Walk Humbly

In April, our nation observes National Child Abuse Prevention Month —a time when we acknowledge, discuss, and find solutions for unimaginable crimes against children. It is estimated that more than 600,000 children are mistreated in the United States each year, either sexually, physically, emotionally, or by neglect, with neglect being the most prevalent. We must be diligent in our observations, looking for signs such as unexplainable injuries, disruptive behavior, fear of going home, or malnourishment. We must be vigilant, having heightened awareness and, most importantly, the courage to inform authorities immediately if we have a suspicion or knowledge of abuse or neglect. All of God’s children are infinitely valuable, and are to be loved, respected and treasured.

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge: 

• Recaps Holy Week and the Triduum and shares how we can live as disciples of our Risen Lord this Easter season  

• Invites all to continue to pray for victims and those affected by the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore  

• Shares what we can learn about sacrifice from Pope Francis and Father Stephen Schultz, who served as chaplain of Saint Paul VI High School before suffering a stroke last year  

• Expresses his deep disappointment at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and White House proclaiming March 31 – Easter Sunday – as “Transgender Visibility Day”  

• Explains why the president and all Catholics must reject a “cafeteria” approach to faith and be “all in” for the Lord, echoing Cardinal Wilton Gregory’s recent “Face the Nation” interview   

• Previews Saturday’s Mass, where he will ordain 12 seminarians to the transitional diaconate  

• Provides an update about an upcoming change to the Walk Humbly podcast

The celebration has just begun! This week we are filled with overwhelming elation and awe after hearing of the Resurrection of Our Lord. Jesus has transformed sadness into joy, darkness into light, and suffering into triumph. Filled with renewed spirit, we continue the Easter season, lifted up in joy, and always with the promise of eternal peace. Pledge to make the flame we lit at Easter continue to burn brightly; to embrace this season as an opportunity to make permanent changes in your life; to make prayer, penance, and almsgiving not just a Lenten experience but a life-long commitment to Jesus, the One who rose from the dead and gives us new life and invites us to be His light in the world.

This week is unlike any other. We walk with Jesus to Jerusalem; we witness him being betrayed; we see his suffering, even to the point of death on a cross; we wait with anticipation and then rejoice, for we will stand in the awesome glory of Christ’s holy light on Easter morning. This week we receive a reminder and an invitation. The reminder is that he is alive and with us! The Lord who took up his cross proved victorious over sin and death is the one who also invites to draw closer to him. He loves us too much to leave us as we are—we are to be made new! May our Risen Lord fill you with peace and joy at Easter and always.

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge: 

• Shares the news of the USCCB selection of Father Donald Planty Jr., pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, as one of five priests from the U.S. to join the worldwide delegation of priests in the next phase of the ongoing Synod on Synodality  

• Extends the nationwide invitation to pray for the end of abortion and the protection of all mothers and preborn children  

• Reflects on the legacy of Bishop Keating, the second bishop of Arlington, in advance of the anniversary of his death on March 22  

• Congratulates the Christendom College women’s basketball team on winning the USCAA DII National Championship  

• Responds to the news of Vice President Kamala Harris touring a Planned Parenthood abortion facility 

• Expresses his hope for the observance of World Down Syndrome Day on March 21  

• Gives his Final Four prediction amid NCAA March Madness  

Bishop also answers the following questions from the faithful:  

1. What is your message to catechumens who don’t have support from their families?  

1. Is leading a diocese similar to being the CEO of a company or is it completely different? 

This Sunday will mark the beginning of the most solemn week of the year. Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday, when we commemorate both the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, then recall The Passion of the Lord. Palm Sunday does three things for us: First, it reveals the Lord’s great love for us, a love that knows no end nor counts the cost. Second, it reminds us that there is nothing we experience in this world that the Lord has not already endured for our sake. Third, it invites us to walk the path to Jerusalem with Christ and to unite our sufferings to his, with the assurance that this is the path that leads to glory. May we take this week to prepare our hearts so that this (too) is truly a holy week.

One of the great traditions we enjoy each year is St. Patrick’s Day, when all of us, regardless of having Irish heritage, feel a certain sense of joy and fellowship. Many view this feast day as the unofficial start of spring, and see it as an opportunity to share in some levity and laughter. However, many of us are unaware of something far more important: the beautiful prayer and insight imparted by St. Patrick himself, which we can remember every day. So, as we carry our daily crosses, especially in this Lenten season, may we repeat confidently the words of St. Patrick: “I rise today through God’s strength to pilot me; God’s might to uphold me; God’s wisdom to guide me; God’s hand to guard me; and God’s shield to protect me.”

 On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge:  

• Highlights his opportunity to co-consecrate 3 new bishops at the upcoming episcopal ordination for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia  

• Tune in to the livestream of the ordination of Auxiliary Bishops Chylinski, Cooke, and Esmilla on Thursday, March 7 at 11 a.m.  

• Shares why he signed a letter with his brother bishops imploring U.S. senators to oppose the “Access to Family Building Act,” a bill to override state efforts to restrict in vitro fertilization treatments due to moral and religious freedom issues  

• Sign up to receive action alerts from the USCCB  

• Offers some of the pastoral message he shared with men in formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary   

• Recaps his personal experience of the diocesan “Day of Unplugging” 

• Previews an upcoming film about St. Frances Cabrini being released on March 8, International Women’s Day  

• Extends his gratitude to the faithful for their generous support of the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal (BLA)  

• Click here to make your pledge or donation today  

Bishop also answers the following questions from the faithful:  

1. How do you manage to run a diocese as large as this without any auxiliary bishops?  

1. How can we be a “Mary” in a “Martha” world? 

Next month, many of us will be rushing to prepare our taxes and provide what we owe, or what may be refunded, to federal, state, and local governments. We will likely go through our paperwork and conduct a personal audit to ensure that everything is accurate. Friends, we are at the mid-point of the Lenten season. This is the perfect opportunity to conduct a spiritual audit. What have we done to prepare ourselves for the glory that awaits us at Easter? Or, what have we not done that we promised we would do? We can still get our spiritual priorities in place, whether it be through reconciliation with God, acts of service through works of mercy, or simply more prayer time with the Lord. But delay no longer, and start anew.

At some point in our lives, we are all bound to face periods of isolation, loneliness, and the feeling that it is “us against the world.” We look around for help but see no one — we feel alone on the path of life. Yet we read in Sacred Scripture: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God has sent us His Son to reveal his love for us. We are never alone, and never more than a prayer away from asking for God’s help in our time of need. Be assured that his embrace will lead us away from darkness, comfort us in our sadness, and bring us back to new life. God is for us! God is with us at every moment of our lives.