TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 15, 2020
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
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Peace be with you
As I was thinking of
the Easter-day homily,
something from the Bible
struck me very deeply. I
was concentrating on the
topic “peace be with you.”
How to describe this theme
of Easter in the context of
the pandemic disease? The
parish community cannot
even come together as one
to pray and worship the
Risen Lord.
The scriptural passage
from the Gospel of John
reminded me of a message
for the occasion: “Jesus
answered them, ‘Do you
believe now? The time is
coming and is already here
when all of you will be
scattered, each of you to
your own home, and I will
be left all alone. But I am
not really alone, because
the father is with me. I have
told you this so that you will
have peace by being united
to me. The world will make
you suffer. But be brave! I
have defeated the world!’”
(John 16:31-33)
This Gospel passage
was very apt this year when
we all celebrated Easter in
our own homes. Unthink-
able is the image of Jesus
arriving in Jerusalem to
crowds of admirers who
were most certainly not
practicing social distancing.
A Maundy Thursday meal
without the disciples. The
way to the Crucifixion with-
out the loved ones watching
his journey.
The Catholic Church is
finding different ways for
us to celebrate life and hope
during a time of uncertainty,
as Easter arrived devoid of
fanfare and we watched
everything behind closed
doors – which has become
a symbol of unity and hope
in a world faced with an
uncertain future.
And Christian hope
cannot be quarantined. The
fear of coronavirus and joy
of Easter are simultaneous-
ly possible, just like it was
for the women who came
to Jesus’s tomb that first
Easter. Even at this time
we need to shout, “Alleluia,
God is with us!” Because
Jesus declared long before
his death what is going to
take place in the world after
his death: “In this world,
you will have trouble. But
take heart! I have overcome
the world.” (John 16:33). In
this world, we do now have
trouble - the coronavirus. Is
Post Easter reflection
Years ago, while in
college, I went to an Easter
Sunday service with my
roommate and his family. I
wasn’t much of a believer
back then, but it seemed
like the thing to do. During
the sermon, the pastor noted
that there were people pres-
ent that he would not see
until Christmas; at which
point my roommate’s father
whispered, “Someone want
to take that knife out of my
back?”
Personally, as a pastor, I
have never minded “twice-
a-year” attenders or those
who only show for a wed-
ding, funeral or baptism. I
rejoice at who is with us in
worship no matter what. All
are welcome.
Most of us sat home on
Sunday, foregoing Easter
services at church, the most
attended Sunday of the
year. Maybe a televised ser-
vice from somewhere else,
or a radio broadcast of “The
Messiah,” or even an old
John Wayne western filled
our Easter morning. We all
dealt with social isolation
and this major Christian
holiday in our own ways.
I wince when I see huge
gatherings in the midst of
this plague of COVID 19,
and pastors telling their pa-
rishioners that God would
rather see them in church
than cowering at home. My
prayers are that they are
right, and that their congre-
gants have not become new
vectors for the spread of the
virus. Most of us, however,
have stayed at home, and
most of us have done the
right thing for ourselves,
our neighbors and all God’s
children.
Now, on this week af-
ter Easter, the temptation
is to feel a bit let down,
and think that Easter just
wasn’t the same this year.
it not that losing the oppor-
tunity to celebrate Easter
in the church as a family
is a form of true suffering?
But we need to hope for
the best.
In the above scripture
passage, Jesus’s prediction
for the world is already
at hand, for the coronavi-
rus fulfills that “you will
be scattered, each of you
to your own homes.” But
though we have been left
alone, believers all over
the world have strength-
ened their faith in Christ
through various ways. This
Lenten season, we have
had a chance to experi-
ence that Christ is risen
—in new ways. Those ways
have been quieter and seem
smaller, but we made it
merrier and bigger. Over
the past week, we met as a
community of believers vir-
tually through live stream-
ing, YouTube, WhatsApp,
Zoom, etc. This pandem-
ic fear has also served as
a momentum builder, to
bring all of us together
in different ways to raise
hope that we’re still all
together as true Christians.
It’s been strange, but it has
fostered closer relationships
among the families and
one another. I hope these
relationships will continue
once things return to nor-
mal, possibly strengthened
through feelings of thanks-
giving.
Pope Francis has tried
to keep the church united
with Christ. His Urbit et
Orbi blessing was actually
a moment of building peace
with Christ. This is what
Christ reiterated to disci-
ples before his death and
to us when we are caught
in the grief and loss of our
dear ones due to COVID
-19, “You will have peace
by being united to me.” It
is very apt at this time. We
could really overcome fear,
anxiety and nervousness
through the support of our
praying communities in
which we took part and
prayed.
The risen Lord always
greeted his disciples in all
the post-resurrection scenes
with these words, “Peace
be with you.” (John 20:19)
He also mentions, “Peace
is what I leave with you;
it is my own peace that I
give you. I do not give it as
the world does. Do not be
worried and upset; do not
be afraid.” (John 14:27)
This Easter season reminds
us all to come a little closer
to the Lord, who is caring
for us, who is protecting us,
and will still protect us from
all threating events of the
world. Instead of looking
for comfort and pleasures
from material and worldly
things, the Lord invites
everyone to come closer to
Him and trust Him more.
Let these words of
Christ resonate in our minds
and hearts: “Be brave! I
have defeated the world.”
I think that is the real mes-
sage of Easter, “Be brave I
have conquered the world.”
If you, too, remain in Him
and His words remain in
you, surely, we, too, can
conquer the threating virus
of corona with our faith.
Fr. Thankachan Joseph
SDB, St. Patrick Church
We’re Here To Help!
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Our goal is to help you stay healthy.
Call us!
217 North Main St.,
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Phone 676-9158 Floral 676-9426
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Do you want to vote for
President in the
May 19, 2020 Primary?
Oregon has closed primary elections. This means that if you wish to vote for ei-
ther the Republican or Democratic presidential candidates, you must be registered
to vote with either the Democratic or Republican Party. If you are not registered
with either major party, you will still be eligible to vote for measures and any non-
partisan candidates offices in your voting district.
Major Party Ballot
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All Non-Partisan Candidates
Do you know which party you are registered with? Don’t
be surprised when your ballot comes in the mail.
Check now at oregonvotes.gov/myvote
You can register to vote or change your party by April 28,
2020. You can pick up a paper Voter Registration form at
any elections office, Oregon DMV or post office in
Morrow County.
If you have questions or concerns please call (541) 676-5601 or email mcclerkrecords@co.morrow.or.us ,
Bobbi Childers, Morrow County Clerk.
As always ballot drop sites will open after ballots are mailed and will close on Election Day at 8 p.m.
Return Ballots are now pre-paid. Please mail back prior to May 12, 2020 to ensure arrival by election day.
True enough, but some
perspective might be help-
ful – starting with Scrip-
ture. On that first Easter
morning, everyone except a
few brave women stayed at
home. Social isolation was
practiced on the morning
of the first resurrection,
but it was isolation from
the virus of fear. Secondly,
there were times through-
out the history of the early
church when the threats of
persecution were so great
that early Christians avoid-
ed gatherings of more than
just a few faithful folks, no
matter what Sunday. There
were lonely Easters during
the Black Plague, during
smallpox outbreaks, or even
here, out west, during chol-
era, typhoid and typhus
outbreaks. And I remember
my grandfather, who was an
army dentist during WWI,
talking about how deserted
streets and churches were
in Vancouver and Portland
during the Spanish Flu
pandemic.
Point is, while it would
have been glorious to gather
and celebrate Easter with
our churches and families
last Sunday, it was not the
first time in human history
that such gatherings were
not happening.
Which brings us to the
central point of Christ’s res-
urrection. It is not about big
gatherings or candy eggs. It
is about new life, and our
own, internal awareness
that God has shown us,
through Jesus’ resurrection,
that we are never alone.
Death is not the final word.
Not never, not ever the final
word.
Easter is about renewal
and new life. We need to re-
member that in these times
of COVID-19. This virus
is not the final word. The
final word is hope. The fi-
nal word is grace. The final
word is renewal.
Whenever we gather
again in whichever com-
munity of faith we belong,
that will be Easter Sunday.
Until then, however, take
the message of Christ’s res-
urrection to heart. It is your
own personal offer of new
life. And that gift to your
soul is there no matter how
many or how few shared the
day with you.
Blessings,
Rev. Jim Monroe,
Heppner United Method-
ist Church
The Loop
schedules
meetings
Morrow County Spe-
cial Transportation The
Loop will be holding its
quarterly advisory commit-
tee meetings on April 21 at
the Bartholomew Building
lower conference room.
In response to the cur-
rent health emergency re-
sulting from the COVID-19
pandemic, county facilities
have limited seating capac-
ity and meetings are being
held electronically to pro-
vide participation other than
in-person. The meetings
will be available for view-
ing via Morrow County
Zoom meeting. To schedule
a Zoom meeting invitation
please provide your name,
phone number and email
address to Morrow County
Special Transportation The
Loop via phone message at
541-676-5667 or kimes@
co.morrow.or.us
The Special Transpor-
tation Fund Advisory Com-
mittee meeting will begin
at 3 p.m. On the agenda for
the meeting will be pub-
lic comment, approval of
minutes, revenue/expense
reports, ridership and other
business as needed for the
good of the order.
The Statewide Trans-
portation Improvement
Fund Advisory Committee
meeting will start at 4 p.m.
On the agenda for the meet-
ing will be public comment,
approval of the minutes,
revenue/expense reports,
fixed route, and other busi-
ness as needed for the good
of the order.
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