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

Overview: This week, the CCUSA Social Policy team continued its visits to new members of Congress and staff, sharing with them CCUSA’s legislative priorities for the 118th Congress and the work of Catholic Charities. On Tuesday night, President Biden gave his State of the Union address, stating his priorities for the coming year.

The sun rises over the U.S. Capitol in Washington Nov. 9, 2022, as election results continued to be tallied across the U.S. to determine control of Congress. (CNS photo/Tom Brenner, Reuters)

Economy: In the week ending February 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial [unemployment] claims was 196,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 183,000. The 4-week moving average was 189,250, a decrease of 2,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 191,750.

Refugees: CCUSA tracks policies that touch upon the plight of refugees, who need assistance to rebuild their lives. An example is the Zomi people who have suffered under the Myanmar military, which seized power in 2021. Thousands of Zomi who live in northern Chin State and north-west Sagaing division have fled to neighboring countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand, and India. They are often unwelcome and deported before United Nations officials can evaluate whether they qualify for political asylum. Zomi Community USA seeks to raise awareness of the plight of the Zomi. To learn more, go to the Zomi Community USA website.

Bilingual Catholic Social Teaching Certificate: The National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry is offering a certificate in Catholic Social Teaching. The program is bilingual, Spanish and English. For more information and to register, click here.

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This Sunday, Mass-goers will hear from the book of Sirach: “If you choose you can keep the commandments.” Is it really that simple? Just make the decision and obey?

Not everyone thinks so. Almost as soon as human beings heard the commandments, they started arguing about them and looking for exceptions. Jesus entered into this controversy concerning the meaning of God’s laws. He was even accused of being a law-breaker himself - an enemy of God - because he did things like heal a person on the Sabbath, which strict interpreters of the law prohibited.

A statue of the Ten Commandments is seen following a May 12, 2019, Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Neb. (CNS photo/Chaz Muth)

So, Jesus, the Son of God, who speaks for God, sets the record straight. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes his position very clear: “Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”

Jesus moves in the opposite direction of those who look for exceptions to God’s laws, and instead he brings out the laws' fullness, not only the surface meaning but also the deeper sense as the laws relate to our lives and relationships. For example, fulfilling "Thou shalt not kill" includes working towards reconciliation with enemies and promoting the integral human development of every person.

Not surprisingly, many people thought Jesus was out of his mind. Some people still do, and the same for any person who takes Jesus seriously. However, another way of looking at the commandments reveals what God thinks of us. The fact that he asks us to embrace and live by his laws demonstrates that he thinks we are capable of doing so. It may not be simple, but we can live by God’s words in and through Jesus, uniting ourselves to his mission of bringing all to eternal life.

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Q. What character, in which Shakespeare play, mentions Valentine’s Day?

Please send your answers to [email protected]. 

Last week's question and answer:

Q. What Christian tradition inspired the celebration of Groundhog Day in the U.S.?

A. Many thanks (again!) to Bill Rosanelli for being first to send in the right answer: Candlemas.

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

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