Christ The King Catholic Community-

HAPPY NEW LITURGICAL YEAR! We Frs. Tims again send this wish to you as we begin Advent and a new liturgical year. This season of anticipation and preparation asks us to have two horizons in view: The horizon of celebrating the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas) and the horizon of the Lord’s return in glory. As such then, we might want to make Advent a time to make resolutions for this liturgical year that will be good for our faith lives.

In Advent, we prepare for and anticipate seeing divinity again in the simplest of places, because the eternal Word of God was incarnate in the child Jesus of Nazareth. And our Lord Jesus Christ continues to be incarnate in the Church, the Body of Christ, and in the Eucharist of his Body and Blood, and in the hearts of each one of us. We also prepare and anticipate seeing the Lord in his glory—likely not in his second coming in glory, but certainly when he comes to take us unto himself (may our vantage point for his second coming be from heaven itself!).

May this Advent deepen our faith in the God who is love and who first loved us, so that the Holy Spirit can in- spire us more and more to be people who love God with our whole being, to love ourselves who are loved by God, and to love our neighbor (and our enemy!) who God loves as much as God loves us.

REMEMBER: VOTING FOR NEW PARISH NAME ends on Tuesday, Dec. 1. You may email your votes to one of the Frs., or drop them in the basket at Church, or send them in (must be postmarked by Dec. 1). Remember, you may vote for three names—and rank them. You don't have to vote for three, but since we are to submit three names, we are asking for 3 choices so as to get a better picture of peoples' preferences.

Now we would like you to vote. Parishioners of these 5 Parishes (St. Bernard, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Augustine, Sacred Heart, and St. John the Baptist) who are at least 16 years old and confirmed may vote (those are also the “requirements” to be a sponsor for baptism, so that seems appropriate). Each of you is on your honor to submit no more than one “ballot”.  

•  You may print the new parish ballot at the top of this page and put your ranking numbers in the box to the right of your chosen names. Or, you can write your three choices down— indicating the order—on a piece of paper.  

THE 1ST SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B Readings: Isaiah 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7; Psalm 80:2-3, 15- 16, 18-19 [R: “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.”]; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37.

I imagine most of us had smaller Thanksgiving gatherings than usual. As we enter this Advent season, it seems likely that our Christmas celebrations will also be pared down for the sake of safety and health. By Christmas, we hope and pray, one or more vaccines for COVID-19 will be in the first days of distribution. If so, then we might truly see the end of this pandemic tunnel sometime in the next months. At this moment, however, we might learn the lament, which Isaiah pours out on behalf of the people!

The lament is the prayer form of the Book of Lamentations (can guess that from its title; haha), of many Psalms, and of some oracles by prophets. The lament begins with a cry of grief, anguish, abandonment, bewilderment—whatever feelings are on the heart of the one praying. The pray-er notes the experiences/events that have given rise to these feelings. All of this is openly and sometimes even seemingly disrespectfully poured out and dumped at God’s feet.

The lament does not stop there! Even though the prayer form gets its name from the opening salvo of lamenting, the pray-er is moved to again place her/his trust and faith in the Lord God. Lament gives way to hope; despair gives way to faith and trust. The prayer will not get to hope, faith, and trust without acknowledging all that is weighing heavily upon him/ her.

2020 has given us much to lament; I feel no need to list anything for you. Also, your list will likely include things that are not on my list and vice-versa. We can pour out all that has troubled, frightened, frustrated, angered, and grieved us to our God. Denial is no road to faith! Honesty in prayer is the way back to the Way, the Truth, and the Life—Jesus Christ our Lord. Honesty in his lament on behalf of the people leads Isai- ah back to faith at the end of today’s first reading: “Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands” (Isaiah 64:7; before that, in 63:7ff, the prophet recalls many great works that the LORD had done on behalf of his people throughout their history).

Note, too, that Isaiah comes back to an image that re- minds us that our LORD is the one with the power. We are not in control; we are most powerful when we let go, surrender, and allow the LORD to form us, move us, empower us to love. We are most fulfilled and most faith-filled when we acknowledge that we are the work of God’s hands, rather than a work of our own making. It is when we can be pliant clay in the divine potter’s hands that we most respond to Jesus’ ex- hortation: “Be watchful! Be alert!” (Mark 13:33). As clay in the divine potter’s hands we, along with the Corinthians, can have the hope that St. Paul expresses: “He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8).

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.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Eve, Mon., Dec. 7, 2020
5:30–6:30 pm @ GLIDDEN
5:30–6:30 pm @ TEMPLETON

Day, Tues., Dec. 8, 2020
8–9 am @ ARCADIA
8–9 am @ HALBUR  
8–9 am @ MOUNT CARMEL
5:30–6:30 pm @ BREDA

The Nativity of our Lord (Christmas)

Eve, Thurs., Dec. 24, 2020
4–5 pm @ GLIDDEN (Live-Streamed)
4-5 pm @ MOUNT CARMEL
4–5 pm @ TEMPLETON
6–7 pm @ ARCADIA
6–7 pm @ HALBUR

Christmas Day, Fri., Dec. 25, 2020
(Both Masses live-streamed)
Midnight–1 am @ BREDA
9–10 am @ BREDA

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Eve, Thurs., Dec. 31, 2020
5–6pm @ TEMPLETON
5:30–6:30pm @ GLIDDEN

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Day, Fri., Jan 1, 2021
8–9 am @ MOUNT CARMEL
8:30–9:30 am @ HALBUR
9–10 am @ ARCADIA
9:30–10:30 am @ BREDA

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