Hello, my friend! I’m John Smagula. Today is the second day of the second month of the lunar New Year, also known as the Dragon-Head-Raising Festival.  According to Chinese tradition, on this day farmers would pray for rain, hoping the dragon would raise it’s head and bring enough rain to ensure the year’s harvest. So on this festival, how can we “pray for rain” in our lives?     Another custom on this festival is to get a haircut. Like the dragon, we have woken up from the winter and begin afresh. At 17, I started studying Chinese when I...

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Today is the 15th day of the New Year, also known as the Lantern Festival, the last day of the Spring Festival. Amid the festive atmosphere, I’d like to share some thoughts with you, perhaps some you may never have considered this time of year!       The Lantern Festival is a time to hang red lanterns, eat rice dumplings, and solve lantern riddles. Years ago, the Spring Festival was also a time to collect debts. If you owed money, the creditor would come to your home and collect any unpaid debt. If you weren’t at home at that...

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  Take your first big step in this Year of the Rooster. Happy Chinese New Year!     Hello, my friend! I’m your friend John Smagula, here to inspire, encourage, and accompany you on your journey forward.       Today is Chinese New Year, the most important holiday in the Chinese lunar calendar. We all look forward to what the Year of the Rooster may bring. This is a great opportunity to blend your dreams and drive to achieve a higher level this year.   Hollywood Sign, taken from Hollywood Lake Park   Last week I went to Los...

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  Do you want a new beginning? Let me help you use the New Year's spirit to become a new you!   Hello, my friend! I’m John Smagula. Today is New Year’s Day. Many of us like to make New Year’s resolutions, resolving to make this year better than the last. We may want to break a bad habit or achieve a new milestone. Either way, we commit to reaching a new high. However, experts tell us that around 90% of New Year’s resolutions end in failure. Why is that?     I believe there are three main reasons. First,...

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I have a really easy answer: drink what you like. Enough said.In my case, I drink both. But read on to learn more. First off, I congratulate you for asking this question. It means that you’re already drinking tea, which means you’re living—or beginning—a healthy lifestyle. Even if coffee and soda are still part of your life, the more you switch these other beverages out for tea, the better off you’ll be.   Fresh Air   The key difference between green and black tea is oxidation. Green tea is slightly oxidized, and black tea is almost completely oxidized. I know...

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Standing room only at the Sunday vigil mass at Xuanwumen Church in Beijing.   On this Third Sunday of Lent, we read about the cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-25), where Jesus cast out the merchants and moneychangers using the religious site for commercial purposes. On one level, the gospel story is often used to show the human side of Jesus. But as we learned in mass, there is a deeper meaning relevant to our Lenten journeys.   Father Zhang Xiaozhuo, who now teaches at the Beijing Seminary and once studied at Fordham University as part of the Maryknoll Chinese Seminary Teachers and Formators...

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I am often asked about Catholic Mass times at churches in popular destinations in China. This list includes churches in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Yichang (Three Gorges). Unless otherwise indicated, masses are celebrated in Chinese. I have visited each of these churches and try to keep this list current. Please send me a comment if you have any revisions!  BEIJING: North Cathedral - (known also as the Church of the Divine Savior, North Church, Beitang, or Xishiku Church). Mass times: Saturday vigil: none Sunday: 6:00 am, 7:00 am, 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 6:00 pm (young adult mass) Daily: 6:00...

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This morning I attended mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Beijing. Founded by Jesuit missionaries, the church first opened its doors in 1655 during the early years of the Qing Dynasty. The church rose and fell a few times over the years, with the current Romanesque structure dating to 1905. The church sits prominently on Wangfujing Street, in the heart of Beijing’s political, cultural, and tourist district.    Today’s gospel reading is the story of the cleansing of a leper, taken from Mark 1:40-45. In this passage, a leper approached Jesus and asked to be made clean. Jesus healed him,...

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Throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons, we have heard how Mary said “yes” to God’s calling to give birth to Jesus. She replied to the angel, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Mary’s “yes” brought our faith to fruition. Today, as we begin 2015, we also celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. We may also be spending this day by trying to carry out our New Year's resolutions. Many people make resolutions, yet research has shown that fewer than 10 percent actually achieve them.  If our resolutions are inspired to help us love and...

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Beijing North Cathedral, Third Sunday of Advent   One of the themes of Advent is to “get ready” for Christ to be reborn in our hearts. In the gospel reading on the Third Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist quoted the Prophet Isaiah to “Make straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:23). What does it mean to prepare the way of the Lord?   In his homily at the Beijing North Cathedral’s young adult mass, Father Zhao Qinglong shared some practical advice. Focusing on the reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, Father Zhao invited us to...

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