Last Christmas Eve, the Filipino community celebrated Christmas with a beautiful and warm commemoration of the birth of our Lord. This Mass was the culmination of the Simbang Gabi, the popular Filipino devotion of a novena of night Masses in preparation for Christmas. While these Masses are celebrated in the evening here, in the Philippines they are typically held just before dawn (with delicacies and hot chocolate to savor after the service).
Celebrant Fr. Ed De Vina led the congregation in a joyous and heartfelt, yet simple, worship service that combined new and old, at once traditional and in tune with the community.
Clothed in robes, schoolchildren from the Parish schools acted out the reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew. As Deacon Marcelo David and Fr. Ed read, lights were turned off in the church to let the congregants reflect on the spiritual and physical trek of Joseph and Mary in their faithful acceptance of their role in God’s plan. The atmosphere of meditative silence in the dark was a beautiful touch, something my wife and I especially appreciated in a Christmas service.
Providing the perfect accompaniment to the service was a joyful mix of Advent and Christmas music along with popular Filipino Mass music, like the late Jesuit Fr. Ed Hontiveros’ Papuri (Luwalhati) sa Diyos, or Glory to God. It was priceless to hear the seasonal, Western music like Silent Night and Adeste Fideles played with guitar and octavina and the Philippine bandurria - similar to the mandolin - sung in Tagalog adaptations by Virgil Madrinan, Meynard Espeleta, and others.
What was particularly gratifying was that this novena of Masses sponsored by the Filipino American Catholic Action (FACA) raised funds totaling $1773 to support three students in the Parish schools.
Misty Tolentino, who teaches in the Parish school, and Chuchi Calingasan coordinated the reenactment, and Mr. Espeleta led the FACA/ Resurrection Parish Choir, accompanied by the Paaralang Pilipino Rondalla band.
The service went for an hour and a half, but it didn’t seem like it was even an hour. We were especially blessed to have been able to come to this late night service.