Holy Thursday in China
I wasn't planning on getting to the church until closer to 8 pm, the actual time of Mass. But I received a text message from one of the church members that they were going to "have the last food of Jesus" at 6 pm.
We arrived at 6:30 and their Seder was just getting underway. The priest, a man from the parish, and a woman from the parish took turns reading prayers in between drinking wine, eating meat (it may well have been lamb), some green vegetable, bread, and more wine. Randy worked too late to join us, so I made him feel bad by texting him that it was free Great Wall at church tonight. Great Wall is a Chinese wine that deadens your ability to enjoy really good wines ever again.
The Mass itself was as any in the world. There was the feet washing after the homily, with the priest washing the feet of (probably 12) men. After communion the priest, the deacon, and the altar server proceeded with the Eucharist out of the church. Before them walked children throwing rose petals. They had asked Myles to do it, and though he has a pretty good throwing arm, and proved it to them, we decided that three was too young to be trusted with such a task.
They were followed by the choir, and then the rest of the congregation, to another room prepared for adoration. The choir continued to sing a few hymns and were still singing when we left. At 9:30 at night, Myles had enough. Right before we left I got the picture of the stripped altar below.
We arrived at 6:30 and their Seder was just getting underway. The priest, a man from the parish, and a woman from the parish took turns reading prayers in between drinking wine, eating meat (it may well have been lamb), some green vegetable, bread, and more wine. Randy worked too late to join us, so I made him feel bad by texting him that it was free Great Wall at church tonight. Great Wall is a Chinese wine that deadens your ability to enjoy really good wines ever again.
The Mass itself was as any in the world. There was the feet washing after the homily, with the priest washing the feet of (probably 12) men. After communion the priest, the deacon, and the altar server proceeded with the Eucharist out of the church. Before them walked children throwing rose petals. They had asked Myles to do it, and though he has a pretty good throwing arm, and proved it to them, we decided that three was too young to be trusted with such a task.
They were followed by the choir, and then the rest of the congregation, to another room prepared for adoration. The choir continued to sing a few hymns and were still singing when we left. At 9:30 at night, Myles had enough. Right before we left I got the picture of the stripped altar below.
Comments