Holy Week is a time for pondering the deepest mysteries of the Christian faith, especially how in the betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the mission of the Son of God on earth was fulfilled. Confronting the ugly political realities in the United States today can spark the question for people of faith: Where is God in all of this? In this episode, Laura Peralta-Schulte, NETWORK's senior director of public policy and government relations, lays out the current threats posed by proposed cuts to Medicaid, housing, and nutrition programs. She explains how balancing the federal budget should not involve cutting vital human needs programs that serve millions of people in the United States, especially in Black communities. And NETWORK executive director Mary J. Novak returns to the podcast for a Holy Week dialogue with Bishop John Stowe, O.F.M. Conv. of Lexington, Kentucky. The two delve into the depths of Holy Week and Catholic spirituality to unearth lessons—and even the hope—that this season can offer a divided political landscape today.

You can learn more about this episode's guests in the links below.

Learn about NETWORK's Thriving Communities campaign https://networklobby.org/thrivingcommunities

More on Mary J. Novak, NETWORK executive director https://networklobby.org/marynovakbio/

More on Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv. https://cdlex.org/bishop-john-stowe-ofm-conv/

More on Laura Peralta-Schulte https://networklobby.org/staff/LauraPeraltaSchulte/

Just Politics is sponsored by St. Jude League Community Development. https://stjudeleague.org/