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Overview: Both houses were in session this week. Voting and plans for the FY2023 budget and appropriations continue. The House acted on Wednesday to advance a package of appropriations bills (minibus) to fund the federal government until October, but the legislation is not expected to advance in the Senate without bipartisan support. The $405 billion bill holds half of the 12 annual funding bills.

FY2023 Budget and Appropriations: The House of Representatives passed a six-bill appropriations minibus package this week that includes the Agriculture bill and other funding bills important to the Catholic Charities ministry. See CCUSA's appropriations letters sent to Congress over the past few weeks on the "Recent Letters & Statements" page on our website.

Economy: In the week ending July 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial [unemployment] claims was 251,000, an increase of 7,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 244,000. The 4-week moving average was 240,500, an increase of 4,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 232,500.

Immigration: CCUSA joined USCCB, Catholic Relief Services, and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) in a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling on them to re-designate Venezuela and Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) so that all nationals arriving in the U.S. from these countries will qualify for TPS. Presently, Syrian nationals must have continuous residence in the U.S. since March 19, 2021, and Venezuelan nationals from March 8, 2021, to qualify, despite the ongoing humanitarian crises happening in their homelands.

Migrants from Venezuela walk along a trail after crossing the Rio Grande in Del Rio, Texas, May 23, 2022. (CNS photo/Marco Bello, Reuters)

The Supreme Court said it would not restore immigration enforcement guidelines set by the Biden administration that had been blocked by a federal judge in Texas. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decided in Texas v. United States that the Department of Homeland Security could not implement its policy to focus on migrants for deportation who pose a national security or public safety threat. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in a separate case ruled in favor of the Biden Administration when it considered almost the same issue in Arizona v. Biden. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in December.

Discussions are ongoing concerning the Emergency Response Act and the Border Security and Migrant Safety Act. These two bipartisan bills aim to provide additional funding for humanitarian response to the migrant surge at the southern border and to strengthen border security.

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Pope Francis established throughout the Church the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and Elderly on the fourth Sunday of July (the 24th this year), near the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus. The theme for this year's celebration is "In Old Age They Will Still Bear Fruit" (Ps. 92:15). The theme is meant to emphasize how grandparents are a gift to their families, society, and the Church. 

We can consider Joachim and Anne as examples of the theme. There's an old saying: if you see the child, you see the parents. We don't know much about Joachim and Anne beyond the fact that they existed. We get some information from extra-biblical material, like the proto-evangelium of James. But the major source is Mary herself: see the child, see the parents.

Mary, according to Scripture, is a decisive and prayerful young woman. She believes in God and is attentive to his words. Mary is concerned about her relatives and neighbors: note her solicitude for Elizabeth and the wedding guests at Cana. We cannot fail to see the grace of God in Mary's life. One can conclude safely that Joachim and Anne, by their example and instruction, influenced Mary's development.

For Mary to be disposed to God's grace as she was, she must have been raised in a home very receptive to God. Of course, God can break through any barrier, including an ungodly family life, but a child will be more ready and able to recognize her relationship with God and choose to live by God's grace when her parents and grandparents do the same. And it makes it far more likely that such blessings will be passed down to new generations.

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Q. Today, July 22, the Church celebrates the memory of Mary Magdalene. Each of the four canonical gospels mentions a particular moment in her life. What is that moment? 

Please send your answers to [email protected].

Last week's question and answer:

Q. How are cenobites and eremites different?

A. Thanks to Rose Mary Saraiva, Volunteer Coordinator & Bereavement Services at Catholic Social Services, Fall River, Mass. for being first with the answer: "Cenobites live in community, while eremites live like hermits, living in solitary." 

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