Check out some of the most relevant articles and news stories for Millennial readers that hit the web last week.

Agenda for a year of faith: looking ahead to Pope Benedict’s 2013 by Francis X. Rocca (National Catholic Reporter) – 2013 is already looking to be a big year for the Church, with some potential new faces in the hierarchy, important documents on love and healthcare workers expected, World Youth Day in Brazil, and more.

Our Students in 2012 by Julie Rubio (Catholic Moral Theology) – The modern increase of “Nones,” those who do not affiliate with any religion, is shifting dialogues about faith, leading to more tolerance, less judgment, and a deeper understanding of the complexity of political/religious issues, but also highlighting the need for new ways to engage Millennials and show them that faith can still be beautiful and relevant today.

Millennials Favor Preserving Social Security Over Reducing Deficit, Despite Skepticism: Pew Poll by Tyler Kingkade (The Huffington Post) – Millennials are divided over social security and many question the long-term viability of the program, but still tend to support continuing social security benefits over a focus on reducing our federal deficit, recognizing that government needs to do more for its citizens.

Keeping One’s Work in Perspective by Anand Giridharadas (The New York Times) – Amid debates over the 47% and entrepreneurs that “didn’t build that,” Dr. Timothy Keller challenges both the left and the right’s views on work, advocating for a centrist position that work “lends life meaning but doesn’t monopolize it.”  He understands the need for both “the suspicion of capital and the celebration of work and wealth creation.”

Families Ache by Nanette Fondas (Psychology Today) – Drawing on themes from the Giridharadas article above and also inspired by Anne-Marie Slaughter’s Atlantic article “Why Women Can’t Have it All,” Nanette Fondas explores how our culture’s emphasis on the professional life leaves families wanting, putting special strain on mothers.  She focuses on family-friendly business policies as a necessary part of the solution.

Pope Benedict XVI, Scourge of “Unregulated Capital by John Gehring (Faith in Public Life) — Pope Benedict XVI took advantage of his platform on the World Day of Peace to target unregulated financial capitalism, so as John Gehring suggests, “The next time you hear a Catholic politician or a ‘pro-life’ leader who argues for gutting financial regulations and slashing vital programs that protect children and the elderly so the wealthiest few can get more tax breaks, tell them to take it up with the pope.”

Sandy’s Victims by Meghan J. Clark (America Magazine) — Meghan J. Clark explores the uneven effects that Hurricane Sandy’s devastation wreaked on those of differing income levels, noting that “those at or below the poverty line are least able to handle the unexpected tragedy of a natural disaster.” Sandy spotlighted systemic injustices that we are all called to help eradicate.

The Living Wage and Responsible Fatherhood: Reflection on the Crisis of the American Family by Stephen Schneck (Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good) – Stephen Schneck argues that the failure to provide a living wage and the continually growing trend of absentee fathers are undoubtedly the two biggest factors contributing to the weakening of the family and harming society overall.