As we rush toward the Last Sunday of Advent next weekend – which is also Christmas Eve! – there are still many opportunities and events planned here to assist us in our spiritual preparation.
First, on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. we will have our Advent Penance Service. We are happy to have returning here to celebrate with us Father Dan Kirk. He will preach the evening service and will be available, along with many other priests, to hear Confessions. This is a most noble way to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ into our lives during this season.
For the second year in a row we are also celebrating a special event on Wednesday evening called Simbang Gabi. Father JM is coordinating and leading the evening, so here is his explanation of the celebration:
“Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi is an old Filipino religious tradition dating back to the late 16th century that is celebrated during the season of Advent in preparation for the coming of Jesus on Christmas. The missionary friars at that time held nine days of Masses to usher in the event of Christ’s birth, and this continues until now. Traditionally, these Masses are celebrated in the early morning hours, typically at 4:00 a.m. when the roosters crow to announce the coming of a new day.
Hence, it is called Misa de Gallo (Gallo means rooster).
“The missionary friars designed this structure of celebrating the Mass in the early morning to meet the needs of the people, most of whom were farmers. In this way, the farmers could attend Mass and ask blessings from God before they headed out to work, and that their work will bring about more harvest. In this way as well, the missionary friars could implant in the hearts and minds of the people the Catholic faith and continue to spread the gospel by integrating a distinctly Filipino custom.
“Here in the Unites States, these Masses are celebrated in the evening to accommodate work schedules and make the celebration more accessible to families. Thus the name is changed from Misa de Gallo into Simbang Gabi which simply means “Night Mass”.
“We at St. Benedict are honored and blessed to host one of the Simbang Gabi celebrations this year, on Wednesday, December 20th at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome to celebrate this traditional Filipino Mass.”
Because next Sunday is Christmas Eve, and we need to prepare the church and ourselves for the evening celebrations, the Mass Schedule for the Fourth Sunday of Advent is as follows:
Saturday, December 23rd at 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, December 24th at 8, 9:30, and 11:00 am. There is no 12:30 p.m. Mass next Sunday.
It is also true that we carry the obligation to attend Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. This means that many of you will be attending Mass in the morning and in the evening to fulfill different obligations. Mass in the evening of Sunday December 24 does not complete the obligation to attend Sunday Mass! For those of you who wonder, yes, you can receive Holy Communion in the morning and in the evening as they are different celebrations.
Have a blessed last week of Advent!
Fr. Garry Koch