Tradition dating to 17th century Spanish colonization of the Philippines anticipates coming of Christ, celebrates Filipinos' faith
WESTLAND — Parishioners at gathered for evening Mass at St. Mary, Cause of Our Joy Parish in Westland on Dec. 15, the first night of the Filipino tradition known as Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo, which takes place each of the nine days leading up to Christmas.
The annual tradition of the nine-day Simbang Gabi novena, which translates to “Night Mass,” dates back to the 17th century during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, when early Masses were held before dawn to accommodate the schedules of farmers.
“Simbang Gabi is a Filipino tradition in preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a joyful celebration, and we know that the Holy Eucharist is the best way to honor and prepare ourselves for his coming,” Gina Solon, a parishioner at St. Mary, Cause of Our Joy and one of the novena’s organizers, told Detroit Catholic.
Solon organizes the novena of Masses along with other members of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Ministry, a nonprofit that brings traditional Catholic Filipino cultural practices to the parish. Other archdiocesan parishes that celebrate Simbang Gabi include St. Aloysius in downtown Detroit, St. Rene Goupil in Sterling Heights, and St. Ignatius in the Cayman Islands (which is under the spiritual care of the Archdiocese of Detroit).
The nine days of Simbang Gabi have a distinct “Filipino ambience,” Solon explained.
The music at St. Mary, Cause of Our Joy is in the national language, Tagalog, and the opening procession into the church includes a parade of “parols” or lanterns, which are then placed in front of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Every Mass is followed by Filipino food and fellowship, sponsored by different members of the community each evening.
Solon said Simbang Gabi is an important time to celebrate family and culture and to reconnect with God in the days leading up to the birth of Jesus.
“We need Christmas, and we need the Simbang Gabi because we reconnect to God and can restart a new life for the next year with a joyful spirit,” Solon said. “We love to hear the Gospels every day during the novena and different homilies. We look forward to the anticipation of waiting to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Filipino priest Fr. Enno Dango, CP, was the celebrant Dec. 15, and plans to celebrate all nine Masses. In his homily on the first night of the novena, Fr. Dango said Simbang Gabi is a time to reflect on Christ's gift of self.
“At the center of our celebration, we are reminded that Jesus Christ is given to us, no charge, whoever we are,” said Fr. Dango, who serves at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat Center in Detroit. “We are given this gift not because we are better; a gift is something that we don’t merit; a gift is something given to us.”
Fr. Dango encouraged parishioners to look at their spouses, their children, and their parish and to view them as gifts and to tell them so.
“This is such a very important thing to cultivate among ourselves, this sense of giftedness,” Fr. Dango said. “That other person perhaps has been waiting for you to say those beautiful words: ‘Honey, you are a gift to me.’ When was the last time you said it to your spouse, your coworkers or your boss, to anyone? When was the last time you said, ‘This church is a gift. My faith is a gift?’”
As Simbang Gabi continues, the faithful can begin on the right footing by acknowledging that the nine days are a gift and a time to turn intentions over to God.
“If you start tonight and you have prayers in your hearts, carry on, dear friend; hold onto that prayer and believe that the Lord will grant that according to His will, according to God’s better and bigger plan for you,” Fr. Dango added. “And, dear friends, I cannot begin to imagine what God has prepared for us in the days to come.”
Fr. Dango encouraged the faithful to fill the pews with more friends by inviting them to participate in Simbang Gabi and receive the gifts God offers through the celebration.
“Tonight is about Jesus Christ giving us his life as a gift, so I invite all of us to receive Christ tonight with the attitude of our mother, our gentle lady. She is always the image, the model for all of us for what it means to receive Christ as she herself received Christ in her womb,” Fr. Dango said. “When we receive Christ tonight, we say ‘Amen, Lord, please come back into my life, live in my life.'"
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