Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 5, 2021 -- FIVE
Spiritually Speaking
What I command you
is to love one another
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph SDB, St. Patrick Church
On this Sunday, we celebrate our Lord’s universal
love, the fullness of which is expressed in
Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
He has no favorites. Rather, He freely
communicates His love and spirit to all
who accept Him. As we reflect on the
theme of this Sunday, I am reminded of
the previous Sunday’s theme to “remain”
in His Love, or to be grafted to the person Fr. Thankachan
of Christ and be fruitful. A fruit tree that Joseph
produces no fruit is worthless. A lamp
that gives no light is useless. A Christian
who does not love his neighbor is in the same category.
But it was God who first loved us. He wants us to repay
His love by loving one another. We know we fail to love
others as we should. Let us have the courage to look at
our failures and to admit them.
The Acts of the Apostles, 10: 25-26, 34-35, 44-48, is
an account of the conversion of Cornelius and his family,
and how they received the Holy Spirit. As Peter described
it, this shows that “God does not have any favorite.” In
other words, God’s salvation and love is universal. While
reflecting on the readings, I recalled the song which says:
“Jesus’s love is so wonderful, so wide you cannot get out
of it, so high you cannot get over it, so deep you cannot get
under it.…” Simply put, God’s love does not discriminate.
He wants everyone who would sincerely believe in Him
to be saved and participate in Him through the Holy spirit.
The First Letter of St. John (1Jn 4:7-10) admonishes
us to love one another because love is of God. Where love
prevails, the kingdom of God can be witnessed among
them all. This particular letter invites every one of us to
remain in this love, and, of course, to love one another
as Christ loved us. Being created in the image of God,
we must exhibit this love, a simple theme beautifully
explained in the letter of St. John: when we love others
genuinely, we are truly being and acting like God. When
we love sincerely, we testify that the spirit of God dwells
in us.
The gospel of the day is actually the continuation of
the previous Sunday, the theme called “Remain in Christ’s
Love,” or being grafted in the love of Christ. First of all,
we should realize the love Jesus challenges us to practice
is practical and emotional. We need to feel warm thoughts
for others, but we also do need to act lovingly towards
them, even when they are unwelcoming to us. When this
discussion and teaching began, Jesus initiated it with an
act of love, washing the feet of the disciples (John 13:3–5).
Affection will sometimes grow as we serve others. But
even when it does not, the command to love remains.
The nature of Christ’s love is full of humility, sacri-
fice, and service. Our approach to others should be char-
acterized by these traits. “What I command you, is to love
one another.” As a command it means that we do not have
any option than to love one another. The reason is simple.
We ourselves are products of love. This love flows from
God to Christ and from Christ to us. Our love needs to
echo the character of Christ’s love. It is a sacrificial love.
Strong emotion and sentiments may accompany it, but
they are not in themselves love. They are simply modes
of expressing love. It is the commitment of the will that
keeps sacrificial love steadfast and unchanging. That is,
the will to endure or persevere. This is the mark of a good
and true Christian love. Hence, sacrificial love must be
patient. It shows forbearance even under provocation. It
is steadfast despite opposition, and difficulties. True love
is hard. It is demanding. It requires virtue and brings out
the best in all involved in the love relationship.
We must be full of Jesus’s love to have any love to
give to others. How do we remain in His love? By keeping
His commandments. We manifest God’s love best when
we are in the right relationship with God. When we let
God’s, love fill us and spill out into others, it is amazing
what God can do through us. I think that Mother Theresa
truly understood and lived this Gospel. Her way of life and
her goal was to do everything with love – to see the face
of Christ in everyone with whom she came into contact.
How could Mother Theresa care so tenderly for the dying
and the miserable. She obtained much grace to love like
Jesus loves through loving her brethren. There are many
saints who did the same. Let us look to them as shining
examples of how we can live Jesus’s command to love
one another. Have we the courage to live in God’s love
by loving the things that God loves? This will bring us a
great happiness, for we can count on the love of God who
never fails to love us, because what be command us, “is
to love one another.”
Area students awarded scholarships
The South Morrow
County Scholarship Trust
has announced the recip-
ients of the 2020-2021
scholarship. Roy Collins,
Eva Martin and Madelyn
Nichols will each receive
$1,000; Hunter Greenup,
Kayla McAninch and Jessi-
ca Medina will each receive
$800; Sydney Wilson and
Blake Wolters will each
receive $500. They were
selected on the basis of aca-
demic achievement, chosen
field of study, financial
need, school participation,
degree of effort in seeking
sources for college and
personal characteristics for
success and school citizen-
ship.
Roy Collins is the son
of Tim and Jeannie Collins
of Heppner. He attends
Heppner High School and
after graduation, he plans
to attend Northwest Line-
man College in Idaho. Roy
has maintained a high GPA
and received many aca-
demic excellence awards
throughout high school. He
is a member of the National
Honor Society, FFA and
FBLA. Roy has participat-
ed and lettered in football,
basketball, and baseball. He
has volunteered for many
community events such as
Booster Club Auction, St.
Patrick’s Celebration and
the county fair.
Eva Martin is the
daughter of Brent and Jill
Martin of Lexington. She
attends Ione Community
Charter School and after
graduation, plans to major
in business and marketing.
Eva has maintained a high
GPA while being a member
of FFA, 4-H and National
Honor Society and par-
ticipating and lettering in
volleyball, basketball and
softball. She is an ASB
Officer, an outdoor school
counselor, referee for Jr
High Volleyball and or-
ganized a fundraiser for a
wildlife relief fund.
Madelyn Nichols is the
daughter of Russ and Toni
Nichols of Heppner. She at-
tends Heppner High School
and after graduation, she
will attend Eastern Oregon
University to pursue a de-
gree in Molecular Biology
as a first step to becoming a
physician assistant or fam-
ily physician. Madelyn is
an active member of TSA,
ABS, drama and FBLA.
She has participated or
lettered in cross country,
basketball and track and
field. She will be able to
continue her athletic ca-
reer at EOU on their cross
country and track and field
teams. Madelyn has helped
with many school and com-
munity activities including
Booster Club Auction, HES
Carnival, Catholic Church
drama productions and
youth track.
Hunter Greenup is the
son of Travis and Tiffanie
Are you ready to
Purchase a Home in Town?
Refinance?
Purchase a Rural Home
with Acreage?
We offer competitive pricing and products
designed specifically for rural properties.
Greenup of Lexington.
He attends Heppner High
School and after gradua-
tion, he plans to attend Volta
Lineman School. Hunter is
a member of FFA and has
participated or lettered in
football, basketball, trap
shooting and golf. He has
volunteered for the Wran-
glers program and the 4-H
organization.
Kayla McAninch is
the daughter of Jason and
Stephanni McAninch of
Heppner. She attends Hep-
pner High School and after
graduation, she plans to
attend Blue Mountain Com-
munity College to pursue
a degree in nursing. She
participated or lettered in
cheerleading, volleyball,
basketball, golf and FFA.
Kayla has volunteered for
Booster Club Action, Mus-
tang Mop-Up and several
food drives.
Jessica Medina is the
daughter of Martin and
Obdulia Medina of Ione.
She attends Ione Commu-
nity Charter School and
after graduation, she plans
to attend a 4-year college
to pursue a criminal justice
degree. Jessica participated
or lettered in volleyball,
basketball, softball, track
and FFA. She volunteered
for the community clean-
ups, book fairs and youth
sports.
Sydney Wilson is the
daughter of Steve and
Mindy Wilson of Heppner.
She attends Heppner High
School and after gradua-
tion, she will attend Walla
Walla Community College
to pursue a nursing degree
and be a member of their
volleyball team. Sydney
participated or lettered in
volleyball, basketball, soft-
ball, track and field. She
volunteered for the Booster
Club Auction, youth sports
camps and the HES Car-
nival.
Blake Wolters is the
son of Kirk and Amy Wolt-
ers of Ione. He attends
Heppner High School and
after graduation, he plans
to attend Western Oregon
University to study kine-
siology and sports science.
Blake is a member of FBLA
and participated or lettered
in football, basketball and
track and field. He vol-
unteered for youth sports
camps, Booster Club Auc-
tion and made blankets for
Doernbecher Children’s
Hospital.
The Board of Directors
include president Adam
McCabe, vice president
Andrea Nelson, treasurer
Tricia Rollins, secretary
Brandi Sweeney, Martin
Vito, Carri Grieb and Karen
Holland. The South Mor-
row County Scholarship
Trust, Inc was established
with the mission to grow
funds to provide scholar-
ships to graduating seniors
from Heppner and Ione
High Schools and to take
the place of the Troedson
Scholarship Fund which
will discontinue in 2023.
Tax deductible donations
can be sent to SMCS Inc,
PO Box 102, Ione, Oregon
97843.
The Coach Del LaRue
Scholarship was developed
in memory of Del LaRue,
a long-time teacher and
coach at Ione High School.
Del had a passion for coach-
ing basketball and track and
field and loved seeing stu-
dents set and achieve their
goals. After retiring from
teaching, Del continued
to coach track for twelve
additional years, during
this time he helped many
student athletes achieve
their goals and was honored
as national Track and Field
Coach of the Year.
Eva Martin is the
daughter of Brent and Jill
Martin of Lexington. She
attends Ione Community
Charter School and after
graduation, plans to major
in business and marketing
at Oregon State University.
Eva has maintained a high
GPA while being a member
of ASB, FFA, 4-H and Na-
tional Honor Society. She
participated and lettered
in volleyball, basketball
and softball. Eva has vol-
unteered at school and in
the community including
youth sports referee, book
fairs, blood drives, commu-
nity clean-ups, community
garden and outdoor school.
This fund awards one
$1,000 scholarship to a
college-bound Ione high
school senior based on
demonstrated academic
achievement, community
involvement and with pref-
erence given to students
who have participated in the
Ione High School Track and
Field Program. Students
must be continuing their
education at a community
college, trade school, or
four-year college or univer-
sity. Applicants must have a
minimum 3.0 accumulated
GPA, attended Ione High
School all four years of
high school and shown
involvement in community
activities. The South Mor-
row County Scholarship Inc
Board of Directors awards
the scholarship on behalf of
the family.
Please don't
post signs,
balloons,
or other
materials to
utility poles!
Hanging items on poles
can be dangerous to
the lineworkers who
maintain the lines that
provide electricity,
internet, and other
services.
KAITLIN ORCUTT
Mortgage Loan Officer
541-303-8281
NMLS# 1043345
Call one of our Local
MORTGAGE SPECIALISTS
INQUIRE AT YOUR LOCAL BRANCH
HEPPNER
IONE
MORTGAGE
541- 676-9125 541- 422-7466 541-676-9884
LOCAL LENDING
TEAMS THAT CARE
ARLETTA ARNSPIGER
Mortgage Loan Officer
509-546-7262
NMLS# 508276
Hermiston Office
Boardman Office
750 W. Elm Ave.
Hermiston, OR 97838
(541) 567-6414
400 N.E. Eldrige Drive
Boardman, OR 97818
(541) 481-2220
www.UmatillaElectric.com
Member FDIC
NMLS #414459 / RATES & TERMS MAY VARY. ALL LOANS SUBJECT TO CREDIT APPROVAL.
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS
AT 5PM