Church News
THE JOURNAL, Thursday, October 15, 2020 BS
CHURCH
P Page B4
The seed represents the Word of God. How it has little
effect on our lives. We need the Word for every aspect of
our lives. We need to live by the Word of God. When the
word goes out it depends on the individual to see where it
lands. Some individuals are like the shallow ground, some
are like thistles, and others are like the stony ground. There
are people today who are like the stony ground. They learn
something about the Word of God, but don’t receive it deep
in their souls; it has to be believed. to receive it. ‘
Often people reject the word, others believe the word and
soon they get discouraged and the enemy comes and plucks
the word right out of their lives.
Abraham and Sarah believed God would bring them a
child, but because God made them wait they took matters
into their own hand and Abraham fathered Ishmael. God is
in control. He did eventually bring them Isaac. He didn’t
overlook the fact that they took matters in their own hands
and they received liis displeasure at their decision.
Faith and belief are often influenced by what is going on
around us. Abraham and Sarah acted out of their own means.
They knew if God said it he would do it. Yet they were influ-
enced about their desire to have a child. Also their age played
a big role in their decision to take this out of God’s hands.
We live in a world with too many influences. These influ—
ences will choke out the Word of God.
We have to separate ourselves from the things in this world
so our faith can grow. Often we have so much going on. The
enemy tries to get sin into our life. He wants us to do wrong.
Ifthat doesn’t work he’ll get you too busy to hear God. Satan
makes our phone more important than God. It takes over
our mind and affects our hearts. God judges us on the level
of where we are right now. The enemy battles us on what is
possible with God. God has the power of deliverance. The
enemy combats the word. God has promised in his word to
take care of us. God wants to do great things fdr his children
every day. God is our Scarecrow in this cornfield of life.
Located at the corner of Diamond Valley Rd and Hwy 51 ,
five miles east of Stillwater. Sunday School 10 am., Sunday
Morning Service 9 am. Quincy Morris, Pastor; Wednesday
Bible Study 7 pm.
Friends Chapel Church
By Bobby Garringer, pastor
MARRIAGE, DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE (con-
tinued): In baseball, Whether batting or defending against a
batter, players are often told, “Keep your eye on the ball.”
coaches want each player to avoid distractions and stay
focused, Whether at the plate or in the field.
And the rest of us should heed the meaning and application
of those same words when we need to focus on the big issues
of life. We are to keep our eye on the ball because — less —
important things can get in the way, so that we lose sight of
the most important.
In this discussion — in comparing marriage, divorce and
remarriage —- obviously , the latter two terms are subordinate.
Marriage is the thing.
But when a marriage seems to be failing, distractions
abound. Husband and wife may not see divorce for what
it really is. They lose sight of all the complications. Then a
permanent severing of their relationship can seem like the
best choice. In fact, however, it will likely be the beginning
of a whole new set of problems — in finances, emotional
maladjustment and personal relationships. The primary vic-
tims will be both husband and wife and, if they are parents,
their children. j
But, when a marriage is in trouble, the circumstance can
be just the oppOsite. One or both partners may be fully aware
of how'bad divorce can be, and the dread of it keeps them
from thinking clearly. Rather than keeping their eyes on the
ball — “the ball” being marriage as it is meant to be — they
are filled with dread of the consequences of divorce to the
point that can’t think or communicate clearly. So a maniage
that might have been saved and improved is discarded for
no good reason.
In short, you and your partner had better be sure that you
understand marriage. You must understand it and also gladly
accept your role in it. The best circumstance is to understand
these things long before you get married. But if not, when
troubles arise, it’s time to raise your education level.
When you really know the meaning of marriage and see
how good it can be, you can begin to understand divorce and
jinn/r a e .- : a. w 4_-. 1....“ m,
Family owned and operated since 195
National Award Winning Meats
IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT HEALTH ISSUES ,
INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 2020 HARVEST FESTIVAL
We will be hosting the
DIAMOND VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER
COVID-19 N0 HARVEST
HARVEST FESTIVAL
Which means -
We don ’t have to cook and crafi‘.
And you don’t have to attend.
Instead we will gladly accept your monetary donations as we still
have expenses and bills to pay.
Mailing address: Diamond Valley Community Center,
6401 E McElroy, Stillwater OK 74075
Hopefilly, we will be back on track next year and be able
to welcome you back.
how bad it can be. Then you are in a much better position
to make the right decisions and to begin to build a marriage
relationship that lasts and brings great emotional and spiritual
benefits. ‘
Needless to say, when compared to the Bible, the ideal of
Hollywood romance — along with reality TV’s more recent
versions of it are destructive. In the Bible, romance and
sexuality have a meaningful role in marriage, but these are
not the heart and soul of the kind of love that it takes to make
marriages flourish.
Words in I Corinthians 13, the Love Chapter, have been
been read and on display in so many wedding ceremonies.
Very well, consider exactly what is written there —
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it
is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love
takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails ...” [verses 4-8 (BSB)].
You may say to yourself, “I can’t love anyone like that.
I’m too self-centered. I’m too proud. I’m too rude. I want
what I want when I want it. I lose my temper too easily. It’s
hard for me to forgive. I have a whole series of bad habits
that the Bible condemns. When it is to my advantage, I
sometimes avoid the truth. My love is too weak in the day
to day burdens of life. My faith is too weak. My trust in God
to take care of the future is too weak. Sometimes when the
going gets rough,l want to quit. When I’m honest,I cannot
say that— my love — never fails.”
But, if you honestly confess to any of these shortcomings
— you have already begun improving yourself as a marriage
partner. Too many people are not honest enough to admit their
failures. They live in a-world of self-deceit. No wonder their
marriages are filled with so much torment and uncertainty,
and no wonder many of these marriages end in diVorce.
“Confession is good for the soul,” they say. And it’s also
good for the home — if it is followed by meaningful trust in
God who has joined you together. Jesus is clear on this. Ifyou
are married, according to Him, God has joined you together.
Our schedule at Friends Chapel — Sunday 11 am. and 6
pm, Wednesday 6 pm.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
By Fr. Brian O’Brien .
When I was in the 5th grade we learned about how to report
a news story. Every newspaper report or article should ask
five questions- Who? What? Where? When? and How?
Answer those questions and you have a good foundation
for your news report. This week’s readings focus in on three
questions all starting with “WHO”- It relates to this feast
spoken about in the Prophet Isaiah and then again in the
Gospel of Matthew. The Lord is inviting us to a feast and
not just any banquet but awedding feast. To this feast, we
ask three questions: 1) Who’s invited? 2) Who’s worthy of
the invitation? 3) Who’s ready to come? 1
Each is different. We may be ready for a meal but if we’re
not invited, our readiness is in vain. We may be worthy to
come and invited, but if we’re not ready, then it’s not going
to work. We may be invited but if we’re not ready it won’t
turn out well. Who’s invited? Who’s worthy? Who’s ready?
In Matthew 22, the king gives a wedding feast for his son.
In the Mass, Christ the King, offers Hirnselfas the feast, per-
fect food, bread from heaven. Who’s invited? In one sense,
everyone is invited. Isaiah says “On this mountain, the Lord
of hosts will provide for all peoples.” The gift of salvation
Jesus offers is a message for everyone. His friendship, His
love, His daily accompaniment, is available to all of us.
This is why we speak so much about evangelization. Far
too many people in our world, even in our own families, and
right here in Payne County, don’t know they are invited into
this relationship with the Lord that culminates in reception
of the source and summit of our faith, the great feast of the
Eucharist. Who’s invited? everyone.
Who’ 3 worthy? This is a different question. We’re all invited
but are we worthy to come to the feast. In one sense, none of
us is worthy. We are sinners. We fall short. We ignore the
invitation like so many did in the Gospel. We are distracted
by what we think are more important things. But despite our
unworthiness, the Lord continues to invite knowing that we
need Him. Knowing that we need to be fed and nourished
at the tablegof the Savior the Church has certain criteria for
worthiness of reception of Holy Communion— Am I in Full
Communion with the Catholic Church in my beliefs? Am I
guilty of unconfessed grave sin? Have I fasted for one hour
before receiving Holy Communion? The Eucharist presup-
posed grace and shared faith. The “AME ” we proclaim as
' we receive the Lord is a vocal “YES” that I believe, teach,
and proclaim to be revealed by God all that the Catholic
Church teaches. Who’s invited? All of us. Who’s worthy?
None of us except we are made worthy by our relationship
to Jesus Christ.
The biggest question of all though is who’s ready? Who’s
ready to show up? Who’s ready to come to the feast? Who’s
ready to celebrate the wedding? This is where I think, as a
parish, the greatest challenge
is found. Being ready is more
than just showing up. We’d
never just show up to work
or school or practice 'or a
game and expect everything
to cater to us and everyone to
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celebrate simply because we showed up. Now showing up
is good and showing up is better than not showing up but
just being physically present is not enough. Are you ready?
The end of the Gospel today is pretty harsh. The King came
in and saw a man who wasn’t dressed for the wedding feast
and he cast him out. We can read this as Jesus shouting at us
to “wake up!” and to be ready. We are invited. He makes us
worthy. But are we ready? Have we taken the time to under-
stand what’s happening in the Mass? Maybe that’s reading
a book about the Mass? Watching videos on Formed.org or
participating in the offerings of the parish. Do we understand
what we receive?
Readiness means going to Confession if we are conscious of
grave and serious sin. Receiving Holy Communion with
grave sin on our soul is a sacrilege. Confession helps us to
be ready! Is my marriage blessed by the Church? If not, Fr.
Robert and our deacons stand ready to assist you in clearing
things up perhaps through the annulment process or by pre-
paring you to receive the Sacrament of Marriage.
Readiness means our actions, our dress, our posture, our
formality for the occasion, and our timeliness. Each of these
reflect the dignity of what’s happening here. Are you ready
on the interior? Are you ready on your exterior?
This is a challenging gospel but one we can’t ignore. We
have been invited. Jesus makes us worthy. And we must be
ready. Covid-l9 can’t be an excuse for complacency. With
Jesus at the center of our lives, let’s you and I go forward in
faith, hope, and love, strengthened by this Eucharistic feast
to know, love, and serve the Lord, to go out to the streets
and invite others in, to do our part to make this parish gre‘at
through a stewardship way of life, and ultimately to grow in
holiness so that We be welcomed into God’s eternal maniage
banquet in heaven.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is located at 711 N.
Country Club Rd., Stillwater. Mass Times: Saturday 5 pm.;
Sunday 8:30 a.m., 11:15 am. (Nursery available during
11:15 am. Mass); 1 pm. Sparristhass. More info online
’at sfxstillwaterorg
AG N EWS
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by chewing, as well as urine
and fecal matter.”
There are a few telltale signs
of a mouse in the house, said
Gina Peek, OSU Extension
housing and consumer spe-
cialist.
“Mouse droppings are a
geod indication of an infes-
tation and typically are found
along runways or feeding
areas. Also, tracks may be
seen on dusty surfaces or
shelves where flour may be
stored,” Peek said. “Consum-
ers also may find gnaw marks
on boxes or bags of food, on
doors or other surfaces in the
home. Keep an eye cut'for
smudge or rub marks. Mice
leave behind oil and dirt
from their fur on frequently
traveled routes.”
Mice also can be heard run-
ning across upper surfaces of
ceilings and climbing within
walls. Also, watch for nests
in attics, basements, storage
sheds and garages.
Peek suggested a few
simple steps for mouse con-
trol:
- Eliminate food and water
sources.
0 Household garbage should
be removed from the house
and placed in an outside bin
with a secure lid.
0 Pet owners should feed pets
only what the animal can eat
at one time. '
- Store pet food in a container
with a tight-fitting lid.
0 Fix indoor and outdoor
water leaks.
0 Eliminate breeding and
nesting sites.
' Store firewood away from
the house and off the ground.
0 Remove rubbish and trash
from outside the home.
Remove clutter inside the
home.
Shelton said it is important
to develop a control program
to help'cut down the mouse
population.
“Focus first on reducing food
sources, pest entry points and
places where mice can take
refuge. Consider traps as a
last resort,” he said. “They
may seem rather ‘old school,’
but snap traps are an effective
method of rodent control.
Typically, mice have small
territories, so traps must
be placed in those areas in
order to be effective. Trap
placement and orientation
are important, so be sure to
read the package directions.”
Live-catch traps also can be
purchased commercially and
baited with food or rodenti-
cide, SheltOn said. In addi-
tion, mice are nibblers, so
it is best to put a little bait
in several bait stations to
increase consumption.
“I would suggest using ,
several different kinds of
bait until a preference is
detected, then use that one
until feeding stops,” he said.
“AIWays use an enclosed
bait station and never place
it where children or pets can
access it.”
Although commercially
available, glue traps do not
discriminate on what they
catch, and can be a danger
to animals that are not the
intended target, Peek said.
“Animals that touch a glue
trap immediately are caught
and stuck to the board, which
usually results in a slow death
by starvation or suffocation,”
she said. “It’s best to avoid
,using these traps
Consumers have likely seen
ultrasonic devices advertised
as a method to repel mice.
Although mice are timid and
will run away from many
sounds, they will get used
to the ultrasonic devices in a
day or two.
“Mice aren’t protected by v
law and may be controlled
using any pesticide registered
by federal or state authori-
ties for this purpose, or by
mechanical methods,” Shel-
ton said. “Before the cold
weather hits, take some time
to look around your home for
areas that would attract mice
and to seal up any openings
that would provide access to
your home.”
Mass Schedule
DAILY MA” 32% 31138133“
rm 3. m 75 at 12:30 pm
Wednesday at Thursday: a! 7:00 am
Pam Saturday
of the math and every OSU
Heme Game of mo em
WEEKEND MASS“
Saturday at 5:00 pm
Sunday or 8130 cm and 11:15 am In English
8: N0 pm to Spanish
WY ~ MW STREAM
Each night at 8:00 pm
Sunday 11:15 AM and 1:00 PM
Masses will be live erreamed.
Get the link on our website! mauwatemrg/online parish