As millions celebrate the Lunar New Year, Chinese Catholic communities are deepening their spiritual practices, blending tradition and charity during the most significant holiday in Chinese culture. Coinciding with the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year, the Lunar New Year "can be a time of change and renewal" of faith, two U.S. bishops' committee chairmen said in a special message to Catholics from Asian cultures who celebrate the Chinese New Year. “This year, the Year of the Snake, can be a time of change and renewal, coinciding with the Jubilee Year, in which we are called to be Pilgrims of Hope, people who are constantly being renewed along our faith journey through the power of the Spirit at work within us. This entry was posted in Chinese, Chinese New Year, Ordinary Time, Ordinary Time 2025, Reflections, Special and tagged 29 January 2025, 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Bishop of Rome, Catholic blog, Catholic homilies, Catholic wordpress, Chinese New Year, Chinese New Year homily, Chinese New Year Mass, Chinese New Year In such an experience, "we become full of joy and hope for life, we are made new by the love of Christ, in the grace of God." Lent is "the time of preparation for the joy of Easter." And precisely, the time of the Chinese New Year, underlines Mgr Gan, is a golden opportunity to bear witness to the Catholic faith to and with one's family. For Catholics in Asia, the Lunar New Year is celebrated almost as if it were a Feast day. Many go to Mass the night before or the morning of the first day to give thanks to God and celebrate the We can give it to one another while reminding each other that success comes from the Lord (Psalm 75:6). As for Chinese New Year goodies such as barbecued pork, pineapple tarts (pineapple is called “ong lai” which means “may good luck come to our homes”), melon seeds, fizzy drinks, to name a few, let us remember to give thanks, enjoy them and eat them in moderation (1 Corinthians 10:31). Many go to Mass the night before or the morning of the first day to give thanks to God and celebrate the New Year with God’s blessings. In the Catholic context, symbols and themes of the festival, including the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, are often inculturated in homilies and through the giving of blessed symbolic objects after Mass. This New Year, the Chinese will celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, an animal that symbolizes strength, energy and vitality. But the pope made no reference to that. Catholic take The audience included a delegation from the National Federation Italy-China and the Chinese Martial Arts Academy of Vercelli in northern Italy. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) Pope hopes Lunar New Year celebrations will foster friendship, peace. February 5, 2024 By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Msgr. Joseph Chiang accepts gifts from a parishioner in traditional dress during a Mass for Chinese New Year on February 22, 1986. The Mass, celebrated at Holy Rosary Parish in Jersey City, drew participants from across New Jersey and New York. (Photographer: Archdiocese of Newark Archives, Catholic Advocate collection) It would seem that the Chinese Lunar New Year, which will take place on Tuesday, February 5, is celebrated in many Catholic churches throughout the world, despite its connection with Asian astrology. As millions celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, Chinese Catholic communities are deepening their spiritual practices, blending tradition and charity during the most significant holiday in You will become a new image according to the image of God, our Creator, so live a renewed life. Prayer: God without beginning and without end, you are the source of all creation, we offer this new year to you and we ask you to provide for all our needs during this year, this we ask through Christ Our Lord. Chinese New Year isn’t just celebrated by the Chinese. The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country and it is considered a holiday. It’s based on the lunar calendar that was utilized in agriculture. It indicates the beginning of planting season, hence the wishes for prosperity. The western New Years is based on the Gregorian calendar. WASHINGTON — Coinciding with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, the Lunar New Year “can be a time of change and renewal” of faith, two U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen said in a special message to Catholics from Asian cultures who celebrate the Chinese New Year. 4. WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Coinciding with the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, the Lunar New Year “can be a time of change and renewal” of faith, two U.S. bishops’ committee chairmen said in a special message to Catholics from Asian cultures who celebrate the Chinese New Year. Chinese-Filipino Catholics welcome the Year of the Snake with the Inculturated Mass at the Mary the Queen Parish in San Juan City on January 29, 2025. Archbishop Pérez sent the following letter to the Asian Catholic Community Jan. 29 on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Asian Catholic Community, I extend warm With the Year of the Snake beginning, it was a perfect day for the students to immerse themselves in the traditions, history, and festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year. The adventure kicked off at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), where students were led on an insightful guided tour.
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