Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula stated that the Church is not just for the perfect but for all seeking the Lord, during the first night of Simbang Gabi at Manila Cathedral.
On Tuesday, December 16, Simbang Gabi began at Manila Cathedral where Cardinal Jose Advincula delivered his homily. He emphasized that the Church is open to everyone, including those who have been absent for a long time and decide to return. "You are warmly welcomed if you have been away from the church for a long time and choose to return today. You are wholeheartedly accepted and embraced," he said.
He further noted that if someone arrives with doubts, questions, or heart wounds, the Church offers a tight embrace. He declared that God's mercy should not be limited to a select few, as His house is open to anyone desiring to walk in His ways. "Excluding no one, forgetting no one, God willingly accepts anyone who desires to walk in His ways. This is also the message we heard in the Gospel," he explained.
He mentioned that people often shrink their worlds to protect space and comfort, but God's heart is never small and desires all to draw near to Him. "There are times when we make the world we move in smaller. We protect our space and comfort. But the heart of God is never small. God desires that everyone may come close to Him."
Simbang Gabi consists of nine dawn Masses from December 16 to 24 in anticipation of Christmas. According to the Archdiocese of Manila's advisory, morning Masses can start at 5:30 a.m., while the evening aguinaldo Mass begins at 6 p.m.