有福的
For the last few weeks after Mass, Myles has been admiring a cross necklace in the little rosary shop at our church. It is silver with the Our Father in Spanish printed on it. For what it cost, 28 kuai ($4.43), it seems a small indulgence.
Last week I bought it and a new Chinese hymnal for myself (more on that later) after Mass. Myles started to put on the necklace. The woman running the rosary shop stopped him.
"没有福的," she said. It isn't blessed yet.
I sent Myles off to find Fr. Han, our celebrant that morning and a priest we have known since we lived in Shenzhen. He was no where to be found. One of the seminarians told him Father had to leave already to say Mass in another part of Beijing. Myles would have to wait another week until he could wear it
Patiently he waited. Even before Mass was dismissed Sunday he had the necklace in his hands. After dismissal, Myles waited outside the priests' office for our priest to come out. Fr. Han blessed his new cross, and he was happily wearing it the rest of the day.
It probably seems strange for us to be able to buy a necklace that is in Spanish in our Chinese-language church. We come across interesting religious goods for sale in the rosary shops we've seen in China. Usually the merchandise is rather inexpensive, as Chinese Catholics not known for their great wealth. Occasionally, though, we find something that had been originally made in China for the export market, like this necklace or Mexican Candles, and some small number of excess stock remain here.
Last week I bought it and a new Chinese hymnal for myself (more on that later) after Mass. Myles started to put on the necklace. The woman running the rosary shop stopped him.
"没有福的," she said. It isn't blessed yet.
I sent Myles off to find Fr. Han, our celebrant that morning and a priest we have known since we lived in Shenzhen. He was no where to be found. One of the seminarians told him Father had to leave already to say Mass in another part of Beijing. Myles would have to wait another week until he could wear it
Patiently he waited. Even before Mass was dismissed Sunday he had the necklace in his hands. After dismissal, Myles waited outside the priests' office for our priest to come out. Fr. Han blessed his new cross, and he was happily wearing it the rest of the day.It probably seems strange for us to be able to buy a necklace that is in Spanish in our Chinese-language church. We come across interesting religious goods for sale in the rosary shops we've seen in China. Usually the merchandise is rather inexpensive, as Chinese Catholics not known for their great wealth. Occasionally, though, we find something that had been originally made in China for the export market, like this necklace or Mexican Candles, and some small number of excess stock remain here.
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