Finding meaning in Philippine Christmas traditions

For the past eight years during the festive season, Joan Encarnacion has awoken each day at 4 a.m., braving the cold, sometimes the rain, hoping that

Dec 22, 2015

MANILA: For the past eight years during the festive season, Joan Encarnacion has awoken each day at 4 a.m., braving the cold, sometimes the rain, hoping that by attending nine consecutive Masses before Christmas her wishes will be granted by God.

"It is part of my faith life," Joan said about her attendance at the traditional Misa de gallo, [Mass of the rooster], or predawn Masses, that usher in Christmas in the Philippines.

"I believe that if you complete the Masses you get to make a wish, but that is not the primary reason why I attend," she says. "It is my way of reflecting on the year and how I will receive Christ this Christmas," Joan added.

Joan, a brand planner and researcher for an advertising agency in Manila, believes she got her "dream job" after attending the Misa de gallo Masses over the past few years.

Father Joel Jason, a former dean of San Carlos Seminary in Manila, said the "belief" that attending the Misa de gallo without fail makes wishes come true is embedded in Filipino tradition.

It is a devotion "not a doctrinal teaching," he said.

"There is no formula to God's blessing. The doctrine does not say, 'Oh, you need to complete nine days of Masses for your wishes to be granted’,” the priest said.

The Filipino Catholic's belief in getting God's blessings from their devotion can only come from the Filipino people's "religious instinct."

"When we do something [good], God will reward us," said Father Jason. But devotion "does not guarantee the endowment of desires."

He said being motivated by wishes transforms worship into a mechanical practice instead of a spiritual one. 

"More than the number, I would rather focus on the dedication in the heart," the priest said. 

"We want to complete our attendance in the Misa de gallo as an expression of our devotion. Whether God grants our wishes or not ... is just a bonus," Father Jason said.

The priest likens the nine dawn Masses before Christmas to pregnancy.

"We carry in our person the Lord, and it is like we will give birth to the Lord," he said.

The Misa de gallo is filled with meaning for the Filipino faithful. It is celebrated in the wee hours of the morning during the harvest season. 

It continues to be a reminder for people "to anticipate the grace of God at the first moments of our day and offer our first work of the day," Father Jason said.

The Misa de gallo became a Filipino tradition after the arrival of Spanish colonizers 400 years ago. It is held as early as 3 a.m. in several provinces. 

Pope Sixtus V ordered that the Masses be heard before sunrise because it used to be the harvest season in the Philippines, and farmers needed to be in the fields immediately after the celebration.

Philippine traditional Christmas celebrations are rich in other symbolisms too. Christmas has evolved into more than a spiritual event. It has become an occasion for folk religiosity to mix with the Catholic faith.

The most predominant is Santa Claus, an altered and commercialized figure of St. Nicholas, who is known for his charitable work. 

"The figure of Santa Claus is not doctrinally endorsed, but we do promote devotion to St. Nicholas to inspire us to become charitable," said Father Jason.

Inspiration

A Philippine Christmas, which is usually celebrated with parties and gatherings that start on Dec. 1, is not complete without the exchanging of gifts that is inspired by the three kings who supposedly brought presents to Jesus in the stable. 

There are those, however, who say Santa Claus, gift-giving, and belief in the magic of attending the Misa de gallo have distorted the essence of Christmas. 

"Christmas is this overly-commercialized and secularized Catholic practice that has lost its true meaning," said Nick Tan, whose family stays up until midnight to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve.

Everyone seems to be in a mad rush for gifts, he said. 

"It becomes about family, but it has less emphasis on the person who has made the season what it is, that is, a season of thanksgiving and celebration as God took a very big step in the course of salvation," he said.

At a time when the coming of Christ is associated with material blessings, wishes, and extravagant feasts, Church leaders in the Philippines are reminding people that Christmas is not about exchanging of gifts. 

Father Jason said it is about "giving without expecting anything in return."--Ucannews.com

Total Comments:0

Name
Email
Comments