Category Archives: spirituality

Spiritual Mentor: Fr. Ed Dowling SJ

Posted on August 19, 2026 by richp45198

On a cold night in 1940, Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, was lying on his bed above a local AA club building. He was most likely in a deep depression. He had not had a drink but was in … Continue reading →

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On Sacred Writings

Posted on July 31, 2026 by richp45198

When we hear the term Sacred Writings, we typically think of the Bible or the Torah or the Koran. Sacred writings usually refer to key written words central to any religion. However, if by Sacred Writings we mean anything, written … Continue reading →

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Another Visit from St. Dismas

Posted on July 3, 2026 by richp45198

I have written about St. Dismas before. He keeps dropping into my life and did again recently. I mentioned in another post that Chaplain Emil Kapaun would pray to Dismas when seeking to steal food for his fellow prisoners of … Continue reading →

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Is Jesus Really Walking with Donald Trump?

Posted on May 29, 2026 by richp45198

Is Jesus Really Walking With Donald Trump? Recently Donald Trump published a picture of himself with Jesus at his side and suggested that Jesus was on his side when it comes to all issues MAGA. The picture came in the … Continue reading →

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Edith Eger: A Good Friend

Posted on May 14, 2026 by richp45198

A good friend passed away recently, a friend I’d known for 50 years. Her name is Edith Eva Eger. I first met Edie when I came to El Paso with the Army and worked as a psychologist. At that time, … Continue reading →

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On Grief and Grieving

Posted on April 15, 2026 by richp45198

In my years as a psychotherapist, I would often be met with someone struggling with grieving. Most often people came to see me because either they were anxious they weren’t grieving “correctly” or that a loved one was concerned for … Continue reading →

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Baseball, the Dudley Dome and Community

Posted on March 16, 2026 by richp45198

Some year ago as I was watching the ninth chapter of Ken Burns’ documentary on baseball, they were discussing baseball in towns across America. At one point they showed a ballpark with a variety of colorful ads on the outfield … Continue reading →

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On War

Posted on March 5, 2026 by richp45198

As I write this, President Trump has initiated a war against Iran. There is opposition as there should be. Some of it is based on questions about his authority to start a war. There is also support. When I was … Continue reading →

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On Your Inner Boo Radley

Posted on February 16, 2026 by richp45198

Today I learned that actor Robert Duvall died. Perhaps more than any other actor, his different roles aided my own spiritual journey. Mac Sledge from Tender Mercies helped me address suffering that doesn’t make sense. His role in True Confessions … Continue reading →

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Heroes: The Four Immortal Chaplains

Posted on February 3, 2026 by richp45198

February 3 is set aside to honor the Four Chaplains. I wanted to repost this to celebrate their lives and sacrifice The story of the four chaplains is not well known enough. True, they were honored on a postal stamp … Continue reading →

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