Questions · Simbang Gabi
Simbang Gabi reflection questions for the nine nights
Questions to talk over after Simbang Gabi, on the walk home or over bibingka and puto bumbong: gratitude early in the novena, faith in the middle, and waiting on the last nights before Christmas.
- 18 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
Name one small thing God might be asking you to do this week.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na bagay na baka pinapagawa sa'yo ni Lord this week.
Following God can start with something simple: a prayer, a message, an apology, a pause, or one quiet act of love.
Pwedeng magsimula sa simple yung pagsunod kay Lord: prayer, message, sorry, pause, o isang tahimik na act of love.
The questions
18 reflection questions for Simbang Gabi
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
Nights 1 to 3: gratitude
6 questions
Start by noticing what was good this year.
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Name one thank-you to God from this week.
Magbanggit ng isang thank-you kay Lord this week.
Back of the card
Gratitude can start small. A simple thank-you can help your heart notice grace that was already there.
Puwedeng maliit lang ang gratitude. Isang thank-you lang minsan, naaalala mong may grace na pala doon.
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Point to one blessing from this week that you almost overlooked.
Magbanggit ng isang blessing this week na halos hindi mo napansin.
Back of the card
Some blessings are quiet. Noticing them can help you look back on the week with more gratitude.
May blessings na tahimik lang. Kapag napansin mo sila, mas nagiging grateful ka habang binabalikan yung week.
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Share one prayer God answered, even in a small way.
Mag-share ng isang prayer na sinagot ni Lord, kahit sa maliit na way.
Back of the card
Small answered prayers are still worth remembering. They can help us notice God's care in moments we might have rushed past.
Worth remembering pa rin ang small answered prayers. Natutulungan tayo nitong mapansin yung care ni Lord sa moments na baka dinaanan lang natin.
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When did someone remind you of God's kindness recently?
Kailan may taong nagpaalala sa'yo ng kindness ni Lord recently?
Back of the card
God's kindness can reach us through people. Remembering those moments can make gratitude more concrete.
Puwedeng dumating ang kindness ni Lord through people. Kapag naalala mo yung moments na yun, mas nagiging concrete ang gratitude.
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Share one simple kindness someone showed you recently.
Mag-share ng simple kindness na pinakita sa'yo recently.
Back of the card
Small kindness can become a quiet picture of God's care. It does not need to be big to stay with you.
Yung simple kindness, puwedeng maging maliit na picture ng care ni Lord. Hindi kailangang grand para maalala mo.
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Tell us about someone whose faith encourages you to keep going.
Ikuwento yung isang tao na dahil sa faith niya, nae-encourage kang magpatuloy.
Back of the card
God can encourage us through the steady faith of other people. Naming it can turn quiet admiration into gratitude.
Minsan ginagamit ni Lord yung steady faith ng iba para ma-encourage tayo. Kapag nasabi natin yun, puwede itong maging gratitude.
Nights 4 to 6: faith in ordinary days
6 questions
Where God showed up in the plain parts of life.
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What helps you notice God's grace in everyday life?
Ano yung nakakatulong sa'yo mapansin yung grace ni God sa everyday life?
Back of the card
Grace can show up in quiet ways: enough strength for the day, an encouraging word, a small provision, or peace you did not expect.
Minsan simple lang dumating yung grace: sapat na lakas for the day, encouraging na salita, maliit na provision, o peace na hindi mo in-expect.
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Choose one word that describes your walk with God this week.
Pumili ng isang word na nagde-describe ng walk with God mo this week.
Back of the card
One word can start an honest check-in. It does not have to explain everything to help you notice what is true.
Isang word lang, puwede nang magsimula ng honest check-in. Hindi kailangang ma-explain lahat para mapansin mo kung ano yung totoo ngayon.
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Pick one everyday place where you want your faith to show up more.
Pumili ng isang everyday place kung saan gusto mong mas makita yung faith mo.
Back of the card
Faith grows in ordinary places too: commutes, class, work, home, errands, and group chats. God is not limited to church settings.
Lumalaki rin ang faith sa ordinary places: commute, class, work, bahay, errands, at group chats. Hindi limited si Lord sa church settings.
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Choose one relationship where you want to reflect Jesus more in how you treat them.
Pumili ng isang relationship kung saan gusto mong mas ma-reflect si Jesus sa pakikitungo mo sa kanila.
Back of the card
Following Jesus often becomes visible in one relationship at a time: patience, truth, kindness, repair, and steady love.
Madalas nakikita ang pagsunod kay Jesus one relationship at a time: patience, truth, kindness, repair, at steady love.
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Name one small thing God might be asking you to do this week.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na bagay na baka pinapagawa sa'yo ni Lord this week.
Back of the card
Following God can start with something simple: a prayer, a message, an apology, a pause, or one quiet act of love.
Pwedeng magsimula sa simple yung pagsunod kay Lord: prayer, message, sorry, pause, o isang tahimik na act of love.
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Tell us about a recent time serving felt joyful.
Kuwento ng recent time na masaya mag-serve.
Back of the card
Joy in serving is worth noticing. It can show where love is becoming more than duty.
Pansinin kapag may joy sa pag-serve. Minsan doon mo nakikita na yung love, hindi lang duty.
Nights 7 to 9: waiting and hope
6 questions
Advent is about waiting. So are these.
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Think of one part of your life where you're learning to trust God's timing.
Mag-isip ng isang part ng buhay mo kung saan natututo kang magtiwala sa timing ni Lord.
Back of the card
Waiting can feel slow, even when you are still moving. Patience grows as you keep choosing trust one day at a time.
Mabagal minsan ang waiting, kahit may ginagawa ka pa rin. Lumalago yung patience habang pinipili mong magtiwala one day at a time.
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Describe a season when God felt quiet but not absent.
I-describe yung season na tahimik si Lord, pero hindi absent.
Back of the card
Quiet seasons can be hard to name. Still, silence and absence are not always the same thing.
Mahirap pangalanan ang quiet seasons. Pero hindi laging pareho ang tahimik at wala.
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Finish this: In this season, God is teaching me to trust Him with...
Tapusin ito: Sa season na ito, tinuturuan ako ni Lord na magtiwala sa Kanya pagdating sa...
Back of the card
Trust often gets specific before it gets easier. Naming the area can turn vague faith into a real conversation with God.
Madalas nagiging specific muna yung trust bago siya gumaan. Kapag pinangalanan mo kung saan, nagiging mas real yung usapan with Lord.
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Name one truth you want your future self to remember about God.
Magbanggit ng truth about Lord na gusto mong maalala ng future self mo.
Back of the card
Some truths become anchors later. Naming one now can help you remember when the next season feels different.
May truths na nagiging anchor later. Kapag pinangalanan mo ngayon, mas may babalikan ka kapag iba na ang next season.
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Think of one small thing you can do to feel closer to God again.
Mag-isip ng isang maliit na bagay na puwede mong gawin para mas lumapit ulit kay Lord.
Back of the card
Coming back to God can begin small. A real step matters more than a dramatic promise.
Puwedeng magsimula sa maliit yung paglapit ulit kay Lord. Mas mahalaga yung real na step kaysa malaking promise na hindi mo kaya.
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Share a part of Scripture that has been comforting, even without fixing everything.
Mag-share ng part ng Scripture na nakaka-comfort, kahit hindi nito fina-fix lahat.
Back of the card
Comfort does not always remove the situation. Sometimes Scripture gives enough light for the next step.
Hindi laging inaalis ng comfort ang situation. Minsan ang Scripture, nagbibigay lang ng sapat na ilaw para sa next step.
How to use them
Before you ask
Simbang Gabi is nine early-morning or evening Masses before Christmas, and many people complete all nine as a promise or a prayer. The walk home and the merienda after are a natural time to talk about what the Mass stirred up.
Use two or three questions a night, from the set for that stretch of the novena. In a youth group or lifegroup, give everyone a turn on the first question, then open the rest to whoever wants to answer. Families can do one question each night over breakfast.
Keep it a conversation, not a test. Nobody has to have a spiritual answer, and anyone can pass.
Good for
Tips
- Pick the questions before Mass so nobody scrambles after.
- Let the leader answer first. It sets the tone and the length.
- Keep the group small, four to six people, so everyone gets a turn.
- End with a short prayer for whatever came up.
Decks for this
Simbang Gabi reflections
Frequently asked questions
What can we reflect on during Simbang Gabi?
Gratitude for the year, where you noticed God in ordinary days, and what you are waiting and hoping for. Moving through those themes over the nine nights mirrors Advent’s journey toward Christmas.
How do I lead a Simbang Gabi reflection with a youth group?
Choose two or three questions for the night, answer the first one yourself, and give everyone a turn before opening the floor. Keep it short and let anyone pass.
Are these questions available in Tagalog?
Yes. Every question has an English and a Filipino version on the same card, so each person can answer in the language they pray in.
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