Catholics urged: Intensify Marian devotion

Thousands of Catholics flocked to churches in Cebu in yesterday’s start of the Misa de Gallo, a Filipino tradition that ushers in Christmas.
At the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City, newly-installed parish priest Msgr. Danny Sanico urged the faithful to intensify their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Eucharist in attending the nine-day dawn Masses.
“At the start of the Misa de Gallo, we could barely see the structure of the church due to the large number of people attending the Eucharist. But in the succeeding days, we usually notice a decrease of churchgoers in the Misa de Gallo,” he said.
“Look at how the devil tempts us. When one is awake at dawn to attend the Misa de Gallo, the devil speaks through the pillows saying ‘you still have 30 minutes to sleep. Enjoy.’ And those who listen to the devil go back to sleep and when they wake up, the Mass is over,” the monsignor said.
Sanico reminded everyone that freedom is not doing anything he or she wants but “doing what we ought to do.”
The National Shrine of St. Joseph houses the image of the pregnant Mary who is seated on a donkey.
St. Joseph is standing ahead of the donkey pulling it with a rope.
Misa de Gallo, which in Spanish means “Mass of the rooster,” is an annual Christmas tradition which begins on Dec. 16 and ends on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve.
The practice was introduced by Spanish friars so that farmers may hear Mass before  heading off to the fields early in the morning.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma celebrated the first Misa de Gallo at the Archbishop’s Residence Chapel in Cebu City.
Today, he will preside over the dawn Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown Cebu City.
He will then lead the Misa de Gallo at the San Roque Parish in Mambaling tomorrow.
On Dec. 20, Palma will officiate Mass at the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel at the South Road Properties (SRP). Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol