9 Mornings: It’s almost four o’clock in the morning!
“Oh my! What time is it?
It’s almost four o’clock in the morning. I think!
Sun is almost fully up.
But still my eyes are droopy unprepared for an early dawn rise.
But because of You Lord, I will.
An hour subtraction from my sleep is worth it if spent it with You.”
It’s again the time of the year when nights are becoming longer, winds getting colder; lights becoming brighter and carols are getting louder. It is Christmas dear fellas.
But 9 days before Jesus’ big day…
It’s the Misa De Galyo / Simbang Gabi / Nine Mornings Filipinos religiously attend every Christmas. A pack of people are compressing inside the four corners of the Church to hear the Gospel of the Lord.
It’s the Kampana Bell of the Church Filipinos pay attention to that signals the start of the Nine Mornings. When struck, everyone stands to formally hear the mass.
It’s also the Puto and Bibingka or Puto’t Sikwati (Native Delicacy) awaiting at the end corner of the Church vicinity for Filipinos to buy and eat for breakfast right after the mass.
But it’s always the…
…Yearnings within the hearts of every Filipino who are willing to sacrifice in waking up at wee hours and taking an hour from their normal sleep hours.
It’s called the Christmas Wish entitled to every person who has finished the Nine Mornings Masses straight without a miss.
Nevertheless, above all…
It’s our little sacrifice to be offered for our dear Jesus Christ.
Remember, He died on the cross for us. And we welcome him again as we celebrate His birthday at Christmas Eve!
Merry Christmas!
(I wish! I pray! Amen!)
 Maybe itâ s because Iâ ve never been overly fixated on the scale and this is something concrete to latch on to.
For some reasons I don’t attend simbang gabi.. I’m Catholic though.
Give me the puto’t sikwati anytime. Remembering His death on the cross just gets more vivid. Merry Christmas!
Somehow I hate this year for me being unable to complete the 9 morning of early mass because of my work 🙁
I religiously followed this Simbang gabi when I was a kid until high school because I really did believe that God will grant my wishes. Now that I’m older, I still want to religiously follow this tradition but not for the same reason. I believe that God has the ability to make our wishes come true. But not because you finished the Simbang gabi. It’s because you worked hard for it and God knows that you deserved it. Merry Christmas.
Thats the spirit of Christmas here in the pH
I honestly envy you!
I’ve never completed another 9 mornings since I graduated from college..
Being a young professional deprived me of that.
These little sacrifices are nothing really compared to the blessing!
Way to go!
Simbang gabi et. al are really ingrained in the Filipino Culture. These are traditions that we can’t live without.
I love this tradition! And because two of my relatives were born on this day haha so how can we forget the first day of simbang gabi.. I love it! 🙂 Merry Christmas!!
I usually got hard time waking myself up. Glad there is a mass at night. Hehehe. Good that you can do this. Hehehe. Hope your wish will come true.:) Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you too! We don’t really observe Simbang Gabi in our family but I you’re right, it is a must-do to prepare ourselves this Christmas. 🙂
is this really true? if you finished 9 mornings, your wish will be granted?
yeah. this is the tradition we are all been waiting and we have 1 year to think for that one wish. but ofcourse it’s not just merely attending and sacrificing but I guess the faith that grows stronger each day.
I love the narrations. makes me wanna do the same.
hehe. thanks. i have gone trial and error before coming the idea…
Merry merry CHRISTmas too! May we celebrate the essence of why Christ was born. ^_^
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Chinese New Year Symbolism from Visual Merchandising Blog
I admire you guys. I can’t do it. I don’t think I ever will.
Nowadays, some teenagers are having misconception about Simbang Gabi. Some are just going to church just to brag about their outfits, make dates, just to hang out and even making it as an excuse for their parents to permit them to go out of the house at this specific time of the day. I’m not a Catholic but I really wanted to try attending Simbang Gabi with my purpose of wanting to witness how devoted some people are in this religious event.
I miss this tradition of waking up very early in the morning. You’re still yawning for lack of sleep, but yet you’ve to wake up and prepare yourself to go with your mother to hear the mass. Or else if you’re too slow to move and wait for your sister or brother to dress you up, well you’re be very sorry for you’ll be left behind.
nice one! include us in your 9 days of christmas morning mass…. take care and God bless… hope your wishes come true…. praying for you, too. Love you, inday