April 21, 2023

Inside this issue

• CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly
• Faith and the Common Good
• Trivia
• Connections

  CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly  
 
Overview: The CCUSA Social Policy team is monitoring the negotiations surrounding the debt ceiling. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy introduced his plan, the "Limit, Save, Grow Act," with the hope of beginning discussions with the Senate and the White House.

Meanwhile, CCUSA’s team is drafting appropriations letters citing the needs of vulnerable populations and asking committee members to include robust funding to meet these needs in their requests. Please see CCUSA's legislative priorities for the 118th Congress, which outline the areas of greatest need for people experiencing poverty and estrangement from civil society.

Next week, CCUSA staff members at the national office will welcome 14 new diocesan directors of Catholic Charities agencies from around the country. The new directors are visiting CCUSA’s office to learn about resources available to them via the national staff, including the Social Policy team. Also next week, the Social Policy team will host (with other national charitable organizations) an evening reception at the Capitol to support bipartisan commitment for a 2023 Farm Bill, with the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee as special guests.

Economy: In the week ending April 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 245,000, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 239,000 to 240,000. The 4-week moving average was 239,750, a decrease of 500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 250 from 240,000 to 240,250.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Building in Washington is seen in this undated photo. Some authorities have suggested almost 2 million Americans could potentially lose their jobs impacted by anti-inflation policies of the Federal Reserve, adding a complicated financial and moral dynamic with respect to Catholic social teaching. (OSV News photo/Jason Reed, Reuters)

Financial literacy: CCUSA endorsed the Multilingual Financial Literacy Act, which would direct the Financial Literacy Education Commission (FLEC) to carry out a study on the impact of language barriers to financial health. Following the study, FLEC would issue a report with recommendations on how to address these barriers, with the goal of achieving better financial inclusion for individuals with limited English proficiency. It would also require FLEC to coordinate and promote efforts of federal agencies to create financial literacy and education resources, including websites and hotlines, available in at least eight of the most commonly spoken languages in the United States.

Refugee resettlement: The U.S. resettled more than 6,000 refugees in March, the largest number in fiscal year 2023. The year-to-date number of refugees the U.S. has resettled in FY 2023 is 18,429 out of the Biden administration’s annual determination of 125,000.

Justice reform: April is "Second Chance" month, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about barriers experienced by 1 in 3 Americans who have a criminal record. These barriers to a dignified life include limited access to education, jobs, health care and housing. With help, many returning citizens are able to live up to their potential after having paid their debt to society. Consider this story of a returning citizen who turned his life around with assistance from Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Dubuque.
 
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  Faith and the Common Good  
 
In Sunday’s gospel, we hear about two disciples of Jesus walking toward Emmaus. They are on a journey that many people, since then, have taken: After the joy of coming to know Jesus, they abandon hope in him because he has not met their expectations. Indeed, they are leaving Jerusalem.

The two disciples manifest their disappointment verbally as well: “We were hoping that [Jesus] would be the one to redeem Israel.” In their eyes, Jesus had failed because it seemed that everything remained the same. Israel was still a vassal to Rome.

This is an American 18th-century painting entitled "Christ on the Road to Emmaus." On the first Easter Sunday two of Jesus's disciples, disillusioned by the events of the past three days, set out from Jerusalem for Emmaus, several miles away. En route they meet a stranger who appears totally unaware of what has transpired in Jerusalem. (CNS photo/courtesy National Gallery of Art)

Most, if not all, of us  have experienced this kind of disappointment. Why wasn’t my loved one healed? Why do I continue to battle the same old sins? 

Such questions and the two disciples’ statements share something in common: The focus remains on “my” hopes, “my” needs, “my” expectations, instead of focusing on Jesus’ words and deeds. Jesus, however, challenges those expectations.

“Oh, how foolish you are!” Jesus says. “How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter his glory?” It’s clear that Jesus expects us to hand over our hearts and minds to him, to believe in him and to trust that he will help us break free of our limited vision.

Jesus provides his words and deeds to help us follow him more closely, just as he did for the two disciples walking to Emmaus. On the way, Jesus interprets all of the Scriptures for them. We hear that they are attracted to Jesus’ words and their hearts burn within them as they listen.

We still have Jesus’ words. Who doesn’t feel the attraction to the Word of God? Even if we struggle in our belief, we want to believe the Word of God, which tells us, among other things: “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” “Neither do I condemn you, but go and sin no more.” “I promise you, this day you will be with me in paradise.” It’s a hard heart that cannot be moved by these words.

The two disciples were moved so deeply that they invited Jesus to stay with them, and with this invitation Jesus is able to feed them further, not only with his words but also with their fulfillment. “And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him…”

The words of Jesus that told of redemption, of forgiveness, of eternal life are realized in the breaking of the bread, the very action that Jesus linked to his act of love on the cross. And the two disciples come to see that their expectations for redemption have not only been met but also surpassed through Jesus’ dying and rising. That’s why they “set out at once” to return to Jerusalem and share the good news of Jesus.

Every disciple of Jesus follows a similar route: Yielding to the word of God, experiencing its power in one’s life, and heading out to others to share the gospel through active love. If we set our expectations on temporary solutions or momentary relief, we will continue to experience disappointment. But if we yield to the grace from Christ – who is risen and alive – we can live confident in our hope of the fullness of redemption.
 
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  Trivia  
 
Q. What does the book of Exodus say about usury?

Please send your answers to [email protected]. 

Last week's question and answer:

Q. On April 14, 1865, what event stunned the United States?

A. Thanks to Marie Copeland, Lady of Charity from Albany, NY, who was first with the right answer:  President Abraham Lincoln is shot in the head at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.
 
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  Connections  
 
Please share the weekly with your friends, family and networks so that we can build a movement of solidarity for those most in need!

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You can also access advocacy opportunities through our advocacy and policy page.

Stay connected with our work to end poverty: Follow us on Twitter: @EndPoverty.   

If you would like to help further Catholic Charities' commitment to alleviating, reducing, and preventing poverty, you can contribute here.
 
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