritual riches, pay homage, and do justice.

Our thirst for justice requires us to imagine a better world where peace reigns long before the fighting stops; our hope for salvation assumes a vision of our best selves long before we set selfish and foolish ways aside.

Too often our lives slide into darkness brought on by our being so busy or disappointed or angry or jealous or confused. And, sadly, we often are not even aware of the darkness enveloping us. If we are not careful, we can get lost in it.

This Sunday's gospel offers two distinct and opposite models to follow: Live like the magi, or live like Herod.

Estimates say that during the 20th century well over 50,000,000 people died because of genocides at the hands of political leaders, rival tribes, and oppressive nation-states.

A man sat down on the desk chair in his son's room. His boy was lying on his bed, face pressed into his pillow. For quite a while no words passed between them.

When I was growing up, families picked up and moved at a moment's notice because of company transfers or new job opportunities. My family moved three times before I was 5, and my cousins lived in three states and six houses before their oldest child was in high school.

Saint Paul offers a recipe for happy family life. We could all benefit from putting the virtues and traits he extols into practice.

The parish church of Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago was called Nativity of Our Lord. Why? Because it was built on the site of a former stable.

Joseph was a stand-up guy, a regular Joe, a by-the-book rule follower, a good Jew. But like any faithful person, he let his conscience be his final guide.