As I’ve suggested in earlier reflections in this series, one of the ways in which we can protect ourselves from excessive anxiety is to be clear regarding what we might call a sensible ‘moral architecture.’ Our moral responsibility is limited; it does not extend to the whole world. Developing a wise and balanced sense of…
One Sabbath Day, Jesus entered the synagogue. Knowing that there was a man there with a deformity, Jesus’ opponents were keeping a careful eye on him, to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath. Jesus was being watched. The first commandment of biblical religion is not ‘watch,’ but ‘listen,’ or ‘hear’: “Hear,…
‘Prudence is a thoughtful refusal to run with every intimation of fear’ says Fr Chris Hayden *** I will give you all of these, if you worship me” – so said Satan to Jesus in the wilderness, while gesturing towards the kingdoms of the world. But what the father of lies actually gives to those…
Nobody is responsible for everything; responsibility calls for discernment, writes Fr Chris Hayden *** When we feel overwhelmed by circumstances, we are vulnerable to negative emotions of all sorts. The more of the weight of the world I carry on my shoulders, the more likely I am to feel crushed by sadness and anxiety.…
Jesus invites us to give and not count the cost, writes Fr Chris Hayden ‘Zero-sum game’ is a term used in gaming theory and economics, to describe a situation in which one person’s gain is perceived to be another person’s loss. Sports and games are, pretty much by definition, zero-sum, because the victory of one…
Gospel realism does not try to sand away the hard edges of life says Fr Chris Hayden On May 10, 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Britain. Three days later he told his cabinet that he had “nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Later the same day, he repeated those…
Over twenty thousand adults and adolescents were baptised into the Catholic Church in France at Easter this year. The island of Ireland has roughly one tenth of France’s population, so an equivalent number here would be two thousand. I smiled when I read that the influx in France represents a ‘major challenge’ to the French…
Near the end of his Letter to the Philippians, St Paul encourages his readers to think about “whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, anything that is excellent or praiseworthy.” Paul goes on to assure people that a result of thinking this way is…
In an anxious age, to stand confidently with Christ is a glorious act of non-conformity, writes Fr Chris Hayden The capacity for fear is an aspect of our God-given human nature. If I am unable to feel fear, I will not respond to threat or danger, as they will simply have no effect on me.…
Love of country is not nationalism, but a Christian duty rooted in gratitude, responsibility and charity, writes Fr Chris Hayden Is there a love of country that occupies a sensible, reasonable, humane space, away from the extremes of unbridled nationalism on one hand, or nation-dissolving globalism on the other? For Catholics, the answer is a…