January 20, 2023

Inside this issue

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

  CCUSA Presents the Washington Weekly  
 
Overview: Events on the Hill this week have been more typical for a new Congress, which means making committee assignments, among other things. The reality of a divided government for this Congress also means difficult negotiations regarding the nation's borrowing limit. The parties need to forge a deal to avoid a default on the nation’s debt. Just outside the halls of Congress this Friday, the annual March for Life took place.

Economy: In the week ending January 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment] claims was 190,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 205,000. This number is an historic low. The four-week moving average was 206,000, a decrease of 6,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 212,500. 

Disaster relief news: The U.S. Forest Service is receiving nearly $1 billion to ramp up its efforts to better protect western states from wildfires and strategically treat forests to prevent megafires, the Agriculture Department announced Thursday.  “It's not a matter of whether or not a forest will burn. It's just a matter of when and where,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a call with reporters Wednesday.  These funds Congress designated in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act will boost efforts across 11 areas or "landscapes" in seven states, representing 45 million acres. Thursday’s announcement represents another $490 million, nearly doubling the previous spending announced last year for 10 other landscapes.
 
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  Faith and the Common Good  
 
Saint Ignatius encourages us to place ourselves in the gospel scenes we read or hear. This spiritual exercise, as he called it, allows us to contemplate Jesus in the living word and discern how to deepen our relationship with him. Ultimately, contemplating Christ leads us to living with and for him in service to others.

Sunday's gospel offers an excellent scene for our prayer. Jesus is walking by the Sea of Galilee, where he calls out to two sets of brothers: first, Peter and Andrew, and then James and John. He says to them, "Come after me." And all four of them "at once/immediately" followed him. What about you and me?

Editorial credit: Zvonimir Atletic / Shutterstock.com

Each person, of course, will respond to the scene according to his or her own imagination. One person might set herself right in the middle of the encounter and react to Jesus with the characters in the scene. Another person might begin by asking questions and seeking the meaning of Jesus' words. What follows is just one way to enter the scene.

Is Jesus serious? Drop everything now and follow him? What about mortgages, bills, relationships, work? Or does he mean for us to receive his words according to a spiritual sense? What is he really saying?

Perhaps Jesus says “Come after me” in the sense of search for me always. He knows, because he shares our humanity, how tempting it is to settle into a rut. We do it in our jobs, in our relationships, even in our relationship with him. But answering Jesus’ call is not a one-time event; it's a journey that requires effort and frequent decisions to keep going.

Are we prepared to follow Jesus in everything? Even if it goes against the world’s wisdom? Even if it means having to sacrifice or deny oneself? Being prepared to follow Jesus in everything doesn’t necessarily mean changing occupations, but it does mean entering and continuing a relationship with him through daily prayer, reading and contemplating his words, and serving him in our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. Such preparation helps us to respond to Jesus' call with more conviction and less hesitation.

Or perhaps Jesus says “Come after me” in the sense of “Don’t get ahead of me.” In other words, don’t forget who’s who. Jesus Christ is Lord; there is no other. Yet, ever since Adam and Eve, we human beings can convince ourselves that we can take the place of God, declaring what is good and evil, instead of yielding to God's word. The result, as Adam and Eve discovered, is disastrous. So, how do we avoid it? In a word, obedience.

Obedience is not a word we like to hear. It doesn't help that some leaders have misused their position, seeking merely to grasp power. Jesus, though, does lead. He walks the path before us, suffering and dying for us so that we might live. To come after him, to follow the path he has made, does not mean being a mindless robot but a disciple who listens prayerfully to a loving master, who wants what is best for us. Such a prayerful reception builds trust and resilience so that we continue to follow despite obstacles and suffering.

And there will be obstacles and suffering. Jesus says, "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you." After the spiritual exercise, we put into practice the fruit of our prayer in service to others. Is it extending forgiveness to someone? Challenging an unjust piece of legislation? Volunteering at a senior living home? Whatever the specific call may be, we can be certain that following Jesus ends in bringing the love and wisdom of God into the particular situation. We can also be certain that inasmuch as our efforts are faithful to Jesus, they lead to eternal life with him.
 
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  Trivia  
 
Q. On January 20 two years ago, what happened for the first time in the history of the U.S.?

Please send your answers to [email protected]. 

Last week's question and answer:

Q. What historic event connected to racial equality took place on Jan. 13, 1990, in the state of Virginia?

A. Many thanks to Elena Muller Garcia for being first with the answer: Douglas Wilder, the first African American to be elected governor of an American state, took office as Governor of Virginia on January 13, 1990.
 
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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!

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: @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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