If Your Only Tool Is a Hammer: A Problem of Focus, by Dr. Jeff Mirus

By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Nov 28, 2023

Jeffrey Mirus holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history from Princeton University. A co-founder of Christendom College, he also pioneered Catholic Internet services. He is the founder of Trinity Communications and CatholicCulture.org.

I am struck by how frequently our own particular preoccupations drive our analysis of everything around us. That is a good thing if our own particular preoccupation is conversion to Christ, love of the Father, and openness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. But most of our preoccupations are colored not only by our own faulty commitments but by the unrecognized temptations which too often affect our goals and our behavior. Or, to approach this from a different point of view, the combination of our preoccupations and our gifts may make us either suitable or unsuitable for the accomplishment of particular goals which require, for success, abilities which go beyond mere spiritual commitment or holiness. Even personal holiness is no guarantee that any one of us is the right person for any particular task.

Let me offer two examples. ……

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