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

Overview: Members of Congress continue to consider the more than $700 billion climate, tax, and health care bill - named the Inflation Reduction Act - announced by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) last week. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who had been holding off her support, said she would move forward with the package when leaders of her party assured her that a $14 billion tax increase on hedge fund managers and private equity executives would be dropped. The Senate could vote on the bill this weekend.

Immigration: The Supreme Court in Biden v. Texas has sent its certified judgment to the lower court, paving the way for the Biden administration to end the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) (aka Remain in Mexico). The Court ruled on June 30 that the rescission of MPP did not violate the Immigration and Nationality Act. With the Court's certified judgment being handed down, advocates anticipate that it would prompt the administration to finally end the program.

A person prays near a shadow of a sculpture depicting an angel outside Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, April 14, 2017. (CNS photo/Tiksa Negeri, Reuters)

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): A federal judge in New York declined to rule in favor of the 80,000 undocumented immigrants who sought clarification from the court regarding  USCIS' ability to process first-time DACA applications that have been pending with the agency. The plaintiffs in Batalla Vidal v. Mayorkas asked the court to clarify that the Texas v. Biden decision, which stopped the processing of new DACA applications, did not apply to them. The New York federal court concluded that the plaintiffs sought additional relief rather than a clarification. 

LIFTing Local Communities Act: On Wednesday, members of Congress introduced the LIFTing Local Communities Act to make it easier for faith-based organizations to apply for, and receive, government grants and other types of funding without fear of arbitrary religious limitations and vindictive litigation. Crafters of the bill remarked that faith-based organizations are some of the U.S.' best social service providers, yet they often face unjust barriers and uncertainty when applying to administer federally funded services in their communities.

Charitable giving: CCUSA joined with other nonprofits in sending a letter to President Biden and congressional leadership calling on Congress to improve charitable giving incentives and reinstate and enhance the Employee Retention Tax Credit. Read the full letter here.

Helping people experiencing homelessness: The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it will provide $2.8 billion in competitive funding to homeless services organizations across the country for supportive services and housing programs for people experiencing homelessness. Read HUD's Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). To learn more, please read the entire press release.  

Economy: In the week ending July 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial [unemployment] claims was 260,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 2,000 from 256,000 to 254,000. The 4-week moving average was 254,750, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 500 from 249,250 to 248,750.

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The Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord tomorrow, Aug. 6. Although the apostles did not understand at the time of the event, Jesus previews for them and us what awaits those who unite themselves to him. Jesus says he will undergo suffering and death, but it will end in resurrection and new life.

In Luke's Gospel, the Transfiguration offers significant lessons to us not simply in obedience, but in self-denial --  we are called to "transfigure," or transform, ourselves into new creations of God. (CNS photo/Greg Tarczynski)

Peter, John, and James, who witnessed the Transfiguration, can only stand there with mouths agape in awe and wonder. Peter manages to blurt out some words in the moment, but it's only after Jesus rises from the dead that he and his fellow disciples grasp the depth of meaning of the mystery of Jesus' incarnation, passion, and resurrection.

In his second letter that has passed down to us, Peter says, "We did not follow cleverly devised myths." No, he and the other apostles were "eyewitnesses" to the majesty and glory of Jesus Christ. By yielding and listening to Jesus' words, they also became witnesses to others. Their lives were changed, and so were the lives of people who were attentive to and followed the prophetic message of Jesus.

Peter then speaks to his readers, including all of us: "You will do well to be attentive to [the same message from Christ], until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." In other words, if the words of Jesus are received at first without understanding, then we should persevere. We should wait for him to rise in our hearts.

We are a people of hope, and our hope is not without a foundation. The ancestors of our faith, like Peter and the apostles, the law and the prophets, have testified to the morning star, who is Jesus. The prophets told of his advent and the apostles witnessed his life and death; they saw the risen Lord with their own eyes. They have testified that the risen Lord is present, always and forever.

Some people receive a preview of his glory, a unique privilege, as Peter, John, and James did. But sometimes we receive shafts of light shooting into our hearts - just like the rising sun sends rays across the ocean's surface: the sense of peace we have when reconciling with someone, the spark of insight when a particular Scripture lights up our understanding, or even the sense of awe we have when stirred by the grandeur of nature.

These are all reminders of the glory of God that reflect the fullness of glory in Jesus, the same glory with which he will clothe us, with garments of salvation, when we rise in him on the last day.

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Q. Why do Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus on the mountain during the Transfiguration?

Please send your answers to [email protected]. 

Last week's question and answer:

Q. Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are patron saints of what?

A. Thanks to Sylvia Loumeau, director of Clinical and Social Work Services, Catholic Charities Diocese of Camden, for being first with the right answer:  Siblings!

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