Secillano said priests were not entirely at fault because it was the churchgoer’s duty to be prepared to go to church. The CBCP official also urged the faithful to be responsible Mass-goers. Homilies need not always revolve around current issues, but they should be relevant to the lives of the people, he said. The Simbang Gabi is also known as the “Misa de Aguinaldo,” votive Masses elebrated in the early hours of the morning nine days before the Nativity. Fidel Villarroel, O.P., “there is no precise record of when the Aguinaldo Masses started in the Philippines.

Source: Manila Times December 15, 2017 17:15 UTC