• • CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly
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Overview: Anthony Granado, vice president of government relations at CCUSA, when asked by Catholic News Service about the Inflation Reduction Act, said that the bill had many positive elements. He also noted that CCUSA was disappointed that provisions related to rental assistance and child nutrition were excluded in the Senate passed bill. CCUSA will pursue broader funding of vital social services amid negotiations of the FY2023 appropriations bills, especially the re-enactment of the enhanced Child Tax Credit. The Senate passed its version of the Inflation Reduction Act on Aug. 7, while the House of Representatives is considering the bill today.

Immigration: Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) supports the introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act (H.R. 8685/S. 4787) that will allow Afghan nationals who cannot safely return home to stay in the U.S. and rebuild their lives. The bipartisan measure, which was introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and co-sponsored by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Coons (D-DE), Murkowski (R-AK), Blunt (R-MO), and Graham (R-SC), provides lawful permanent resident status (LPR status), also known as green cards, to Afghan nationals who arrived in the U.S. over the past year. The introduction of the Afghan Adjustment Act is a critical step in providing long-term protections for our Afghan brothers and sisters who were forcibly displaced from their homes. CCUSA expresses gratitude to lawmakers for acting to provide refuge and hope for Afghans in the U.S. We urge Congress to give broad bipartisan support to advance this measure.

Catholic Charities USA staff - from left to right: Lane Johnson, summer intern; Jane Stenson, vice president for food and nutrition and poverty reduction strategies; and Lucreda Cobbs, senior director for policy and legislative affairs - help out at a "Live it Up: Get Healthy, Live Well" event July 7, 2022, in Brooklyn, N.Y. (CNS photo/courtesy Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens)

Affordable housing: CCUSA submitted comments to the Chief Counsel's Office, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, concerning its proposed regulatory changes to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Regulatory Framework. You can access the full document here. CCUSA made the following comments, among others: banks should include a community needs assessment when responding to housing needs and CRA must address racial inequity by promoting fair lending practices.

CCUSA also submitted comments to the Office of General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, regarding the methodology for calculating fair market rents. Follow the link for the full document.

Economy: In the week ending August 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial [unemployment] claims was 262,000, an increase of 14,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 12,000 from 260,000 to 248,000.

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The readings for Mass this coming Sunday (Aug. 14) present us with two different kinds of leaders.

In the first reading we hear about King Zedekiah who is completely without conviction. In one moment he gives permission for the prophet Jeremiah to be killed. The next moment he allows Jeremiah to be saved.

King Zedekiah decides on impulse, on the feeling of the moment. The only criterion he uses is whether or not his princes and people are happy. The king is not concerned about the morality of his actions-or the action of his princes. He doesn't concern himself with the word of God as spoken through the prophet Jeremiah. He makes no effort at the difficult, sometimes kingdom-splitting task, of discerning the truth. Instead, he takes the path of least resistance. Worst of all, by abdicating his leadership position in this way, Zedekiah creates an environment in which it is easy for his princes to sin.

As the political leader, Zedekiah was in a position to bring his nation to a better understanding of the truth. But he doesn't even try. Perhaps it would have made no difference; maybe the princes and the people would have turned on him. But at least he would not have participated in evil.

In the gospel, we see that Jesus makes decisions based on God's will, which he comes to know through daily prayer. Nor does Jesus' concern for the people weaken his resolve to go to the cross, even though many tried to block his way. Many people wanted Jesus to be an earthly king; Judas wanted Jesus to topple the Romans; and Peter wanted him to forgo suffering. But Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem, signaling that he, and we, are bound for an eternal home, and that our lives on this earth should be oriented toward that home.

Rockus Ruekel, one of the actors portraying Jesus, is seen at the Last Supper with his disciples during the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. People from around the world who travel to Oberammergau to see the German city's famous Passion Play say it really brings the Gospel to life for them. (CNS photo/Arno Declair, courtesy Passionsspiele-Oberammergau Press Office)

Can any of us imagine Jesus telling someone who disagrees with him: "Go ahead, find a middle way; make a decision that won't ruffle any feathers." That is not what he says in the gospel. In the gospel he says: "I have come to set the earth on fire. How I wish it were already blazing! Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." Jesus uses powerful, symbolic language to motivate us to seek and then to follow God's will.

Of course, we know that these are not the only words Jesus says. He is also perfectly compassionate to the weak and sinful, and he encourages everyone who falls down to get up and try again with God's grace. But Jesus never considers half-truths or complacency, which means lines are drawn in the sand. Jesus offers a word for our prayerful discernment, so we can choose how to act, keeping in mind not only ourselves but also other people.

King Zedekiah's half-hearted decisions trickled down to his subordinates, making it easier for them to choose evil. Jesus' leadership, on the other hand, inspires us and supports our faith, helping us to persevere as believers and to encourage others through our witness. And the community aspect is so important, since we all belong to not only a church family but also all kinds of families: personal, work, neighborhood.

The popular saying, "as long as I don't hurt anyone, anything I do is o.k.," is a lie. It is a way of abdicating responsibility, like King Zedekiah. All of the choices we make affect others, and all of our choices will be met with varying degrees of acceptance and rejection. Jesus knew this first hand. But he also knew where he was headed.

Jesus speaks boldly to us through the gospel. He is fighting for our souls and our eternal life. His goal is not to make us feel comfortable, he is not interested in becoming a popular leader. He wants to save us. St. Paul gives us good advice on how to respond: "Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith." It's not an easy way to live, but it is the way that leads to life.

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Q. What happened on this day in 1939 in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin?

Please send your answers to [email protected]. 

Last week's question and answer:

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

A. Moses and Elijah represent the two principal components of the Old Testament: The Law and the Prophets. Moses was the giver of the Law, and Elijah was considered the greatest of the prophets. The fact that these two figures "spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem" illustrates that the Law and the Prophets point forward to the Messiah and his sufferings. This foreshadows Jesus' own explanation, on the road to Emmaus, of the Scriptures pointing to himself (cf. Luke 24:27, 32).

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