Christ The King Catholic Community-

We Frs. Tims are feeling so blessed. By the time those of you who receive the bulletin by email on Friday, we will be one week out from being “fully vaccinated”. We are so grateful to the nurses at St. Anthony Hospital who worked to schedule our first and second shots. Neither of us had significant side effects after either shot—Thanks be to God! We were a bit worried going into last weekend, when we had First Eucharist in all our parishes and the special Divine Mercy Celebration on Sunday afternoon (which is why we postponed our second shot from Good Friday when it was first scheduled). We are so glad we had no problems. We feel great re- lief having received both “jabs” (as the Brits like to say), and knowing that we are greatly protected from the virus.

We hope that all of you are making progress toward getting your shots scheduled. If you are still thinking about whether to get vaccinated or not, there are a number of Catholic resources using an informative brochure: “Love Your Neighbor and Get Vaccinated” (just google the title in quotation marks; originally from the California Catholic Conference and Santa Clara University). It refers to an article in Reuters (1/9/2021) in which Pope Francis, who was to be vaccinated in a few days, says: “I believe that ethically everyone should take the vaccine. It is an ethical choice because you are gambling with your health, with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others.”

In addition, the sooner the great majority of us get vaccinated, the sooner we will be able to return to more “normal” practices. We have already made a lot of progress. We Frs. Tims are so grateful to all of you for the care you’ve taken when attending Mass in person. Although we—even those who are fully vaccinated—are still asked to wear face masks, that precaution will only pass when a great majority of us are vaccinated. Congregational singing will return—oh, how we Frs. Tims miss belting out hymns with all of you!

Readings: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9 (R: “Lord, let your face shine on us.”); 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48.

As is often the case, our Gospel passages begin mid-story. The two disciples (not of the 12 apostles; one named Cleopas) were joined by the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13- 35). They did not recognize the Risen Lord until he had opened Scriptures to them and then shared a meal with them in which he broke bread, as he had done at the Last Supper. Their eyes were opened; the Risen Lord then vanished from their sight. They im- mediately headed back to Jerusalem to tell this news to the apostles, but the apostles greeted them thus: “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” (v. 34) As the two disciples share their story, the Risen Lord “stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” This greeting is the same as was used by the Risen Lord in John 20:19-31 last Sunday.

Also similar to John’s version, the Risen Jesus shows them his wounds, “his hands and his feet”. Note, however, that there is no reference to the wound in his side because only John 19:34 relates that “one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.”

All the stories of the appearance of the Risen Jesus in the Gospels deal with the tension between the continuity and the discontinuity of Jesus of Nazareth before and after the resurrection. In a number of ways, the Risen Lord does things that show that it truly is the crucified Jesus of Nazareth who is appearing to them. That shows the continuity of the Jesus of public ministry, passion, and death by crucifixion and the Risen Jesus. Nevertheless, the Risen Jesus is not exactly the same. His resurrected presence is different from before: he appears and disappears at will; he passes through locked doors; at times it seems he is appearing to disciples in two places at once, etc. Last week, Thom- as said he wanted to probe the Risen Lord’s wounds in his hands and side—but even though the Risen Jesus offers Thomas the chance to do so, the story doesn’t say Thomas actually probed the wounds. Today, the Risen Jesus, desiring to show that he is real, not “a ghost” (could be translated “a spirit”) invites the disciples: “Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost[/spirit] does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Clearly, they see, for the Lord shows them his hands and feet, but we don’t hear of anyone touching him. Eating is one more way to emphasize the Risen Lord is truly and bodily present (but what happens to that food when he passed through another door? #justasking).

The word for ghost/spirit implies a bodiless being, but Jesus the Christ has been raised from the dead bodily! As noted, however, the bodily resurrected Jesus does things that Jesus didn’t do in his physical body. To be bodily raised is to be transformed “in an instant, in the blink of an eye”; the body that “is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible”. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one” (see 1 Cor 15:52 & 14:42, 44).

Much more can be said, but the reality of the resurrection is beyond mere words. The good news for us, however, is that the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is what allows the Risen Lord to continue to be present to us—when we are gathered in his name when we listen to his word in the Scriptures, and especially in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Without the resurrection, Jesus of Nazareth would be but a historical figure of courage and faith in God—another prophet among prophets. Our faith in the bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is borne out in how he has (for centuries):

•   appeared to people of faith in many, varied ways;

•   inspired the apostles to move from fear and trembling to the bold proclamation of Christ Crucified and Raised from the Dead (as we see in Acts of the Apostles during this Easter season;

•   strengthened people in their suffering for their faith, even unto martyrdom;

•   built-up communities of faith throughout the world;

•   helped each of us in our lives of faith through his grace, forgiveness, and especially “the food for the journey” that is the Eucharist;

•   and so much more!

This is a “Stewardship Prayer” from Our Sunday Visitor. We Frs. Tims believe that the prayer provides all of us good food for reflection.

My parish is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is.
It will be friendly, if I am.
It will be holy, if I am.
Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them.
It will do great work, if I work.
It will be prayerful, if I pray.
It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver.
It will bring others into worship, if I invite and bring them in.
It will be a place of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith,
of compassion, charity and mercy,
if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these same things.
Therefore, with the help of God,
I now dedicate myself to the task of being all
the things that I want my parish to be.
Amen.

ST BERNARD-Breda
Office Hours Mon - Fri: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Phone: 712-673-2582
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