Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 12, 2021 -- THREE
Spiritually Speaking
~ Letters to the Editor ~
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Saddened to see Dr.
Nichols leaving
To the editor,
I was saddened to see
Dr. Nichols was leaving us.
He is not only a good doc-
tor, but a huge part of this
community. He coached
basketball and boys’ track
and Toni coached girls’
track.
Their children are ac-
tive in sports, excellent stu-
dents as well as volunteers
in the community. Both
Hunter and Madelyn have
earned scholarships.
Dr. Nichols’ patients
were not just a number, they
were important people that
he cared about. House calls
and extra time with his pa-
tients were not uncommon.
He is a kind, considerate
human being. I am alive be-
cause Dr. Nichols insisted
on a follow-up procedure.
He and his family will
be missed and are leaving a
huge void to fill.
Good luck to you and
God bless your family.
Joanne Burleson
Endorsing Stokoe
To the editor,
I am writing this letter
to endorse Richard Stokoe
for re-election to the posi-
tion of commissioner for
the Port of Morrow. My as-
sociation with Chief Stokoe
goes back to when I was a
member of the Oregon State
Sheriff’s Association and
got to know Chief Stokoe
for his work representing
Boardman through his ac-
tivities with the Oregon
Association of Chiefs of
Police. As the Sheriff of a
small county, I was then,
and still am, very moved
when I see people who
have a passion for rep-
resenting the interests of
their small communities. I
was later able to work with
Chief Stokoe on issues
surrounding crisis interven-
tion training. It was during
these times that I came to
recognize and respect his
leadership skills, his work
ethic and his passion for
service.
Richard Stokoe is the
kind of person who is fo-
cused on helping to make
his community and those
around him better. He does
not have a personal agenda.
Even during times when
we may have disagreed,
I always found him to be
open and approachable and
willing to listen. In fact, it is
in those moments that Chief
Stokoe sees opportunity in
building relationships while
finding inclusive solutions.
Richard Stokoe has proven
ability and leadership skills.
He will continue to be a
tremendous asset to this
community and should be
re-elected to the position of
commissioner for the Port
of Morrow.
Sheriff Chris Hum-
phreys (ret.)
Vote yes for Ione school
To the editor,
I will be voting yes for
the Ione School District
bond for the same reasons
I supported creating an
Ione School District back
in 2003.
I believed then, as I do
now, that the community of
Ione cannot survive without
a K-12 school. If young
families don’t see mod-
ern, safe facilities with the
ability to graduate students
who are ready for college
or to enter a trade, they will
not choose to live and raise
their kids in our communi-
ty. We all want to keep our
very rural way of life, but
it will eventually fail if we
don’t continue to add a few
By Fr. Thankachan Joseph
What is the Ascension of Jesus? Forty days
On this Sunday, usually the Church celebrates
after Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended into
it as the Ascension of the Lord. Jesus, after having
heaven. It was a moment of prodigious celebration.
completed His earthly life, ascends into heaven. It
All the angels gathered around Him and asked
is a day for renewing our hope in the goal toward
about His life and mission on earth. Jesus was glad
which the Lord is leading us, namely, a place
to share His wonderful life experience of living
in His Kingdom. This event is preceded by the
with mankind, His life struggle with priests and
commissioning of the apostles with a mission – to Fr. Thankachan rulers on earth and how they condemned Him to
preach the Gospel to the whole world. Jesus was Joseph
die on a cross because he stood for the cause of
faithful to His mission entrusted to Him by His
the marginalized of the society. How He failed
Father. For our failure to live as His witnesses in the world to impart the love of the Father to the priestly clan and
and for not carrying out faithfully the mission entrusted their refusal to believe in God and finally, His dying on
to us, let us be sorry and ask pardon of God.
the cross for their salvation. The Lord has already built
Imagine this conversation of “What will you do a bridge between the heaven and the Earth. He has come
next?”
and lived with us and set connectivity between God and
At the end of your secondary school what do you human beings.
want to do? - I want to go to college.
Why did Jesus Ascend to the father? In the letter of
After college what do you want to do? - I want to St. Paul to Philippians is written: “Our Lord Jesus Christ
get a job.
ascended to receive the glory due to Him as the victor
Then what do you want to do? - I want to make big over sin and death” (2:8-9). Jesus in the Gospel of John
money.
reminds in several places that He needs to ascend to the
What do you want to do after making money? - I want Father for the Advocate to come to us. Jesus, in John,
to build a big house.
reminds us that He ascended to the Father to prepare
After that what do you intend to do? - I want to get rooms for us (14:2).
married.
How to make Ascension Possible in our Life? As
What will you do after getting married? - I will have noted above, St. Paul in his letter to the Colossians, gives
a family.
us this message: “So if you have been raised with Christ,
What will you do after having a family? - I will retire. seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at
What do you want to do after you retire? - I want to the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are
take a rest.
above, not on things that are on earth.” This teaching of
What will you do after taking a rest? - I don’t know. St. Paul reminds us the believers believe that ascension is
Will you die? – Oh, yes, I will die too.
possible for everyone. He suggests three ways to ascend
We are so busy doing things, achieving, making prog- to the father:
ress that we can forget what life is all about, preparing
1) Material Ascension. With the Ascension of our
to meet God in heaven. The Ascension of Jesus reminds Lord Jesus Christ, we are being led to our material free-
us that we are “only passing through here,” as we say. dom. Poverty is converted to riches, lack is converted to
We are pilgrims on a journey. Just as Jesus’s earthly life abundance. The works of our hands are blessed. (Deut.
was temporary and he ascended to sit at the right hand 28:12; Psalm 90:17). From a tendency of amassing wealth
of the Father, so also our lives here are temporary, will for oneself, we need to have an option for the poor, prom-
come to an end and we will meet God in the next life. inent in the lives of great saints who are good examples
The Ascension of Jesus reminds us in all of our busyness of this material ascension, like Francis of Assisi, who was
not to forget what life is all about. The above person had born into a noble business family, but the love of Christ
an answer for everything but never thought about what led him to leave aside everything and follow Christ, who
would happen after dying. One of the lines in the prayer is poor and chaste.
in Paul’s letter to the Colossians is so beautiful and rele-
2) Mind Ascension. An old proverb goes like this: “A
vant: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the sound mind dwells in a sound body.” When our mind is
things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right engaged in material things and things of this world, we
hand of God. Col 3:1)” The feast of Ascension reminds can say that we are in mental slavery, which leads to acute
us that we are mere pilgrims here we need to seek the depression, worry, anxiety fear, etc. Mostly the “haves”
things that are above.
are more involved in things of this world and attached to
As I was preparing for the homily, I was reminded things of this place.
of a story I received recently. A very poor family by the
3) Sensual Ascension. Everything seems available at
name of Carpenter lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains of our fingertips. There is a tendency in the present world
North Carolina. The oldest boy was given an education in to waste time in front of social media screens, to enjoy
the city, with the help of some family friends who gener- and take pleasure that appeals to our sense organs. Our
ously financed his studies when they realized he wanted eyes and ears need to be controlled to ascend above this
to become a doctor. The boy graduated with honors but world of sensual pleasures.
declined all job offers to practice medicine in the city. He
Today, on this Ascension Day, the Church proudly
decided to go back to the mountains, where there were displays the placard of hope and salvation: “Dr Carpenter
many sick people and few doctors. For many years he is upstairs!” But unlike the doctor boy who died, Jesus
ministered to the sick. Some paid, most couldn’t. He gave –the Divine Doctor of our souls – is alive and continues
his very best and helped everyone he could. In his old age to heal people and bring salvation to all people! The Lord
he was in broken health himself and almost penniless.
invites everyone on this particular day to ascend from
Two small rooms above the town grocery store were our present style of life to Him. The Church, consisting
his home and office. At the foot of the creaky stairs lead- of all His believers, continues this ministry of teaching
ing up to his office was a sign with these words: “Dr. and saving people with His living presence and with the
Carpenter is upstairs.” One morning someone climbed help of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus ascended into heaven,
those stairs to find their devoted doctor dead. The en- the Holy Spirit came down to empower the followers of
tire community was plunged into grief. They wanted to Jesus to become His effective witnesses. The Holy Spirit
erect some kind of monument to him. But they decided is always with us to ascend from this present way/style
to simply write these words on a large tombstone: “Dr. of life to a life worthy of His disciples through our words
Carpenter is upstairs.”
and actions.
folks. To survive as a com-
munity, we must remain
optimistic and invest in
our future. We leaned into
the future when we created
a school district. Now we
need to lean in again and
build for its future.
It’s sometimes hard
to be optimistic about the
future. There’s so much in
the world to be concerned
about but, at a local level,
we can keep doing our best
to support the children who
truly are our future. So, I’m
voting yes to build that fu-
ture. I encourage you to do
the same.
Umatilla Electric Coop-
Sincerely,
erative
Business Resource
Jerry Rietmann
Center has announced the
UEC youth entrepreneur
contest. The competition is
open to all upcoming high
school freshmen, sopho-
mores, juniors and seniors.
Applications will open on
bris and burnable material, May 17, 2021 and close on
however the city will not June 17, 2021.
accept tires, appliances,
The UEC youth entre-
hazardous waste or house- preneurship contest is an
hold chemicals. The free opportunity for high school
dumping will be for Hep- students to enhance their
pner residents only and for business and entrepreneur-
more information contact ship experience by creating
city hall at 541-676-9618. a realistic and sustainable
Heppner plans
community clean up
The city of Heppner is
planning a community clean
up offering free dumpster
access for garbage collec-
tion at the city yard on Riv-
erside between Wednesday,
May 19 through Tuesday,
June 1.
There will also be a
spot there to leave yard de-
Ascension - an invitation to mount
the throne of God
UEC sponsors youth
entrepreneur contest
business plan. The UEC
Business Resource Center
team is available for one-
on-one advising appoint-
ments with applicants to
assist with the business
plans.
The UEC board of di-
rectors will be judging the
contest and awarding the
top three applicants with the
following prizes: first place
- $1,000; second place -
$500 and third place - $200.
Applications can be
found at https://www.uec-
brc.com/. For additional
information, call the UEC
Business Resource Center
at 541-289-3000.
DEADLINE:
MONDAYS
AT 5PM
Please join us to celebrate
Our Wedding
Torri Lovgren
&
Kyle Nicol
June 12, 2021
3:00 in the afternoon
at
58520 Rhea Creek Road, Heppner
Reception to Follow