Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 1, 2020 -- THREE
Spiritually Speaking
Confinement, a time to turn to God
By Thankachan Joseph SDB, Pastor, St. Patrick
Church
Our country has actually reached its zenith in its
number of cases of the COVID-19 virus. All government
agencies, all countries, in fact, are asking their people to
remain in quarantine as the only way to control the spread
of this virus. We are really threatened by the speed with
which it spreads.
I just thought to bring for our reflection a few scriptur-
al passages to help understand this particular situation. I
hope some of you attended the papal blessing called Urbit
et Orbi, at which the pope gave reassurance to humanity
all around world with the scriptural passage, “Teacher,
don’t you care that we are about to die?” (Mk 4:38) Like
those disciples in the gospel of Mark, we were caught off
guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm of COVID-19.
We feel like those disciples at this moment; we are
on the same boat, caught up by the storm of Coronavirus;
panic has stricken all around us, which causes lots of
uncertainties, fear, anxiety, and even depression. On this
boat are all of us. Just like those disciples, who shout and
yell anxiously with one voice, saying, “We are perish-
ing!” (v. 38), so we, too, have realized that we cannot go
on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we face
this, remembering that confinement is the only solution
at this juncture.
From the book of the Old Testament, the 2 nd book of
Chronicles, we read, “Whenever I send an epidemic on
my people, if they pray to me and repent and turn away
from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them
in heaven, and forgive their sins, and make their land
prosperous again.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14) Why Worry
when We Can Pray and put our trust in the Lord, who
tells everyone, “Fear not, I am with you,” and follow the
Necessary Precautions? The fifth Sunday of Lent invites
everyone to “Take the stone away” (John 11: 39) from
our tombs where we try to hide ourselves from the Lord.
When we drive on the road, we need to follow the
traffic restrictions, or when we are working in an institu-
tion, we need to follow the rules and regulations of that
particular institution in which we serve. When it comes
to God and human beings, there, too, exist certain direc-
tions and commands of God to be followed, inscribed
in the scriptures. When it comes to the commandments
of God, we have many excuses to avert all those. This
present confinement is a time to look into oneself and to
answer Christ’s request, “Take away the stone that covers
the dead man in you,” the stone that leads us away from
God and breaks the true relationship with God. Sin is the
breaking of relationships with God (Adam and Eve), with
others (Cain and Abel,) and with self (tower of Babel).
God continuously calls us to conversion and waits for
us to return to him like the father in the parable of the
prodigal son, or rather, he runs after us like the hound of
heaven in the poem of Francis Thompson.
This time of quarantine offers time to realize this
loving God is always after us, when we run away from
him, like the hunter’s dog chases the wounded animal to
the hunter. He is with us in all our wounded moments to
comfort us, heal us, bring us back to him. Psalm 91: 5-6:
“You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks
during the day or the plague” of COVID 19 that threats
the whole universe. “God will put his angels in charge
of you to protect you wherever you go.” Ps 91:11. The
stones that we need to remove from our life for the Lord
to enter into our life are the following:
a) Refusal to help those in need: This beautiful time
of quarantine is a time to acknowledge those moments we
have not even reached out to our family members when
they needed us most in their life. The Lord has placed
before us all an opportunity to do the corporal works of
mercy. We cannot ignore the pain and struggle of someone
else and pretend to live a happy and contented life. The
Scholarship
application date
extended
The application date
for the Bob and Betty Riet-
mann scholarships for Ione
High School students has
been extended from April
1 to April 10. Application
forms are available at ione.
k12.or.us under scholar-
ships and financial aid.
Completed forms
should be mailed to Betty
Rietmann, PO Box 27,
Ione, OR 97843 and must
be postmarked by April 10.
For additional information,
email mrsrietmann@gmail.
com.
story of the Rich Man and Lazarus helps us to reflect Mt.
25: 41-46; Lk. 16: 19f.
b) Waste of Talents: This confinement period invites
everyone to see the numerous blessings we have wasted
in our life. The time we have looked at others but failed
to identify our talents. The Lord has blessed everyone
according to his or her talents. Instead of thanking and
being grateful to God for the numerous blessings that
we receive each day, like the man who got one talent,
we look at someone else’s gifts and blessings and waste
our lives, we forget to live our lives to the fullest. The
one who buried the talent is condemned. (Mt. 25.24-30)
c) Unwillingness to Forgive: At this moment of in-
trospection, the Lord God asks each and every one of us
to forgive the mistakes of others. We might examine the
case of the one who received forgiveness from the king
but was not able to grant pardon to the man who owed
him only a hundred dinar. When others are able to deal
with my shortcomings and frailties, why can’t I forgive
my members of the family. (Mt. 18:21f).
d) Pharisaism: We can search for the times of phar-
isaic behavior in our lives, treating others as did the
pharisees, pinpointing the mistakes of someone else and
finding happiness in doing so. One example is the parable
of the tax collector and the publican. This particular period
is inviting all of us to acquire the habit of humility, not
condemning others and despising them. (Lk. 18:11-12;
Mt. 23:13f)
e) Refusal to accept: Very clearly Jesus explains this
through the parable of the prodigal son. When he returns
home, the father who lost everything is ready to forgive
his younger son and makes a feast and rejoices at that
moment. Whereas many are like the older son, waiting
for opportunities to ditch others and keep on pecking on
the mistakes of someone. (Lk. 15: 25-32)
h) Ingratitude: The Lord is showering his numerous
blessings upon every one of us every day. Most of us are
like the nine lepers who were healed by the Lord but who
never felt the need to return to the Lord and thank him for
the healing they experienced, except the Samaritan. This
period of isolation is time to acknowledge and thank the
Lord for all the numerous blessings that we have received
in our lives up to now. We have received much more than
we truly need or deserve. (Lk 17:11-19)
i) Selfishness and hoarding: The confinement period
is also inviting us to look into our lives for the times we
have hoarded things for our selfish motives, like the rich
fool in the parable of Luke’s gospel. Instead of sharing
his gifts and blessings with others and thanking the Lord,
are we like the rich fool, amassing things for our own
well-being, instead of caring and sharing with the ones
who need our helping hands? We lack trust in the Lord
and trust in the material things of the world. (Lk 12:13-21)
j) Casting aspersions: In the gospel of Luke, Simon
invites the Lord to his house for the meal at which Mary
of Magdala comes into his presence and washes his feet
with her tears and wipes them with her hair, and she turns
into a new person; whereas Simon the Pharisee remains
the same and keeps condemning others. The Lord calls
us to conversion every day. Instead of judging the char-
acter of others, we must try to convert ourselves every
day. (Lk 7:39f)
Let us make use of this confinement. God does not
keep track of our sins/evildoings (cf. Lk. 15:21f). But we
ourselves do. Our guilty conscience torments us (Lady
Macbeth, Herod). We punish ourselves. Readiness to
forgive and contrition are more important than whisper-
ing sins to the priest. Readiness to change is a necessary
condition. (Zacheus Lk. 19:8). No sacrament works like
magic - either it is an occasion for personal transforma-
tion or empty ritual. Confession is the celebration of
our homecoming. Either we can enter the home like the
prodigal son in the parable or sneak back into the pigsty.
Transfer stations
open on Saturdays
Morrow County trans-
fer stations, north and south,
will be open on Saturdays
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until
further notice. To limit
contact, waste will be free
of charge. Both transfer
stations will be closed on
Sundays.
The commissioners
have made this decision
because of the COVID-19
pandemic and in efforts to
still supply the services to
Morrow County residents.
For additional infor-
mation contact Morrow
County Public Works at
541-989-9500.
Honesty • Integrity • Independent
VOTE
Cody High
MORROW COUNTY TREASURER
WORKING FOR YOU
Death Notices
Being a leader during
stressful times
By Dr. Carmelo A. Di Salvo
At first, when ‘business as usual’
has changed our lives, things may not be
too difficult. However, when the reality
Carmelo
of what has happened hits home or has Dr.
A. Di Salvo
become the new normal, life can become
very difficult for us, our families and those around us.
Looking around our country and world today you may
think life is out of control and the pressures around you
are too great to handle. But perhaps today presents us an
opportunity to be the ‘leader’ that a neighbor, your church,
organization or community needs to get them through
this difficult time.
In their book, The Leadership Challenge, writers
James Kouzes and Barry Posner assert through research
and analysis of over 75,000 responses, that successful
leaders exhibit five different practices: “Model the Way,”
“Inspire a Shared Vision,” “Challenge the Process,” “En-
able Others to Act” and “Encourage the Heart.” Those
who look to leaders respond favorably when leaders
employ these practices.
Throughout history there have been many leaders
who have helped direct the course of a nation’s destiny
through difficult times. We can learn a great deal from
these leaders who have persevered and touched the lives
of others even through the most difficult times.
According to biographers, British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill suffered many failures both at school
and in his political life. But Churchill kept persevering,
overcoming great odds and eventually leading his country
through its most difficult times.
The key to Churchill’s success as a leader may lie in
the speech he delivered at Harrow, the boarding school
he attended as a boy. “Never give up! Never give up!!
Never, never, never-never-never-never!” he roared. Per-
severance is the mark of a true leader and is something
we, as leaders, should encourage others in. Let’s not give
up but continue to persevere.
During the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale led
a group of 38 nurses into the Scutari Barrack Hospital
in Turkey. She’d been called to duty in response to the
deplorable care being given British casualties. Thousands
of sick and wounded soldiers were packed into barren
corridors and lying on blood-soaked straw mats. One
eyewitness called it “a vast field of suffering and misery.”
(Tye 2015)
Infection was rampant and rats ran wild. There was
no ventilation or fresh water, the food was inedible, and
there were virtually no drugs or medical supplies. Am-
putations were performed without anesthesia in full view
of other patients, and most amputees quickly succumbed
to gangrene. (Tye 2015)
In a two-year period in the depths of this healthcare
crisis, Nightingale established nursing as a respected
profession and the hospital as we know it today. She
developed the first modern hospital nursing, pharma-
cy, laundry and nutrition services. As Mark Bostridge
wrote in his recent biography Florence Nightingale: The
Making of an Icon, “By the end of the war, the Scutari
hospitals had been transformed into efficiently-organized,
smooth-running operations.”
Think you’re not a leader or do not have the ability
to be one? Research concludes that leadership is not so
much something one is born with, but something anyone
can learn. You don’t need to be the head of a business, a
church or any organization to be a leader and influence
change.
Here are some ideas:
Model the Way, show, don’t just tell. Have a great idea
on how to serve others? Enlist some help and lead the way.
Inspire a Shared Vision, think ‘outside–the-box’ about
what is a possible, attainable future and enlist others who
share your vision.
Challenge the Process, ask how can we use innovation
for a better future? Today, telemedicine is gaining popu-
larity and even church services by Skype and Messenger
are happening.
Enable Others to Act, now is the time to put aside
office politics and other hindrances to let everyone shine
and contribute to the team.
Encourage the Heart, with necessary social distanc-
ing, many people feel more isolated than ever. Reach out
to the lonely, elderly and those affected by stressful times
to be an encouragement to them.
With all the change and fear that’s going around, you
can make a difference to help others today.
Dr. Carmelo A. Di Salvo is hospice chaplain with
MCHD, president of PAX Global Traders, LLC, and
pastor of Valby Lutheran Church. He has written other
articles and presented on leadership, innovation and
strategic foresight.
O.L. “Bud” Laney – Former Gilliam County res- New Baby in Your Family? Engagement? Wedding?
We want to share your life events!
ident, O.L. “Bud” Laney, 75, of Heppner, died Sunday,
March 29 at his home. He was born March 15, 1945 at Stop in the Heppner Gazette office or email us with
details and photos.
Clovis, NM. No service is planned at this time. Sweeney
Mortuary of Heppner is in care of arrangements.
All birth, engagement and wedding announcements are always free!
188 W Willow Street, Heppner, OR
editor@rapidserve.net
!! REWARD !!
Missing!
Black and White
Male Cat
Balm Fork Creek
Thorpe Farm
509-628-6116