GOING TO MASS IN CHINA
I recently had the opportunity to spend 12 months in China as teacher.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Although the authorities took a strong line against any activity that might have been considered evangelizing, we were allowed to attend church and join in Mass with the local Christians.
The first time was the most memorable.
A Chinese friend agreed to take me into the Wuchang town center to the church. "Be ready at 6.30!" she said. "So Mass is at seven?" I asked.
"Oh no, Mass is at 9.30."
It turns out that in China, the good Christians are in the church at least two hours beforehand. When we arrived at church, it was almost full at 7.30.
Firstly, we practiced the hymns, not once but 12 or 15 times until everyone was word perfect!
Then there was the preliminary reading of the gospel and scriptures of the day, not just the actual passages, but some chapters before and after the passages, so that the congregation could understand the context.
Just before the Mass started, it was quiet recollection time.
I felt guilty recalling the times, I had swept into the church car park at five to nine and dived into a back pew in the nick of time!
When we arrived at the church there was a wall about 10 foot high all the way around, with just one narrow gateway.
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