Christ The King Catholic Community-

We Frs. Tims—and we’re sure many of you as well—are fatigued by the pandemic. In the past week, however, our state had a record number of hospitalizations and a high positivity rate, so this is not a time to let down our guard! A number of counties in our diocese have above a 15% positivity rate, which is our governor’s threshold for schools to petition for distance learning (CDC recommends 5%). As of Oct. 12, Carroll County’s 14-day positivity rate was 20.2%!

One of many fatiguing things about the pandemic is that we are still learning about this “novel virus”; as more is learned, recommendations change, and it is exhausting trying to keep up. For example, the CDC is advising that face shields alone and the “neck gaiters” (neck scarves or bandanas) are not recommended to reduce the spread of the virus, or the need to quarantine if one has been in contact with someone who is positive. They are studying these more; for now, Kuemper is not accepting them as appropriate face coverings. We, too, want everyone to wear face masks that are protective—and please keep them up over your nose, for you and your neighbor’s safety! (Check out https://carrollcountyiowa.org/emergency.aspx for more info.)

What troubles us greatly is that we have learned that some who attended a recent funeral in Sacred Heart, Templeton, did not wear face masks while in the Church. We are grateful that some parishioners cared enough to tell us. I (Fr. Fred) spoke to Fr. Brodersen, who had generously agreed to preside as the family requested. He didn’t report this to me but noted that he saw some without masks. Why would anyone be so rude and uncharitable so as to put a visiting former pastor in such a position? So, I want to make this clear by way of analogy: If I go into a person’s house and don’t follow her/his rules, and I am asked to leave, then I must leave, or by law I am trespassing. That is also true in a parish Church, which is private property and in which her authorities (i.e., the clergy) may ask people to leave if they are not obeying “house rules”—in this case, rules for “the Lord’s house”. If they refuse, they are trespassing—with St. Paul, however, we Frs. Tims would rather not have to refer people to the civil authorities (see I Cor 6:1-11).

Again, this is no time to give in to our fatigue; with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can love our neighbor enough to continue to be vigilant with the pandemic protocols which have kept people attending Mass in our parishes and throughout the diocese safe thus far.

0. Please take note of the following adjustments:
   ADJUSTMENT to Personal Prayer and Public Daily Mass Times
   (people may stay up to 30 minutes after the Mass if they wish):
   
         WEDNESDAYS:

   •  9:30 AM Personal Prayer; Mass @ 10:00 AM, St. John the Baptist, Arcadia

   •   11:30 AM Personal Prayer; Mass @ NOON, Sacred Heart, Templeton

   •   4:30 PM Personal Prayer; Mass @ 5:00 PM, St. Elizabeth Seton, Glidden

   •   Mass @ 5:30 PM, Our Lady of Mount Carmel

     STARTING Sept 15th

     Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is open 7:00 am– 7:00 pm on Tuesday–Friday for private prayer (use front center door). Mask wearing and social distancing are required.
     In addition, when you leave, use a provided wipe to sanitize surfaces you have touched.
      Thanks to all who help make this possible.

     THURSDAYS:

   •  Mass @ NOON, St. Bernard, Breda

     STARTING SEPTEMBER 15th

     St. Bernard Church will be open 9:00 am–6:00 pm on Tuesday– Friday
     for private prayer (use front doors, or for handicap accessibility, the south side door).
     Mask wearing and social distancing are required. In addition, when you leave, use a provided wipe to sanitize surfaces you have touched.  
     Thanks to all who help make this possible.

   •   4:30 PM; Mass @ 5:00 PM, St. Augustine, Halbur
     
     (Remember, bathrooms will not be available.)

     See the LITURGICAL CALENDAR for times of Live-streamed Masses and Prayers:

   •   On & archived
     @facebook.com/ChristTheKingCatholicCommunityBredaIowa;

   •   Sat., 5:30, on @ facebook.com/StElizabethSetonGlidden/

   •   Weekend Masses posted on
     youtube.com/channel/UCl_reG3jDreke2YjOTPVc9A.

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalm 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 (Response: “Give the Lord glory and honor.”); 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b; Mat- thew 22:15-21

As our nation approaches a general election—with early and absentee voting already begun—our Sunday lections present some poignant political situations in the time of Isaiah and of Jesus. As Isaiah begins today’s oracle, “Thus says the LORD to his anointed, Cyrus”, people’s heads might have nearly snapped off. WHAT? The LORD is speaking to “his anointed”, that is, “his Messiah”, or in Greek, “his Christ”—so far, so good. But then, the LORD says his name, “Cyrus”, that is, Cyrus the Great of Persia (modern-day Iran) —he is the only Gentile to be called the LORD’s “anointed” in the Bible.

Under Cyrus’ leadership, the Persians defeated Babylon (modern-day Iraq), who had taken the Israelites into exile. Cyrus creates the largest empire in the ancient world. He was quite good to the Israelites: He allowed them to return to their beloved promised land; he sent materials for rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple; AND, he returned all the gold and silver utensils that Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had stolen when he destroyed the Temple. What an example of diplomacy and international goodwill!! Alas, Cyrus would not come to believe the fundamental belief of the Israelites, which Isaiah speaks: “I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me” (45:5a).

The controversy story in Matthew opens with the Pharisees (very pious Jewish laymen) plotting “how they might entrap Jesus in speech” (22:15). Then begins what I like to refer to as Jesus’ final oral exams (our exams in Leuven, Belgium were oral exams—I’m breaking out in hives remembering them). Jesus will be tested on taxes, resurrection, the Greatest Commandment, and the identity of “David’s son”. We have the first exam today; the Pharisees plotted, but they weren’t going to face Jesus directly (chickens?!), so “they sent their disciples..., with the Herodians” to Jesus (v. 16a). “Herodians” would be those who at the very least were chummy with the Roman occupiers, rather than face the wrath and abuse of the Roman leaders. They first polish up an apple for the “Teacher”, for they flatter him: “a truthful man”; “you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth”; “you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status” (v. 16bcd). This is all flattery because they don’t believe it, yet the irony is that all of it is absolutely true. They want Jesus’ “opinion”, but, of course, they really want to trap him: “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?” As much as any of us might hate paying taxes, this is a far different situation than ours: This was a tax imposed by an occupying government, the Roman Empire. This would be like— God forbid—Russia occupying the USA and then we have to pay taxes to Putin!

Faithful Jews (who were not too poor) would have paid the annual Temple Tax as well as other tithes and taxes—using Jewish coinage. This Roman tax, however, required the use of Roman coinage, on which Caesar’s image was inscribed. To have something in one’s possession with the likeness of a human being on it was akin to idolatry. So when Jesus asks for that coin, he catches—especially the supposed devout disciples of the Pharisees—in their hypocrisy. They are fine with using Caesar’s image—idolatry. So, Jesus pivots and gives a profound non-answer: “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (v. 21). That is, give Caesar’s image (literally “face” in Greek) to Caesar, but give to God your own image/face, for it is the image and likeness of God.

So, the only side Jesus takes is: remember you are God’s, not Caesar’s. We need to remember that as we prayerfully make up our own consciences on our political choices. We are God’s; as God’s children, we face a complex world with many, many issues. The Church teaches that we are to follow our conscience. St. Thomas Aquinas put it very well: “Every judgment of conscience, be it right or wrong, be it about things evil in themselves or morally indifferent, is obligatory, in such wise that he who acts against his conscience always sins.” Of course, we are to inform our consciences. But remember, our Church does not endorse any political party or politician; she teaches about principles that are important for forming our consciences about political matters. Anyone who tells us that we must support a particular candidate, political party, or policy is violating Church teaching and doing a grave wrong, for it is denying people of their own conscientious decision.

Pope Francis noted: “We need to participate for the common good. Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves so that the leader can govern” (9/16/13; bolding added). That quotation is on the website of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (usccb.org) as an introduction to the page on which there is a link to their own document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”. There is a lot of information to digest there.

ST BERNARD-Breda
Office Hours Mon - Fri: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Phone: 712-673-2582
Fax: 712-673-2239
stbernard@westianet.net

ST JOHN THE BAPTIST-Arcadia
Office Hours: Mon & Fri 7:30-11:30 am Phone: 712-689-2595
stjohnarcadia@gmail.com

ST AUGUSTINE-Halbur
Office Hours Mon & Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Phone: 712-658-2464
Fax: 712-658-2464 staug@iowatelecom.net

PASTOR
Rev. Timothy A. Friedrichsen
Breda Rectory Office (712-673-2351) t.a.friedrichsen@gmail.com

PAROCHIAL VICAR
Rev. Timothy A. Pick
Breda School Office (712-673-2582) 
pickt@scdiocese.org

Donna Wesely
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Phone: 712-673-2582
stbernard@westianet.net