22/12/2025
๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ | ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต. ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐. ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป, ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ.
For nine straight dawns, comfort was willingly set aside, warm beds left behind, alarms answered without hesitation, and days begun earlier than usual. Each Simbang Gabi meant choosing faith over sleep, devotion over convenience, and showing up even when the body begged to rest.
By the final dawn, something changes. Completing all nine Masses feels like standing on sacred ground, where exhaustion meets quiet fulfillment. There is a shared understanding among those present, you made it. The journey itself already feels like a blessing.
The final Mass glows differently. Prayers sound fuller, voices stronger, and gratitude hangs in the air like incense. Candles flicker as if echoing every intention whispered across nine faithful mornings.
There is a belief passed gently from generation to generation, when Simbang Gabi is completed, a wish is granted. Not because of magic alone, but because faith was proven through discipline, patience, and repeated sacrifice.
That wish, formed slowly over nine dawns feels earned. It carries the weight of early mornings, silent prayers, and hope held steady even when tiredness threatened to win.
Outside the church, streets soften under the rising sun. Neighbors exchange smiles, strangers nod in quiet solidarity, and the community feels closer, bonded by shared sacrifice and shared belief.
As the final bell fades and the church doors open to the morning light, the cold feels familiar but the heart feels full. What began with sleepy steps before dawn ends in a quiet moment of faith, where the wish whispered across nine sacrifices now feels close, ready to be heard.
// by Pearl Exconde
// graphics by Reyzelyn Soriano
