Walk Humbly

This is Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. This week is Religious Freedom Week with the theme Solidarity in Freedom. Traditionally, this week is an opportunity to celebrate the free exercise of religion in the United States. Religious freedom is the central, founding principle of this country, and a distinguishing characteristic of free people everywhere. It protects our right to speak, act and live in the public arena according to our beliefs while always respectful of one another.  Sadly, religious freedom is under attack. For freedom to continue, we must never be afraid to bring our faith into our communities, workplaces and schools. Dialogue among people with diverse religious beliefs is good for our country. So, this week let us do two things: first, be thankful for the opportunity to practice our faith freely; and second, to pray that with the grace of God religious freedom is protected now and in the future.  

Arlington Diocese WorkCamp is a week-long experience providing teens with an opportunity to encounter Christ through service, faith, and fellowship. Meet four high-school age parishioners to hear inspiring stories about how their lives were truly transformed by serving those in need and being in community with other faithful, young Catholics.

In the Year of St. Joseph, Bishop Burbidge shares his thoughts about fatherhood

In this week’s episode of the Walk Humbly Podcast:

• Arise!: A Diocesan Family Celebration is at capacity
• Bishop Burbidge recaps a recent meeting of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in which they discussed the need for a teaching document on the Eucharist, and a national framework for marriage, family life, and youth ministries.
• Loudoun County parents speak out against Critical Race Theory and transgender ideology in the public school curriculum
• The Diocese of Arlington continues to help resettle refugees
• Reflection on Father’s Day in this Year of St. Joseph

Bishop Burbidge answers these questions from the audience:

• Do priests (and bishops) get summer vacations? Do priests have to get your approval to take one?

• “3 questions” exercise. I’d be interested in hearing your answers: 
• • What one sport can you not live without?
  • What one favorite food could you not live without?
  • What one other thing could you not live without?

This is Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. A phrase we have often heard this past year is:“I feel really down.” Perhaps even you have felt this way. No wonder! The coronavirus has had a devastating impact and we have also witnessed tension, violence and lack of unity within our nation and communities. So it is understandable if we have felt down. Yet we find in the Word of God good news of great joy that will not allow us to staydown: Jesusis risen and invites us to rise from fear and find courage in the strength he provides; to risefrom our sinful ways and find new life in his mercy, to rise from despair and discover joy in his power to heal and save us. It all starts when we decideto rise and to walk in the ways of the Lord.

This is Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. How often, do we really “listen” to others? Even with God, sometimes we find ourselves saying, “listen Lord, your servant is speaking,” when in reality, we should say, as we read in Scripture, “speak Lord, your servant is listening.” Listening requires far more focus and patience than speaking. Throughout your day, ask God for the patience to listen to His voice speaking to your heart. In addition, listening to our friends, family, and even to strangers, is one of the most powerful ways to acknowledge their basic human dignity. Pray for the grace to listen, better and longer, and to be respectful to those with whom you may disagree. They might not remember what was said—but they will remember that you cared. There are likely common threads on which we can find agreement, but only if we first listen.

In this week’s episode of the Walk Humbly Podcast:

• Recap of Memorial Day Mass at Fairfax Memorial Park
• Four men set to be ordained this Saturday!
• Bishop Burbidge’s feedback from pastors following lifting of COVID-19 restrictions
• Dispensation from attending Sunday Mass to be liftedJune 26 & 27
• Will “eucharistic worthiness” be discussed at upcoming bishops’ meeting?
• Summary of how high school graduations are going so far

Bishop Burbidge answers these questions from the audience:

• With bishops having very few peers, is it easy to get lonely at times?
• One thing I’ve learned during COVID-19 is how much I appreciate actually going to Mass in person. Going back, I’ve felt a ton of relief. How do I keep that appreciation up going forward? I don’t want to forget what I’ve learned.

This is Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. Among the many iconic sites that mark our Washington landscape, few are as moving as Arlington National Cemetery. This week as we celebrate Memorial Day, perhaps we can put aside for a moment the thoughts of what summer will hold and instead envision the cemetery: the stillness and quiet, a somber reminder of the soldiers who fought and died securing freedom and liberty for our country. Rows upon rows of headstones, each with its own story of bravery and courage, more than 400,000 in all. They stand in silent salute to men and women from every faith, from every culture, from every hometown. Perhaps nowhere in America is the United States more united than in this sacred place. Despite the distractions of this past year, let this week be a reminder to all of us that we are home of the free because of the brave.

This is Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. A phrase we have often heard this past year is:“I feel really down.” Perhaps even you have felt this way. No wonder! The coronavirus has had a devastating impact and we have also witnessed tension, violence and lack of unity within our nation and communities. So it is understandable if we have felt down. Yet we find in the Word of God good news of great joy that will not allow us to staydown: Jesusis risen and invites us to rise from fear and find courage in the strength he provides; to risefrom our sinful ways and find new life in his mercy, to rise from despair and discover joy in his power to heal and save us. It all starts when we decideto rise and to walk in the ways of the Lord.

This is Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. St. Paul says: “I should like you to be free of anxieties.” We may ask: “How is that possible with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, with the tensions we see each day; with the pressures and demands place upon us; with the concerns we have for ourselves and others? Being free of anxieties is not just a hope or dream. It is possible even in these challenging times. It requires total dependency on the Lord, the one whose grace calms our fears and hears our burdens and promises never to abandon us. Remember Jesus being on the boat with his disciples and they became afraid when the storm arose. He said to them: “Do not be terrified.” It is I. If we remember that Jesus is in the boat with us, especially during stormy days, we will be free from anxieties.

Join Bishop Burbidge for Memorial Day Mass at Fairfax Memorial Park (11 a.m.)

In this week’s episode of the Walk Humbly Podcast:

• CDC/State mask and social distancing guidelines are updated
• New priest assignments are published
• Pope Francis institutes Ministry of Catechist
• Should pro-abortion politicians receive the Eucharist?
• Bishop Burbidge shares his message to graduates