Christ The King Catholic Community-

This weekend is the kick-off of Together As One (TAO), the annual diocesan appeal that allows us to BOTH support the much-needed programs and services that the diocesan offices supply AND raise funds for each of our parishes. We Frs. Tims want to share with you #whywegive to TAO. First and foremost, we do so because we are grateful to God and grateful to be part of God’s people of the Diocese of Sioux City. We are also grateful for all of our people in our six parishes. That gratitude leads us to want

•   to support the ministries of our diocese (Catholic Charities, the Tribunal, Evangelization and Family Life, Safe Environment and Pro-Life coordinator, Tuition assistance for Catholic schools, grants for parish Religious Education programs, etc.);

•   to support our brothers and sisters who need those ministries;

•   to further support our parishes by helping with the diocesan portion of our goal as well as raising the additional dollars, 100% of which come back to the parish;

•   and to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us.

  We Frs. Tims have decided that together we will pledge—and we promise to pay!—just over 7.8% of each CTKCC parish’s total goal (each parish’s goal is included in the finance sections). We are happy to do it, and we hope that our appreciation of all that TAO supports will encourage your gratefulness for this annual appeal and help your prayerful consideration of your own support (use the pledge card mailed to you or go to scdiocese.org/together-as-one) — Thank you very much!

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-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18 (Response: “The Lord is near to all who call upon him.”); Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a; Matthew 20:1-16a

There are a number of times that St. Paul reflects on life and death in the light of his life in Christ. Last week we heard: “For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8). Paul tells the Corinthians that “...we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home or away” (2 Cor 5:6-8). In this Sunday’s lection from the Letter to the Philippians, which Paul writes from prison in Ephesus (probably after 1 Cor. but before 2 Cor.), he expresses a similar sentiment: “My eager expectation and hope are that I shall not be put to shame in any way, but that with all boldness, now as always, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, life is Christ, and death is gain” (vv. 20-21; the Mass lection begins with the last phrase of v. 20).

If Paul lives—survives prison—he can go on laboring on behalf of the Gospel and the Body of Christ, the Church. Yet, Paul writes, “I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better” (v. 23)! The verb Paul uses for “caught between the two” implies that they are pressing in on him—perhaps he felt the prison walls were, too. Paul does not know what the outcome of his prison time will be; people in those days were held until a sentence was passed, and Paul knows that he may be executed, just like the Lord Jesus Christ, for he preaches Christ crucified (see 1 Cor. 1:23). We know, however, that Paul was released from prison at that time, but eventually, he will be executed in Rome by behead- ing (Paul is a Roman citizen; crucifixion was a method of execution used only on non-Roman citizens).

What especially caught my attention in this, however, is that with ‘the walls closing in’ Paul does not want to “be put to shame in any way” (v. 20a), but rather that “now as always, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death” (v. 20c). This is the only time Paul uses the verb “to be shamed”, and for him, he wants to be seen as true to his apostolic calling whether he lives or dies. Not only that, but he also wants—whether he lives or dies—to “magnify” the Lord. Such humility and such desire on Paul’s part! The only other time that Paul uses the verb ‘to magnify/make great’ again expresses his humility and this time his desire that the ministerial influence of him and his companions’ will grow among the Corinthians: “...our hope is that, as your faith increases, our influence among you may be greatly enlarged, within our proper limits, so that we may preach the gospel even beyond you...” (2 Cor. 10:15b-16a). But the most known use of the verb is by someone else

who is all about “magnifying” the Lord, namely, the Blessed Virgin Mary: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord” (Lk 1:46). Perhaps you have heard Fr. Pick and me pray that during evening prayer; it is the first line of the “Canticle of Mary” (Lk 1:46-55), which is Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s blessing: “Blessed are you [Mary] who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk 1:45).

May Mary’s and St. Paul’s examples inspire us to live our lives of Christian faith, our lives in Christ Jesus, so as “not [to] be put to shame in any way”, and even more, in ways that “magnify” or “proclaim the greatness of the Lord”. We’re not in prison, but we are experiencing many things over which we have no control: the COVID pandemic, the derecho, changes due to “Ministry 2025”, as well as other things in our lives that we may not have chosen. With St. Paul, may we choose to live our lives in Christ humbly, faithfully, and lovingly. In that way, we will not be ‘put to shame’, and we will truly ‘magnify the Lord’ and ’proclaim the greatness of the Lord’!

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