Bishop welcomes young lovers to ‘Simbang Gabi’

It’s nice to see young people in love going to church at dawn to attend Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo (Mass of the Rooster) but the church is more than just a place to see your beloved, a Catholic bishop reminded the youth Thursday.

Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon praised the youth for continuing the tradition of attending the predawn Masses culminating on Christmas Eve, but he said they would have more lasting rewards if they went to these services more than just to get a chance to see or hold hands with objects of their love.

He praised the youth for continuing to religiously attend the predawn Masses despite the rampant commercialization and materialism in society.

“We don’t have any specific survey (but) if you come to church, 40 to 50 percent are young people,” the chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on the Youth said in an interview.

“I think it has always been a time for the young. First of all, they are good at making sacrifices. Sometimes they do not even sleep and go directly to church after a night of caroling,” he added.

Baylon admitted that some young people might be motivated to attend Simbang Gabi because their girlfriends or boyfriends were there.

“That is also true but we cannot judge the young and limit our motives for that,” he said. “There are people who feel this is a time to prepare for the coming of Jesus and I would like to stress that. We can raise our motives and desires along this line.”

Baylon said attending the predawn Masses “is more than just socializing with your loved ones and friends. It’s Jesus this time. Make room for Jesus.”

The bishop urged Filipinos to find a space in their hearts for the real reason there is Christmas: Jesus Christ.

Hearts into mangers

Baylon called on parishes to ensure everyone is able to participate in the liturgical celebrations, with overflow crowds expected to swamp churches to attend the nine days of Masses.

“They should go to church and transform their hearts into mangers where the Lord can grow. Let us make room for Jesus because he wants to touch our lives and bring salvation to the world,” Baylon said.

“He cannot do that unless there are mangers where He will be born and the mangers where He will be born today are our hearts.”

According to Baylon, Simbang Gabi is one of the most cherished of Filipino Christmas traditions.

“This has always been part of our Christmas celebration. We make sacrifices. We wake up early. I know some even make bets if they can attend all the nine Masses,” he said.

“That might be a good incentive but it is important that we focus on what (these Masses) could do to improve our faith life, spiritual life, and church life.”

Baylon added: “The most important thing is the spiritual incentive. We do sacrifices so He would come into our lives that we may be able to welcome Him.”

He said parishes could put up public address systems to ensure that even those outside the churches could participate.

To ensure nobody misses the novena, Kidapawan Bishop Romulo dela Cruz has directed his priests to hold two daily predawn Masses.

“This is to accommodate the expected influx of churchgoers,” Dela Cruz said, adding this would also minimize overcrowding in churches, including at Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces cathedral in Kidapawan.

“For the first time, we are conducting two Masses so that overcrowding will be avoided in the cathedral and to maintain the solemnity of the celebration,” he said.

Those who will miss the first Mass at 3 a.m. could attend the second service at 4:30 a.m., he said.

Dela Cruz said those who could not go to churches could always listen to the Masses on radio.

“Parishioners in far-flung areas of the diocese can also join the  celebration in their chapels because lay ministers will be saying Misa de Gallo,” he said.

Police said security had been tightened all  over the province in anticipation of the heavy volume of early morning churchgoers. With a report from Williamor A. Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao