Faithful start 9-day ‘Simbang Gabi’ Tuesday

MANILA, Philippines–As the Filipino faithful began Tuesday the nine-day “Simbang Gabi” or dawn Masses, a Catholic priest reminded them that the best way to observe the true meaning of Christmas was to love others—not equate it with feasting on bibingka and puto bumbong.

In a reflection to coincide with the start of the Simbang Gabi—also called “Misa de Gallo”—Fr. Nick Lalog II of Radio Veritas lamented that just like Christmas, Simbang Gabi had lost its religious meaning to become part of a commercial affair.

“Our Simbang Gabi has slowly fallen into this trap as we

romanticize this tradition with festivities and native delicacies, like puto bumbong and bibingka, instead of [reflecting on] the meaning of the Eucharist,” said Lalog, the parish priest of St. John the Evangelist in Bulacan province.

Puto bumbong (a sticky rice delicacy steamed in wooden tubes) and bibingka (rice cake) are popular native fare usually sold by vendors outside churches after the dawn Mass.

A blessing to others

Lalog said the faithful must focus on the real meaning of the season—which is to love and be a blessing to others.

He said this could be done through the simplest of things, like smiling at or greeting a stranger, acknowledging someone’s uniqueness, or comforting neighbors who are low and weak.

“Pope Francis has been showing the Church how to do this with his ‘theology of encounter,’ wherein he always tries to reach out to the poor and the marginalized, including those of other religious beliefs, to make them feel the joy of

Jesus Christ,” he said.

“He directed us all in the early days of his pontificate to ‘find new ways to spread the word of God to every corner of the world,’ which he has shown simply with his smiles and outstretched arms,” Lalog added.

Pastoral accommodation

Simbang Gabi traditionally begins on Dec. 16 and ends on Christmas Eve with the “Misa de Aguinaldo.” The Masses are usually held at 4 a.m.

But for many years now, the Mass is no longer held before dawn. The Catholic Church has adapted to urban schedules and agreed as a “pastoral accommodation” to hold Simbang Gabi the night before.

Thus, many Filipinos marked the start of the Simbang Gabi by attending Masses last night.

Some Filipinos have also made it a personal mission not to miss the nine-day dawn Masses so the petitions and wishes they are praying for would be granted.

Romantic rendezvous

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Youth urged the faithful not to jump to conclusions that young boys and girls faithfully attending the dawn Masses were merely there for a romantic rendezvous.

Fr. Conegundo Garganta, the commission’s executive secretary, appealed to the faithful to take a leaf from Pope Francis and renew their beliefs in the young ones.

Garganta said some still thought that young people only attended the dawn Masses to have an opportunity to spend time with their lovers.

But this was an old way of looking at the Filipino youth, he said.

“I hope, while in anticipation of the papal visit, that we will also have a new way of looking at young people as Pope Francis does,” Garganta told reporters.

The Pope is set to visit the Philippines from Jan. 15 to 19, spending a day in Tacloban City, one of the areas worst hit by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) to mingle and comfort with the typhoon survivors.

“We’ve heard him many times asking the youth to go out and make a change,” he added.

The priest said instead of harboring negative opinions about the youth, Filipinos in general must become a source of encouragement for young people to engage in activities that would strengthen their faith.

Garganta also hoped that Simbang Gabi would open more doors for the youth to become more engaged in the life of the Church, instead of just singing in the choir or helping put up holiday decorations in their parishes.