December 16 and rains

Starting today until December 24, expect thousands of Filipinos to wake up early and flock to churches for the Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi. Households and communities, normally still asleep at 4 a.m. will wake to different sounds and activities as families, friends, neighbors, or individuals, with their own diverse reasons for continuing this traditional practice, brave the dark and the cold to hear mass for 9 days. Expect the sound of barking dogs to join in as well!

Will traditional delicacies be available for churchgoers? In Manila, puto bumbong and bibingka come to mind. Here in Cebu, suman, biko? Hopefully, the original cooks of these traditional treats remembered to teach the younger generation how to make them.

Will the rains discourage many from attending this year’s first Misa de Gallo?

This week, many areas of our country experienced daily rains. With typhoon Urduja in the vicinity, more rains are expected for more days.

Days are also colder this week. Will many brave the rains and cold for the Mass tomorrow? We hope those going to Mass will keep themselves warm, dry, and comfortable. For those who will start this practice for the first time in their lives, stay warm, dry, and enjoy!

May our people include in their daily Masses, prayers for the healing of our nation. The latest vote for the one-year continuation of martial law in Mindanao was not surprising. We applaud the few independent and brave who opposed martial law. We need to pray for more courageous officials to stand for human rights, genuine justice, and peace. We need to pray most especially for the subservient in Congress and even the SC –may they remember they are public servants, that they are there to serve God and His people.

We hope the majority bloc’s approval of extended martial law will not result in more areas of Mindanao ending up tragically like Marawi. During the nine days of Misa de Gallo, let us pray for the urgent rehabilitation of Marawi. Let us pray for peace to dominate, not war, conflict, and violence.

May we include during the early Masses the intention of all those to be adversely affected by martial law in Mindanao, especially the poor and vulnerable. Many of our poorest households and working children come from Mindanao. May martial law not increase the number of the poor or find them poorer, more hungry, more vulnerable, or worse, sick or dead.

Let us pray together for Luzon and the Visayas to be spared from any martial law declaration. Let us include Duterte in our prayers –that he be enlightened to understand that might is not power, violence not the solution to problems that confronted other leaders before him.

The morning Masses are beautiful moments to thank God for His unconditional love for us all, for His unwavering presence and protection. Despite the rains and storms now, we are assured the sun and blue skies will appear in God’s own time!

No need to be anxious or afraid about the present political chaos. Instead, as God’s people, let us draw strength and hope, during these nine days, that God is in control, not any puny, arrogant mortal.

With our other kababayans, then, let us joyfully wake up to the call to pray together, to thank God that He will take over and save us, just as He did when He sent Jesus Christ because of His unconditional love for us all. Let us rejoice with the church bells and believe that God remains the protector of our people and nation!