Just attended the first Simbang Gabi at our village chapel. What a beautiful celebration of the mass. Simbang Gabi which means “Night Mass”, Misa de Gallo in Spanish or “Rooster’s Mass”, or Misa de Aguinaldo, “Gift Mass” is a novena of dawn Masses from December 16-24 which is Christmas Eve. It’s a lovely and unique celebration of attending masses which is normally held at dawn but the Church allows it to be celebrated a little earlier the night before like tonight. We witnessed the lighting of the Christmas tree inside the chapel and the lighting of the Christmas Belen before the mass started.
Christmas celebration in our country is replete with these age-old traditions which we inherited from our ancestors. Dawn masses are usually held at 4am and start on December 16. We wait for the nine days till Christmas day. You are blessed if you complete the nine novena masses because they say that you can ask and pray for certain favors and they will be given to you.
It’s actually almost nine days to go before Christmas. what is more fitting in honoring the Christ Child by offering this novena. Sometimes in the frenzy of preparing for Christmas, we simply forget what it means, the birth of our Saviour. We are more focused on the material side of celebrating Christmas – giving gifts, preparing for Noche Buena feast, parties here and there, office parties everywhere and lots and lots of Christmas decor in our homes and on the streets.
But what is Christmas without all these? Here’s a beautiful meditation on Jesus’ nativity from Pope Benedict XVI.
“In the birth of Jesus,
God comes to us and
asks us to receive
Him, so that He can
be born in our lives
and transform them,
and our world, by the
power of his love.
The
Christmas liturgy also
invites us to
contemplate Christ’s
birth against the
backdrop of his
paschal mystery.
Christmas points
beyond itself, to the
redemption won for
us on the Cross and
the glory of the
Resurrection.”
Sounds like you had a lovely spiritual time, Arlene.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes, it was a lovely celebration Pete. I am glad Christmas is near.
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I love the novena of dawn, or evening Masses, Arlene; how lovely! Blessings on the rest of your Advent journey! I’m just about to light my wreath candles and read my morning prayers and reflection: will hold your day’s joy in my heart!
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Thank you so much Kitty. So you have your Advent wreath, that’s lovely. Will keep you in my prayers too. Good morning to you, it’s 10:25 pm here, Thursday evening.
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This is lovely. I have prayed novenas before for special intentions, but this observance is new to me. Which forebears handed down the tradition? I am woefully ignorant about history of the Philippines, and am glad to learn more.
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Simbang Gabi traces its roots to Mexico when, in 1587, the pope granted the petition of Fray Diego de Soria, prior of the convent of San Agustin Acolman, to hold Christmas Mass outdoors because the church could not accommodate the huge number of people attending the evening Mass.
It is called Misa de Gallo (rooster mass). Usually the rooster crows at the break of dawn. During the old times, farmers as well as fishermen used the roosters as their alarm clock. So upon the first crow of the rooster they wake up early to drop by the church before going to their work and ask for the grace of good harvest. Originally the Mass was celebrated for them.
Thanks Elizabeth.
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We have an advent wreath on our dining table and light it for every meal. I love this, remembering the time when we had leisure time only in the evening. Retirement is marvelous!
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That’s lovely, lighting the Advent wreath Anne every meal. I do agree, retirement age is a bit relaxed.
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