Missa in 英语
The Sunday before All Saints' Day, I was happy to hear our priest announce that there would be an afternoon Mass on the Holy Day. Since moving to Beijing, we have often not attended Mass on Holy Days of Obligation because our parish normally only has an early morning weekday Mass.
When we arrived at the church just before Mass was to start, one of the priests surprised us by telling us the Mass would be in English. I looked around the church, seeing mostly only the seminarians and some Chinese parishioners I recognized and wondering why today was to be in English. Father explained that they have started saying Mass in English a few afternoons a month, and All Saints' Day happened to fall on the day of a planned English Mass.
In the minutes before Mass was to start, Father reviewed with the seminarians the text of the day's Hours in English.
Yes, not only would the entire Mass be in English, but also the Psalms the seminarians chant every evening at the beginning of Mass, though in English they would just be recited. Our books for the Mass, necessary even for us Americans because we are still not up to speed on the new English translation with our limited exposure to to it, were published by the Diocese of Singapore. I couldn't help but think about how in Mainland China we were celebrating Mass in the revised English translation, still weeks before Hong Kong diocese planned to implement the same texts used everywhere else in the English-speaking world.
A few times I noticed in our books Chinese crib notes, scribbled by someone to clarify the meaning.
A couple of Sundays later I asked one of the other priests if there were to be another English Mass that week, and he said there was that Tuesday. We returned Tuesday, and it seemed that the English Mass that week was actually scheduled Thursday. But an extra Mass, even in Chinese, wouldn't hurt us, so we stayed. This time we were treated to the seminarians chanting their Psalms in their own language. It was stunning. Myles was particularly struck by how strong the men's voices were, much stronger than at a regular Mass. The chant (and even the hymns) were all suited to men's voices, rather than a mixed choir, something Myles had not much opportunity to experience before. "Strong" was the word Myles used often to describe it.
If there is one gift I would like to give these kids from this crazy life we never imagined living, it's that the Catholic Church is truly catholic, meaning Universal. They've been to Mass in English, Mandarin, Latin, Basque, and Czech (so far), while also visiting churches in Germany and France as well. While some of the superficial features might be different and local, the Church itself is the same throughout. There's unity through all these differences.
When we arrived at the church just before Mass was to start, one of the priests surprised us by telling us the Mass would be in English. I looked around the church, seeing mostly only the seminarians and some Chinese parishioners I recognized and wondering why today was to be in English. Father explained that they have started saying Mass in English a few afternoons a month, and All Saints' Day happened to fall on the day of a planned English Mass.
In the minutes before Mass was to start, Father reviewed with the seminarians the text of the day's Hours in English.
Yes, not only would the entire Mass be in English, but also the Psalms the seminarians chant every evening at the beginning of Mass, though in English they would just be recited. Our books for the Mass, necessary even for us Americans because we are still not up to speed on the new English translation with our limited exposure to to it, were published by the Diocese of Singapore. I couldn't help but think about how in Mainland China we were celebrating Mass in the revised English translation, still weeks before Hong Kong diocese planned to implement the same texts used everywhere else in the English-speaking world.
A few times I noticed in our books Chinese crib notes, scribbled by someone to clarify the meaning.
A couple of Sundays later I asked one of the other priests if there were to be another English Mass that week, and he said there was that Tuesday. We returned Tuesday, and it seemed that the English Mass that week was actually scheduled Thursday. But an extra Mass, even in Chinese, wouldn't hurt us, so we stayed. This time we were treated to the seminarians chanting their Psalms in their own language. It was stunning. Myles was particularly struck by how strong the men's voices were, much stronger than at a regular Mass. The chant (and even the hymns) were all suited to men's voices, rather than a mixed choir, something Myles had not much opportunity to experience before. "Strong" was the word Myles used often to describe it.
If there is one gift I would like to give these kids from this crazy life we never imagined living, it's that the Catholic Church is truly catholic, meaning Universal. They've been to Mass in English, Mandarin, Latin, Basque, and Czech (so far), while also visiting churches in Germany and France as well. While some of the superficial features might be different and local, the Church itself is the same throughout. There's unity through all these differences.
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