Misa de Gallo

I've been attending Misa de Gallo (Early Dawn Mass) since my childhood years. My father is serving the Catholic church as a lay minister and even during the time he worked in the government office, his focus was always in the church. When I was still in my grade school years, I used to tag along with him every Misa de Gallo because my father was the one conducting the celebration of the Holy Word (lay ministers could not conduct the celebration of the Holy Mass, only ordained priests and deacons can celebrate it) of Misa de Gallo in the small baranggay we lived. It wa awesome!

When I moved to Davao to attend college and until I got a job, this tradition would continue. It was pretty easy to go out and walk all the way to the church because San Pedro Cathedral is only a walking distance from my boarding house and no fear of walking alone as Davao is very safe. If I could not wake up early, I will just attend the mass at Ateneo de Davao University chapel, which is also a walking distance from my boarding house. Everything was nice then.I never missed attending Misa de Gallo, but when I relocated in Manila last year, everything changed. Except for Sunday, I could no longer attend a weekday afternoon mass in the church, much more Misa de Gallo. I lived in a boarding house in Mandaluyong during weekdays and church is a bit far. My boardmates never cared also to attend the mass, oh heaven! It's so sad that my spiritual obligation would be sacrificed this way.

Speaking of Misa de Gallo, I am quite frustrated when I heard people saying "they are attending the mass and vow to complete it so that their wish will come true. Since my childhood years, my father never told me that way and with all honesty, the Catholic church's teaching is not something like that.

Misa de Gallo is a novena mass - the highest form of prayer and practiced by the Catholic community in preparation for the birth of the Lord or the commemoration of the birth of Jesus and as Catholics we are supposed to attend the mass because it's a celebration of the Holy Gospel, a Catholic duty, not because there's a wish we want to receive.

Wishes, indulgences, gifts, dreams, are part of our prayers but it does not mean we are only attending the Early Dawn Mass because we want these wishes to be granted, that's totally a bit down the track and not being encouraged.