The Walk Humbly Podcast Catholic Diocese of Arlington

This Sunday, we have the exceptional privilege of celebrating Mother’s Day. As Pope Francis reminds us, “Mothers always know how to show tenderness, devotion, and moral strength, even in the moments of greatest difficulty.” Within every mother is a unique and precious grace from God — she possesses the opportunity to give her child the gift of love for the very first time. The work of a mother is essential to society and should be respected! May we reflect this week, and always, on the great gift of motherhood, and may we honor those women who guide, mentor, and console their children on their earthly journeys. We honor and thank our mothers for the many ways they imitate our Lord’s selfless and sacrificial love. We also pray for our deceased mothers. May God give them eternal peace and joy.

At times, we can make the mistake of judging others with a lack of charity. We tend to form opinions based on first impressions. Yet sometimes our judgment lacks context, and we fail to realize that only God knows a person’s heart. We can see the faults and failures of others, but neglect to recognize our own shortcomings. When we humbly acknowledge our weaknesses, we become open to what needs to change in our lives. Yes, we can and should call out evil and help our friends make good decisions. But our first obligation is to work on our own flaws. This will lead us to seek our Lord’s mercy, to respect others, and to grow in humility and charity. With God’s grace, may both these virtues increase in our lives this day.

Every weekend, home improvement stores are filled with people braving long check-out lines, determined to tackle that project that will make their living space more attractive, pleasing, and perhaps increase its potential value. The “do-it-yourself” demographic features many who are accomplished carpenters or craftsmen. They simply follow directions or their own intuition to build something beautiful. But in our spiritual lives, going it alone does not work. Jesus reminds us that he is the vine — our strength — and we are the branches. Apart from him we can do nothing; but with him all things are possible. Our Lord asks only that we give him our best efforts, sacrifices, and hard work, and that we trust he will use these gifts in miraculous ways to bless and transform our lives — if only we stay attached to the vine.

On this week's episode, Bishop Burbidge: 
Implores the faithful to unite in prayer with Pope Francis to pray unceasingly for peace in the Middle East Highlights some of the diocesan schools honored for their outstanding commitment to military families within this Month of the Military Child  Explains more about the recently released declaration by the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on human dignity, Dignitas Infinita; click here to read Bishop’s statement and the document Speaks of Catholic Charities Christ House as one of the treasures of the diocese in its service to the poor in Alexandria for the last 50 years; read his April column on this great work here 
Attributes the recent quality and quantity of vocations in our diocese to the grace of God, the prayers of the faithful, the leadership of Bishop Welsh, and the Poor Clares Offers encouragement for how to maintain Easter joy despite so much darkness in our world He also answers the following question from the faithful:
Can you comment on the oxymoron of “Christian nationalism”? Is it consistent with our faith?

How often when we pack for a trip do we add just one more item, then something else, and finally that last thing we must bring? We do the same in our daily lives. We run errands, shuttle from one appointment to the next, perhaps even eat lunch on the run. Soon our day becomes a whirlwind of activity, our task list becomes overburdened, and we accomplish little. In Sacred Scripture, Jesus told his apostles to leave anything behind that would weigh them down. We should do the same! What is the Lord asking you to surrender today? It could be fear, doubt, distress, or worldly possessions. Trust that, in Jesus, you have all you need. This will allow you to “travel lightly” throughout this day and always.

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.