Everyday Philosophy A friend who shares my fate of being a graduate student in philosophy was recently regaling me with tales of what teaching undergraduates was like. She informed me that an increasing number of them at her university were “both utilitarians and relativists”. She said it laughing, because this quite a mean feat. The…
Charlotte Vard Young people face many new challenges that some adults who are of a different generation are not aware of. From the daily broadcast of their every move on social media, to dealing with the heightened anxiety that stems from the need to ‘fit in’, young people live life online. TikTok is often their…
At the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, St Luke bridges the gap between the mission of Jesus and the mission of the Church founded on the apostles. “He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for 40 days he had continued to appear to them and tell them…
It’s hard for a child to have to go to bed in the middle of an evening when the rest of the family is still celebrating. Nobody wants to go to bed while everyone else is still up. No one wants to miss out on life. Remember how as a child, tired and unable to…
Personal Profile Just five years ago, Aontú candidate for Belfast South Luke McCann had fallen away from the faith of his childhood. Now, in the midst of his election campaign, he took a break “in the thick of it” to go on a retreat over the Easter weekend. He puts the change down to the…
Marta Osborne Recently in an argument my husband said that I only see the things he doesn’t do and don’t appreciate his efforts enough. What can I do to improve our communication and avoid becoming overly critical? It just so happens that we find it easier to criticise people close to us than to praise…
Medical Matters We are now well into the phase of ‘living with Covid’ with the vast majority of the population either having been vaccinated or contracted infection. Hospitalisation rates have dropped and newly confirmed cases are also in decline. It is also estimated that those who are incompletely or not vaccinated continue to be disproportionately…
Personal Profile Ruth Hogan grew up in a family that was both musical and Catholic, but it took some time for both these childhood realities to find their home in her life. After spending time in the Holy Family Mission and giving retreats herself, she realised that music is a gift God gave her to…
As we noted at the start of Lent, the number 40 is usually associated with a period of preparation. Following the 40 days of Lent, there are 40 days of preparation between the Resurrection and Ascension. My very young grand-nephew once asked me a very profound question: “Where was Jesus in the time between his…
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once said something to the effect that we reach moral maturity on the day we realise that, ultimately, we have to choose: genuflect before something higher than ourselves or begin to self-destruct! Simone Weil had a similar idea. She consistently affirmed that our deepest longing was to find someone or something…
Ben Conroy
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Ruadhán Jones
Dr Kevin McCarroll