Jul 17, 2019
Father Bill Byrne is a chronically hopeful person. He is the
priest of the Archdiocese of Washington (and a radio and YouTube
star) and currently serves as the pastor of Our Lady of Mercy in
Potomac Maryland. He was the chaplain at the University of
Maryland, Pastor of St. Peter's on Capitol Hill and secretary for
social concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington. More importantly
Father Byrne is a friend and his beloved in our community where he
serves.
In this podcast Father Byrne talks about how his chosen profession
is a never ending source of fun and joy even in the midst of really
challenging moments. He sheds light on the healing and
transformation the Catholic church has faced in recent years and
what he sees for the future.
He believes that many people think they will be happy when they get retired and can relax. “But it's a shame because everything is being revealed in the now. So happiness is not a destination. Happiness is a byproduct of doing good and of being yourself”, he explains. He goes on to add, “Happiness is not the destination, it's the experience of being in the right place and embracing wherever you are. There are many roads, but you know which is the right road, and when do follow that road as lovingly and joyfully as possible then you will know peace.”
Father Byrne believes that his job involves 90% listening, which he does as a daily practice of meditative prayer with God for one hour a day. He also listens to the younger priests by having dinners, and listens in weekly staff meetings which he invites everyone - including the secretaries. He says “I want as many ears hearing an issue as we possibly can.”
He lost 50 pounds with one simple change to his diet, cutting out sugar. He explains that if a cracker has sugar in it is probably has twenty nine ingredients. If the cracker has no sugar it probably has only four ingredients. Avoiding sugar essentially meant avoiding processed foods.