The Christmas Mass, locally known as Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi, has just started today. Though Simbang Gabi has a direct translation of Midnight Mass, the masses are actually held before dawn for nine straight days. It begins December 16 and ends by December 24 during which a Catholic can opt to attend mass that night or the Christmas Eve.
So today marks the start of Misa de Gallo. I set my alarm clock to 3:30 and promptly, it rang by that hour and woke me up. I immediately geared up and went with my mother to church.
It was terribly cold, the chilly wind biting through my jacket. We arrived at the Holy Cross Parish Church, just in time that the first mass ended. We struggled and raced with the crowd to get a seat. There were indeed so many people that the church seemed to burst by the seams. Thankfully, we got a good seat.
So around half past four, the mass started. It is like any ordinary mass, except that someone shares the homily with the priest. The sharer can be anyone, a community leader or common person, who has something inspiring to share for the Christmas season. For the mass today, the sharer told the meaning of the nine mornings of the Misa de Gallo.
Exactly an hour after, just when the sun slowly began to lighten the dark sky, the mass ended. It was still cold. Hurriedly, everyone got out of the church and went home. To another day waiting. For work or school. And for another blessed life ahead.
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