On February 9, 2013, St. Dominic’s Priory said ‘Good bye’ to the old Year of the Dragon with a dinner at home tastefully cooked by our brothers. We had then two special guests and friends of the community: Frs. Peter Stilwell, Rector of the University of St. Joseph and Joao Eleuterio, Dean of the Faculty of Christian Studies of the same university. After the sumptuous dinner, our student brothers went to the city to enjoy the colorfully lighted city of Macau, especially the Casino districts. (In case you do not know, there are at present forty four casinos in Macau)
The Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake, was welcomed by the Priory with a Solemn Mass and a lunch of tasteful Chinese food. As the first day of the New Year (January 1, 2013) we celebrated the Feast of the Motherhood of Mary, the first day of the Chinese New year (this year February 10, 2013) we commemorated the Feast of Our Lady of China. After communion, a lovely touch: The giving of simple gifts (in red or yellow envelopes, of course!) to our faithful brothers and sisters who attend regularly our Sunday Mass. What was the simple gift? A five-mystery Rosary made by our brothers in China!
After the celebration of the Eucharist, all the members of the community, that is, thirty one (31) shared a good lunch with the usual kinds of Chinese dishes in a Macau restaurant. After the dessert, Fr. Prior Alex distributed the traditional red or yellow envelopes – this time with some money, as custom demands – to each member of the community. By the way, we were thirty, and a few days ago became thirty one: Brother Antoninus from China joined our community to pursue a master’s degree at the Catholic University of St. Joseph. Most welcomed, Brother!
The Chinese families celebrate the New Lunar Year with great solemnity, exemplary harmony and serene joy – and at times with some accompanying fire crackers to keep the bad spirits away. On February 10, 2013, the Year of the Snake began. The Chinese Horoscope assigns the twelve Zodiac sings of the year to different months. The first month is given to the rat, and the last to the pig. The sixth month is the Month of the Snake. The snake in this case is a symbol of wealth, progress, courage and of finding solution to difficult problems. We Christians living in this part of the world add a deeply religious meaning: the year of Our Lady as Our Lady of China. May the Year of the Snake, the Year of Our Lady be for all a hopeful and happy year!