9-day Simbang Gabi starts

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has appealed to the Catholic faithful to pray not just for themselves, but for the nation too as the nine-day “Simbang Gabi” tradition starts today.

Fr. Jerome Secillano stressed the importance of “adhering to the beautiful tradition” of the Simbang Gabi, or nine days of dawn Masses to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ on Dec. 25.

“We want to remind them that we pray not only for our personal intentions, but we should also pray for our country. We should pray for peace, unity and reconciliation,” he said in an interview.

Secillano, the executive secretary of the CBCP’s permanent committee on public affairs, also stressed that what the country and its people needed was a “semblance of peace,” especially that the Philippines is at a crossroads.

The Simbang Gabi culminates with the “Misa de Gallo” on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve.