I have a confession to make. I have never completed the Simbang Gabi (or Misa de Gallo) Masses in my entire life.
Our eldest daughter beat me to it. When she was still in university, she and some friends from our parish choir slept over at someone’s home to cook Arroz Caldo. They sang during the dawn Mass of Simbang Gabi and served the parishioners with sizzling hot Arroz Caldo afterward. It was something I always wished I could do but never got around to doing. The spirit was willing but the body just would not cooperate.
This COVID-19 pandemic, despite all its negative effects, has brought some good for me, personally. I have been able to spend more time with my children, something that I was hardly able to do since they began working. A bigger grace for me is actually being able to hear Mass more often, even on weekdays. This year, I made a decision to do all 9 novena days of Simbang Gabi.
Filipino Catholics and Aglipayans are the only ones in the Philippines observing Simbang Gabi. Stretched out over 9 days of the novena, it is in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary who waited 9 months before Christ’s birth.
Since last Tuesday, December 15, I have been tuning in to The Manila Cathedral‘s Simbang Gabi on their Facebook page. I discovered a particular love for attending Mass here, aside from the Masses offered by my own parish. It has been such a joy to listen to Fr Regie Malicdem (Rector)’s and Fr. Kali Llamado (Vice Rector)’s homilies. They are fairly young priests but their homilies are deep and profound (not boring too!!!). They are gifted with the ability to speak extemporaneously and from the heart. Many, many times, I have been moved to tears by their words. It has been such a huge blessing for me.
Simbang Gabi has offered me an opportunity to pray and intercede. I know some people who came down with COVID. Some friends lost loved ones during this quarantine. Others are struggling with their livelihood. There is so much to pray for.
As I write this post, we have already crossed the halfway point of the novena. In another 3 days, I would have completed my very first Simbang Gabi novena. I hope that this won’t be my last. I still do not know if I can do dawn masses at my age but now that anticipated Masses in the evening are allowed, there is always hope that next year, I could attend again, online or in church.
For now, I am just content and thankful that at least once in my lifetime, I am able to attend Simbang Gabi. All because of COVID-19.