Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 24, 2021 -- THREE
Spiritually Speaking
Time to Say Hosanna
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph SDB, St. Patrick Church
Just a little more than a year ago, life in our world
was status quo and then a tiny microbe came along and
changed all this. The coronavirus restrictions that have
been in place have meant huge changes
in everyone’s life. Last year may be the
first time the Catholic Church didn’t
celebrate the Holy week in this century. I
still remember very vividly how we were
all in lockdown. Man thought that the
world was under his control, but political
leaders, business leaders, scientists, were Fr. Thankachan
all caught unprepared and confounded. Joseph
In his “Urbi et Orbi” message, Pope
Francis noted that the coronavirus crisis, “exposes our
vulnerability and uncovers those false and superfluous
certainties around which we have constructed our daily
schedules, our project, our habits and priorities. It shows
us how we have allowed to become dull and feeble the
very things that nourish, sustain and strengthen our lives
and our communities.” The corona epidemic taught us
the need to trust in the divine providence. The letter of
St James says that man knows how to control and tame
animals and steer the ship against the strong winds, steered
by a very small rudder. (James 3:3-4). Nearly after a year,
the world of science and medicine was able to prepare an
amicable vaccine for this pandemic. But people all over
the world still feel threatened and anxious about what is
going to happen next. An air of anxiety, fear, depression,
dejection and disappointment grips us.
Christians all over the world are now celebrating
Holy Week. I am sure that many of us cannot believe
how quickly this time of Lent has passed. Perhaps we
feel that, despite all the restrictions, we have journeyed
through Lent with a new intensity. Holy Week’s beginning
is marked by the celebration of Palm Sunday, wherein we
remember the solemn entry of Lord Jesus into Jerusalem.
“The crowds who went in front of him and those who
followed him were all shouting, ‘Hosanna to the son of
David!’” (Mt 21:9). When I checked the etymological
meaning of Hosanna something struck me. So, I have
given the title to my article as Time to Say Hosanna. The
etymological meaning of this Hebrew word, “hoshi’a na,”
which is translated in Greek as “(h)osanna.” In English,
we know it as “hosanna.” The original biblical dictio-
naries of the scripture describe it as “Save!” It is viewed
as a plea for help. We have gone through a difficult time
at this particular celebration of the Holy Week. Like the
crowd who accompanied the Lord shouted, “Hosanna to
the Son of David,” or like the disciples in the boat who
cried out, “Master, don’t you care that we are about to
die?” (Mk. 4:38). The whole world, too, is faced with
the same situation of troubled seas and a heavy storm in
front of us day by day, as seen in the number of inflicted
patients and nearly two hundred thousand persons who
have lost their lives to COVID-19. Last year during the
Holy week, I still remember so many old people of our
parishes were saying this little soothing and comforting
prayer: “Hosanna to the son of David, Lord come to our
rescue.” Like Psalmists, together we say, “Please Lord,
please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success.”
(Psalm 118:25)
Matthew’s Gospel (21: 1-11) starts on a triumphant
note, the celebration of a victory parade. Parades and
processions have always been part of worship in Jewish
and Christian tradition, and they were the most normal
way for people to acclaim the victories and triumphs of
their heroes and heroines. When the parade is over, the
heroes fade away and are forgotten, and Jesus, whom we
acclaim in today’s victory procession, will momentarily
fade into His passion and death, but then He will rise again
and live on. What is worth noting is the attitude of Jesus
as He is about to enter into the final phase of His life. He
enters the city boldly and fearlessly though He knows
that He will meet His end there; He meets His opponents
openly as He triumphantly enters into Jerusalem. He gives
orders: Go to the village, find the donkey. If anyone asks,
say the Master needs it. And He went riding in and they
acknowledged Him: “Hosanna to the son of David!” We
remember that the palms we carry today will be burned
and the ashes for next year’s Ash Wednesday will be
made from them. Thus, the sign of glory and the sign of
conversion are made of the same stuff and meet in our
flesh and lives.
Palm Sunday reminds us all of an important thing:
Though He is the king, He is coming on a mule. This
king is different from the earthly kings. He shows us
the example of humility. We cannot even think of any
king who marches on a donkey. The donkey stands for
humility, simplicity, ignorance, demureness, diffidence,
docility. This Holy Week invites all of us to answer this
question of the Lord: Can you be a donkey for me this
Palm Sunday? Can you take me to the cities and towns
shouting and yelling “Hosanna to the son of David”? To
be a donkey for the Lord, what are all the things I need
to leave aside?
This period of epidemic invites every one of us to
have an introspection of oneself and to get rid of those
things that make us boastful, arrogant, non-caring. Scrip-
ture says, “The greater you are, the more humbly you
should behave, and then you find favor with the Lord”
(Sir 3:18). Then Hosanna will be accomplished in our
lives too. I would like to remind you once again of the
little prayer that the Holy Father has taught us all during
the time of the pandemic as a source of comfort for us all,
“I am vaccinated by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
No virus can touch me.” This is such a welcome message
as we continue to try and do our best in the strange and
difficult situation that we face at the moment. I am sure
many of us have received the second dose of vaccine for
COVID-19, but still let us continue to say that little prayer
of the solemn entry of Jesus to Jerusalem: “Hosanna to
the son of David!” (Mt 21:9). It is the right Time to Say
Hosanna.
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to Heppner.net.
Bible era sophistry
refined, fine-tuned
To the editor,
“Oh foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you,
that you should not obey the
truth…?” (Galatians 3:1).
The church at Galatia was
deceived with clever argu-
ments and fallacious rea-
soning to turn them away
from faith in Jesus Christ.
The bible era sophistry of
ancient Greek (bewitch-
ment) has been refined and
fine-tuned by present day
liberal elites in America
today. Jesus warned, at the
end of the age, even the
elect would be deceived if
that were possible (Mat-
thew 24:24) The prophet
Isaiah wrote of our present
hour, “Woe to them that
call evil good, and good
evil; that put darkness for
light, and light for darkness,
that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter.” (Isa-
iah 5:20) America and the
world has been bewitched.
OSHA in Oregon is
proposing establishing a
permanent law to require
face masks for all Ore-
gonians. Sixteen states in
America have no mask
mandate and equal or better
results compared to states
with mask mandates. At
our southern border illegal
immigrates are flooding
the border with Biden’s en-
couragement, with no mask
mandates or Covid testing.
Biden and liberal elites
have bewitched America,
calling evil good, a classic
example of ancient Greek
sophistry.
Henry Aaron, Marvin
Hagler, and Leon Spinks
all died directly after taking
the mRNA experimental
Covid vaccine. The liberal
elites were quick to claim
natural cause coincidence
on the otherwise healthy
sports icons to make sure
no autopsy was performed.
When revered conserva-
tive Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia died in the
most suspicious manner
in a remote West Texas
hunting lodge in 2016 the
same elites made sure no
autopsy was performed on
the otherwise healthy jus-
tice. Last week the Heppner
Gazette-Times reported two
wolves had died: wolves
that feed on our elk, deer
and cattle populations. An
autopsy has been ordered
and expect a federal investi-
gation. In Oregon today the
death of a wolf trumps hu-
man life, classic sophism.
Recent Emmy win-
ning rapper song “Wet Ass
P….y,” a pornographic
lesbian sexual performance
on a pole by Cardi B and
Megan Thee Stallion won
the Grammys 2021. Cardi
B responded to criticism of
her songs lyrics: (“Yeah,
f……. with some wet ass
p…..”) The people that song
bothers are usually conser-
vative or really religious…
Other people might think
it’s strange and vulgar, but
to me it’s almost like really
normal, you know what
I’m saying?” Lewd, vul-
gar, pornographic, perverse
behavior is ‘really normal’
in America today but films
like Gone with the Wind,
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and
books like Dr. Seuss, Mr.
Potato Head, and Tarzan
have been censored as mor-
ally unacceptable by liberal
media elites and big tech.
Bitter is now sweet. Jesus
would call these censorship
elites hypocrites, “Blind
guides, you strain out a
gnat but swallow a camel.”
(Matt. 23:24)
One final example,
however, the list of liberal
elite censorship/sophistry
will soon turn America into
communist slavery if this
bewitchment is not cut out
of our republic. Less than
four percent of the 10.5
million black slaves out
of Africa came to America
(388,000). These slaves
were freed by American
Republican President Abra-
ham Lincoln at a cost of
600,000 predominantly
white American men in
1863. The Democratic con-
trolled House has prepared
a reparation bill H.R. 40 to
“Study and Develop Repa-
ration Proposals for African
Americans Act.”
At the same time Amer-
ica leads the world in child
sex slavery, a 100-bil-
lion-dollar industry, which
is estimated at 30 million
sex slaves worldwide. These
children, mostly girls, are
sexually exploited, abused,
tortured and some ritually
sacrificed. The liberal elite
media/big tech/politicians
are fully aware of this sa-
tanic human slavery. Many
of these elitists profit from
this child sex slave industry,
yet they are at the forefront
of demanding reparation
for America’s black pop-
ulation. These traitorous
elites that are using sophism
to extract reparation, use
racism as a system of ad-
vantage based on skin color.
“Woe to you scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites,
for ye are like unto whited
sepulchers which indeed
appear beautiful on the
outside but are within dead
men’s bones and of all un-
cleanness. Even so ye also
outwardly appear righteous
unto men, but within ye are
full of hypocrisy and iniqui-
ty.” (Matt. 23: 27,28)
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A View from the Green
Lady golfers begin
The Willow Creek Country Club lady golfers will
begin their season April 6. A meeting will start the day at
9 a.m., registration for play at 9:30 and play beginning at
10. The type of play will depend on the number of golfers.
Willow Creek
Country Club men
to start season
The Willow Creek
Country Club men will start
their Sunday play on March
28 at 8 a.m. The format will
be a two-man blind draw
scramble.
The schedule for the
year’s events will be avail-
able in the clubhouse this
week. Wednesday night
play is scheduled to start
on April 14. The sign-up
sheet will be posted for
those interested in that this
week also.
For additional informa-
tion, contact a member of
the men’s club board.
Death Notice
Joseph R. “Joe” Yocom – Joseph R. “Joe” Yocom,
88, longtime Lexington resident, died Sunday, March 21,
2021 at St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, WA. A
graveside memorial service will be held Monday, March
29, at 11 a.m. at the Lexington Cemetery. A complete
obituary will appear in next week’s edition of the Heppner
Gazette-Times. Sweeney Mortuary of Heppner is in care
of arrangements.
Chamber Chatter
Heppner Chamber will
be holding its annual lun-
cheon Thursday, April 1,
2021 from 12-1 p.m. in the
Gilliam and Bisbee Build-
ing. Lunch will cost $10,
and RSVPs are required due
to COVID-19 limitations
and to guarantee a lunch.
Please RSVP no later than
Friday, March 26.
Murray Drug is giving
the Moderna COVID vac-
cines every Friday from
8:30 a.m. -12 p.m. through-
out the month of March.
Contact the pharmacy at
541-676-9158 to schedule
an appointment.
The Community and
Public Enhancement grant
program, provided by Wil-
low Creek Valley Economic
Development Group (WC-
VEDG) will be accepting
applications starting Mon-
day, March 15. Complet-
ed applications must be
received by the Heppner
Chamber by Monday, April
19 to be considered for
funding. Applicants must
be a local organization,
club, special district or a
governmental entity who
resides in the south Mor-
row County service area
and must have a 50 percent
match for the total project
budget committed before
applying. Copies of the
grant can be picked up at
the Chamber office, Hep-
pner, Ione and Lexington
city halls or can be down-
loaded from the Heppner
Chamber Website under
Economic Development
at www.heppnerchamber.
com. Contact the Heppner
Chamber at 541-676-5536
for additional information.
Nominations for the
Annual Town and Country
Community Awards are
now open. The event, with
dinner, will be held Thurs-
day, June 17 in the Gilliam
and Bisbee Building. Tick-
ets will be available for sale
in May (more information
to follow soon).
Nomination forms are
now being accepted for the
community award winners,
Man and Woman of the
Year, Business of the Year,
Citizen-Educator of the
Year; Lifetime Achieve-
ment and Youth Award.
These forms are available
at the Bank of Eastern Or-
egon, Chamber office and
City Hall and are due back
by Friday, May 14, 2021
to the Heppner Chamber
office.
The Heppner Ranger
District is recruiting four
students between the ages
of 15 and 18 for summer
employment in the Youth
Conservation Corps (YCC).
The program will last six
weeks beginning June 21,
2021. The youth are paid at
the Oregon minimum wage
rate of $11.50 per hour
(effective July 1, 2021, the
wage rate will increase to
$12 per hour) and no previ-
ous experience is required.
Applications are
available at the Forest
Service offices in Hep-
pner and Pendleton and
at local high schools. The
online application can
be found at https://www.
fs.fed.us/sites/default/
files/ycc-application-en-
glish-v2-exp-1-31-2020.
pdf. Applications will be
accepted until 2 p.m. on
April 15, 2021.
Boardman planning
commission to
fill vacancy
The city of Boardman
has one vacancy on the
planning commission and
is seeking interested parties
who live within the Board-
man city limits to fill the
seat with a term ending on
December 31, 2021. The
position will be appointed
at a future city council
meeting.
The planning commis-
sion is comprised of sev-
en members appointed by
the city council and is a
permanent advisory body
to the council on matters
related to planning and
development. The commis-
sion holds monthly public
meetings to consider land
use and zoning matters
presented by staff, such
as plan amendments, zone
changes, conditional use
permits, variances and ten-
tative subdivision projects.
Meetings are held on
the third Wednesday of
each month at 7 p.m. at
Boardman City Hall and
are open to the public. Ad-
ditional information about
the planning commission
can be found on the city
website at http://www.city-
ofboardman.com/pc/page/
planning-commission.
Interested parties
should send a letter of inter-
est to community develop-
ment director Barry Beyeler
at bbeyeler@cityofboard-
man.com or via mail to
Boardman City Hall, P.O.
Box 229, Boardman, OR
97818.