Simbang Gabi: Advent journey of “Pagbabalik-loob sa Dyios” – God Not Only to Proclaim the Good News But Also to Share the Love of God in the Light!

Simbang Gabi is a Filipino Advent novena to prepare for Christmas. As you can easily guess from Tagalog evening greeting, “Magandang Gabi”(Good Evening),  the Tagalog word, “gabi” suggests night-time darkness.  The word, “simbang”, derives from “simbahan”, which means church.  Thus, “Simbang Gabi”, literally means “Church of night time darkness”.

In fact, in the Philippines, Simbang Gabi Mass begins early in the morning (usually 4 am), while it is still dark, before or at the crack of dawn.  Because of this, it is believed that Simbang Gabi was influenced by Misa de Gallo , which literally means “Mass of rooster”, in Mexico, during the Spanish colonial time.  While it is still dark in the morning, Simbang Gabi novena Mass begins.  When it is over, the sun is rising, as the sky becomes brightened.

Another notable fact of Simbang Gabi is that white is used as this novena’s liturgical color, even though purple (violet) is used during the Advent season for Mass, except for Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent).  While purple liturgical color means penance,  white symbolizes purity, innocence, and joy. Thus, though Simbang Gabi falls on the season of Advent, its use of white liturgical color suggests that Simbang Gabi focuses on the purity, innocence, and joy that the light of the Messiah, the Christ, brings upon his coming (advent).  Simbang Gabi reminds us that what follows the darkness of sin, for which we repent, as symbolized with the purple liturgical color of the Advent season, is the light of Chris the Messiah, turning our once-sinful and guilt-laden hearts into new hearts of purity, innocence, and joy. Truly, the white liturgical color of Simbang Gabi suggests that we are to become pure and innocent as we go through penance and conversion, as our preparation for the coming of the Lord.

During  Simbang Gabi Mass, a church becomes like a lantern light in the darkness of night before the sunrise. By the time the light of a church is turned off upon ending Simbang Gabi Mass, the sky is already bright as the sun is rising or already risen. So, there is a juxtaposition of Simbang Gabi’s focus on the rising hope and light, besides purity, innocence and joy, represented with white liturgical color, during the time of purple penance liturgical color of the Advent season, with the light of the rising sun.

One thing about delivering a homily in Simbang Gabi Mass is to focus on a hopeful message in the scriptures during the latter part of Advent, past Gaudete Sunday. Though historical context of the scripture readings during Advent tends be associated with darkness of time in the deuteronomic cycle of sinfulness, Simbang Gabi really emphasizes the coming (advent) of the Messiah, who will change our lives, ushering us from the darkness of sin to the light of God to rejoice.  The fact that liturgical color for Simbang Gabi is white, though this novena takes place during Advent, for which purple to symbolize penance is used.  Simbang Gabi makes an exception to have white during the time of purple.

During Advent season, Old Testament narratives used for First Reading often contain a potent Messianic prophecy rather in an apocalyptic manner.  The hidden prophecy of the Messiah echoed in a way to reveal its Messianic nature a bit more in the corresponding Gospel Reading.  Therefore, Simbang Gabi Mass homily is delivered to help us connect the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah to the Gospel Reading message.

Old Testament apocalyptic prophecies of the Messiah often allude to Jesus’ Davidic family lineage through Joseph, the faithful husband of Mary.  In some cases, the post-Exilic restoration prophecies are juxtaposed with the Messianic prophesies, making a metaphoric impression of newly rising light of hope.

Aided by a homily, as you mediate on how an apocalyptic Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament for the First Reading is revealed in the Gospel Reading during Simbang Gabi Mass, you will feel new light rising from a dark part of your heart to turn your heart filled with the divine light of purity, innocence,  and joy.

As your heart is filled with the light of purity, innocence, and joy, in connecting Old Testament reading  messianic prophecy and descriptions of the coming Messiah, including the nativity narratives, in the Gospel reading throughout Simbang Gabi Masses,  your life is being transformed. This transformation is, in fact, conversion, which Filipino Catholic theologian calls, “pagbabalik-loob”, which literally means, returning to our innermost being, essential core of our being.  Biblically, our “loob”(innermost being, essence) is purity and innocent, as in the time of the Garden of Eden, before Original Sin (Genesis 2).  Psycholospiritual state of purity, innocence, and joy, was our home to return to (pagbabalik), as it was in the Garden of Eden, where God and humans were in intimate harmony.  

As St. Augustine said in “Confession”, our heart is not at peace unless it finds its rest in God.  As Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1), our heart rejoices in God, and as Mary said in Magnificat (Luke 1:46-47), our spirit rejoices in the Lord, our Messiah, as we praise Him. As we let God into our heart, upon repenting and making conversion of our sinful and guilty heart, as the divine light of purity, innocence, and joy fills our heart, we become more joyful and willing to share the joy of God’s love with others.  We begin to love each other (Luke 1:34-35; John 15;12) and our neighbors (Matthew 22:39; Leviticus 19:18) more willingly as our heart becomes more joyful with God’s light. This way, we are truly becoming the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), as said by Jesus.  Becoming the light of love, like the light of Christ the Messiah, whose coming we prepare for during Advent, with joyful anticipation through Simbang Gabi, is an important objective of this Filipino Advent novena. This transformation to become a light of Christ’s  love with joy is a Simbang Gabi effect.

This Simbang Gabi effect is well captured by “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” , a popular carol, often sung as we finish Simgang Gabi Mass. This carol reminds us that God is love (1 John 4:7-8), and love to be shared (1 John 10-11, 16-17)...."Dahil sa Diyos ay pag-ibig........Tayo ay magmahalan. Ating sundin ang gintong aral . At magbuhat ngayon .Kahit hindi Pasko ay magbigayan!"

Simbang Gabi Mass is ended,  Let us go in peace and proclaim the Good News! Let us love one another and share love of God that we enjoy with each other, even beyond Christmas! !  This is Simbang Gabi effect!