Despite the new scare of "walking pneumonia," four cases of which the Department of Health recently confirmed, a parishioner said she would revert to her tradition of completing the nine-day "Misa De Gallo" in person, shifting from the livestream masses during the three-year pandemic.

But you may be wondering, why wake up so early from 16 to 24 December? Who influenced us to make such a sacrifice?

Blame it on the Spaniards!

In a research posted online, Joycylin Ayuste Bastian noted that the Philippines, with a population of more than 110 million, is dominated by the Roman Catholic religion.

"Catholicism was brought to the Philippines through a Spanish expedition on 16 March 1521 led by Ferdinand Magellan. Accordingly, in 1542, the Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos named the archipelago Filipinas in honor of King Philip II. Spain imbued the Filipinos with their values, social behaviors, customs and traditions," Bastian's research showed.

She said that in the 1830s, Filipinos started a movement to liberate the country from Spain.

The study said that when the era of colonization is summed up in the Filipino popular mind today, what defines the Spanish rule is its legacy of Christianity.

Accordingly, a Spanish tradition vastly practiced in the Philippines till today is the "Misa de Gallo" or "Simbang Gabi," a tradition of faith and love for Jesus Christ around the time of His birth.

When pandemic struck

Our faith was, however, tested when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Our mobility was halted, and face-to-face gatherings were, too.

It bothered and irked the faithful as their attendance at mass and other Catholic ceremonies was curtailed.

But the Catholic Church cannot be easily defeated by a contagion. It embraced digitization by implementing the online mass, attended in the comfort of parishioners' homes.

This prompted Evelyn Rugas, a resident of Quezon City, to embrace the online mass.

"Covid-19 once hit me. But while I recuperated and afterward, I never failed to attend mass online. There was nothing to do, as Kim Chiu said, we could not go out. That was just Covid. I am a follower of the Lord. I said this, too, will end. It's just like our love life," Rugas said.

Indeed, the contagion brought us a silver lining — doing things online.

When the restrictions eased in 2022, everything, including attending mass, returned to normal.

But despite the new infectious disease warnings, Rugas said she will still complete the "Misa De Gallo" this year.

"I will go to church because, with the online mass, I cannot concentrate, there are many distractions," Rugas told the DAILY TRIBUNE.

She said it was her childhood dream to complete the Misa De Gallo, as her parents had told her that her wishes would be granted if she completed the 9-day masses.

But the Misa De Gallo also was a perfect time to flaunt new clothes and was best enjoyed with friends.

"When I was a child, I thought I could complete the Misa De Gallo. Maybe because it was a challenge, and it was fun to be with your friends. It was a big thing with your group," she said.

As she got older, she realized that the "Misa De Gallo" was a time to reflect and repent.

Rugas earlier confronted a major challenge when her brother and mother died. But her faith remains that good things happen when one's faith in the Lord remains.

Asked what she would advise GenZs right now, Rugas said the Misa de Gallo is not the time to flaunt new clothes or meet your friends but to reflect and appreciate the love of the Almighty Father.

"We know that the Misa De Gallo is one of the ways God strengthens our faith in Him," she said.