Caroling in the Philippines:

Caroling is an enduring and beautiful Filipino Christmas tradition. Once the month of December comes, we see carolers going around singing Christmas carols from house to house spreading the spirit of the season through Christmas songs, traditional and modern versions.

And as Dawn Mass known as "Misa de Gallo" or "Simbang Gabi" starts, more carolers will be on their feet singing Christmas carols.

Usually it is the children grouping together and going around house to house in their neighborhood to

sing Christmas carols. Among the old time favorites are Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silver Bells. Traditional Filipino Christmas songs add to the festive atmosphere, like Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, Pasko na Naman, Himig Pasko, Payapang Daigdig.

Filipino ingenuity comes naturally with handmade musical instruments made from bottle tops for tambourine, or drums fashioned out from used cans or biscuit tins. The children are happy with whatever amount from the generosity of people is shared with them.

Even adults are into caroling during the Christmas season. Church organizations, clubs, and other adult groups also do their caroling to raise funds. Some of these groups give a letter in advance to inform the date and time of caroling. They usually come with more "professional" musical instruments like the guitar, drums, tambourine, and even portable musical organ. For these groups, it is a wonderful feeling not only to spread the joy of the Yuletide Season but to raise needed funds for their organizations or causes and advocacy.

Christmas carols make the Yuletide Season livelier and more spirited. They remind the people that Christmas is really giving and sharing, which also manifests the Filipino spirit of generosity and magnanimity.

The Advent Wreath

The Church begins a new journey of faith with the start the Advent Season on Sunday, 2 December 2018. The Advent Season is the beginning of a new liturgical year for the Church. It is also our preparation for the big event that is Christmas. In Churches and chapels, including most homes and offices, we see a beautiful symbolism of Advent in the Advent Wreath.

The Advent Wreath is part of our long-standing Catholic tradition, which is very much a part of our

spiritual preparation for Christmas. The symbolism of the advent wreath is beautiful. It is made up of various evergreens in circle, signifying continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, depicts the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the new everlasting life promised to us through our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death and resurrection.

The four candles in the Advent Wreath refer to the four weeks (or four Sundays) of Advent. According to tradition, each week represents one hundred years, to sum up to the four thousand years from the time of Adam and Eve until the birth of the Savior. Each candles is lit on each Sunday of Advent.

Three of the candles are color purple and one is color rose. In particular, the purple candles symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifice, and the good works the faithful undertake at this time in preparation for Christ's birth.

The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, which is also called "Gaudete Sunday", or the Sunday of rejoicing. It is so because the faithful are now at the midpoint of Advent journey by this time, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas Day.

The progressive lighting of the candles, one on each Sunday of the Advent Season, combined with the liturgical colors of the candles, helps to symbolize not only our expectation and hope in our Savior's first coming into the world, but also His second coming as Judge at the end of the world.

Prayers for the Advent Wreath: (usually at the start of Sunday Mass)

1st Sunday of Advent:

Father, as we begin our Advent pilgrimage, we light a candle of Hope.
Grant us the courage to hope: hope for your presence, hope for your peace, hope for your promise. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Advent:

Father, as we journey down the Advent road, we re-light the candle of Hope, and we light a candle of Peace.
Grant us the courage to make peace: peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, and peace in our communities. Amen.

3rd Sunday of Advent:

Father, at the height of our Advent walk, we re-light the candles of Hope and Peace, and we light a candle of Joy.
Grant us the courage to experience joy in the hope of the Savior's coming: joy in the face of apathy, joy in the face of sorrow, joy in the face of uncertainty. Amen.

4th Sunday of Advent:

Father, as our Advent pilgrimage draws to a close, we re-light the candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy. And we light a candle of Love.
Grant us the courage to share your love: love for life and all creation, love for sinners and saints, love for the poor and the little ones. We thank you for the hope your Son gives us, for the peace he bestows, for the joy your Spirit pours into our hearts, and for your love that redeems us and shows us the way. Amen.

So then, let the Advent Wreath be our symbolic reminder about our need to prepare, not only for the Lord's birth this Christmas, but to make our hearts truly ready to receive Him through repentance of our sin.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!