April 8, 2022

Inside this issue

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

  CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly  
 
Overview: Congress begins a two-week recess this weekend. Before leaving town, Senators voted to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson to the Supreme Court. This historic confirmation places the first African-American woman on the court.  Justice Brown-Jackson will take Justice Stephen Breyer's seat when he retires from the Court. Also this week, a bipartisan aid package to help with pandemic programs stalled when some members of Congress (from both parties) asked that the Title 42 policy remain active until the administration submits a plan to deal with the increased numbers of people who will enter the country when the policy is rescinded.

Economy: In the week ending April 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial [unemployment insurance weekly] claims was 166,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 31,000 from 202,000 to 171,000. The 4-week moving average was 170,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 30,500 from 208,500 to 178,000.

Public charge: The Homeland Security Department has published a proposed rule to amend the federal "public charge" provisions. CCUSA is preparing comments to submit in favor of the rule.

Title 42: Members of Congress called for a vote on an amendment that would keep in place language limiting immigration during the Covid pandemic (Title 42). A number of Republicans and at least a handful of Democrats indicated they would break with President Joe Biden's desire to stop the continued implementation of Title 42: Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

Holy Week: Here's a link to a Way of the Cross sponsored by Caritas Internationalis, if you would like to use it for prayer next week.
 
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  Faith and the Common Good  
 
"...with their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses" (Num 21:4).

Who doesn't have sympathy for the Israelites here? Forty years of traveling in the desert, moving slowly toward the promised land, they experienced many hardships. Daily tasks and taking care of family were challenging. Resources were scarce. People got sick; some died. No doubt delays and detours were required along the way. Wishing the journey over and the promise realized is an understandable feeling.

Some of the Israelites, however, began thinking that the promise was unattainable and a return to Egypt was preferable to wandering in the desert. Returning to Egypt, of course, meant a return to slavery. Such a desire indicates a weariness beyond the challenges of a difficult journey; it suggests a loss of faith. They also forgot about God freeing them from slavery.

God sends saraph serpents to prod the people out of their despair. Admitting their sin, the people ask God through Moses to stop the snakes. It's interesting what God does. Instead of wiping out the snakes, he tells Moses to mount a bronze one on a pole so that "whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent," he or she would live. God sets up the possibility for people to make an act of faith, which replaces their despair with hope.

The Church sees the bronze serpent as foreshadowing the crucifix, which is a symbol of the Christian faith. Like the Israelites, followers of Christ can be dragged down by the journey and tempted with despair. Does God even care about the state of the world or those stuck in poverty or people gripped by desperation or innocent people massacred in a war? Gazing at Jesus on the cross reminds us that the way of faith does not evaporate hardships, but neither does it end at death. Faith centers us on the hope of Easter and frees us to love on earth, even when others choose to "return to Egypt."
 
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  Trivia  
 
Q. James Naismith, who invented basketball in 1891 and started the University of Kansas basketball program in 1898, is the only Kansas coach to have what?

Please send your answers to [email protected]. 

Last week's question and answer:

Q. What is the significance of the phrase "hunting the gowk," as it relates to April 1?

A. Thanks to Bill Rosanelli for getting the answer first: "April Fools' Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with "hunting the gowk," in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people's derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or "kick me" signs on them."
 
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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!

Be sure to text CCUSA to 50457 to receive our action alerts! 

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

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

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