Church asks faithful to be consistent
By Bernadette Parco
Cebu Daily News
CEBU CITY, Philippines – As the Catholic church in the Philippines begins its nine-day dawn Christmas Masses or Misa de Gallo on Tuesday, the faithful are called to be consistent in their prayers.
“Devotion is constant. Is there devotion that is on and off?” asked Monsignor Achilles Dakay as he urged churchgoers to attend all nine Masses.
“People should be able to have that devotion, the devotion that is based on sound doctrine and strict discipline,” he added.
But more than making sure to attend all Misa de Gallo celebrations, the faithful are also asked to bear in their hearts the proper purpose for going to the Masses, said Dakay, media liaison officer of the Archdiocese of Cebu.
“They should enter the church and not just stay outside the church to spend the time talking to friends,” he said.
The first of the dawn Masses is held Tuesday, and continues every dawn until Christmas Eve.
Spanish friars introduced the tradition to the Philippines so that farmers can attend the services before working in the fields.
The term Misa de Gallo is Spanish for “Mass of the rooster.” While many know it as Simbang Gabi, Dakay said the term is wrongly applied.
“The Simbang Gabi is the Mass celebrated on the night before Christmas,” he added.
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal will be celebrating Misa de Gallo at the “mother churches” of the archdiocese, or the original parishes at the time the Cebu Archdiocese was created.
This is part of the celebration of the 75th year of Cebu as an archdiocese.
The Cebu archdiocese was established on April 28, 1934 during the time of Pope Pius XI.
On Tuesday, Vidal celebrates Misa de Gallo at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the seat of the Archdiocese of Cebu.
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