Category Archives: spirituality

On Sobriety

Posted on June 3, 2022 by richp45198

Yesterday marked 39 years I have been clean and sober. I would like to claim credit for that but I can’t. It is a result of grace, receiving some very good help, and being blessed with supportive family and friends. … Continue reading →

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Uvalde

Posted on May 27, 2022 by richp45198

I wanted to share this piece that appeared in the local online newspaper El Paso Matters. In the aftermath of the Uvalde shootings, we are hearing lots of rhetoric but little actual hope that legislative steps will be taken here … Continue reading →

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On Conspiracy Theories

Posted on May 20, 2022 by richp45198

Conspiracy theories are nothing new. We have fostered them for centuries mainly to offer explanations for troublesome events. During my lifetime, the conspiracy theories around the assassination of John F. Kennedy have been the most wide-spread ones and are still … Continue reading →

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In Praise of Grandmothers

Posted on May 6, 2022 by richp45198

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, many will pause also to remember their grandmothers. I’m aware there is now a Grandparents’ Day in September, I believe. But Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate mothers everywhere and many of those mothers … Continue reading →

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On Walls

Posted on April 22, 2022 by richp45198

Walls is still a big issue here in El Paso, mainly because elements of it can be seen along our border with Mexico. A wall serves two purposes — protecting those within the walls and keeping others out. What is … Continue reading →

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The Road Not Taken

Posted on April 8, 2022 by richp45198

Today is Robert Frost’s birthday. As such, this morning I find myself meditating on his great poem “The Road Not Taken”. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long … Continue reading →

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Heroes: The Four Immortal Chaplains

Posted on April 1, 2022 by richp45198

The story of the four chaplains is not well known enough. True, they were honored on a postal stamp as well as at various religious sites. But, especially during a time when religion is rife with scandal, conflict, divisiveness and … Continue reading →

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The Book of Job

Posted on March 18, 2022 by richp45198

As I undertake yet another journey reading the Bible, I realize that, as I wade through some crushingly boring parts, what keeps me going is looking forward to other parts of the Bible. The Book of Ester. The story of … Continue reading →

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Broken Vessels: Lent as a Doorway to Conversion (excerpt)

Posted on March 1, 2022 by richp45198

Here is an excerpt from my newest article of the same title. It appears in the March issue of St. Anthony Messenger. When I hear the word conversion, I tend to immediately think of persons who became Catholic but were … Continue reading →

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The Challenge of Elitism

Posted on February 24, 2022 by richp45198

Once my son Andy came to me and asked “Dad, when Jesus calls those scribes and Pharisees “whitened sepulchers”, was that like calling them sons of bitches?’ Well, first of all, you might guess where Andy heard the SOB term. … Continue reading →

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