LIGHT AND SHADOW OF VIENNA

I am now in Vienna, Austria for already over a month. After having given my nuptial blessing to my parents who celebrated their ruby wedding anniversary, and after having baptized my brother’s daughter, Gwyneth, I also took time to visit and appreciate the Austrian scenery.

Vienna is a very impressive city steeped in tradition and style. Here the old and the new blend in a fascinating mixture. As one stands on the façade of St. Stephan’s Cathedral on the First District or walk on the gardens of the palace of Schonbrunn, one senses the remarkable artistry and fine architecture that once dominated this city that gave it its stature as one of the most important places in Europe. I have observed two remarkable things while I went around: its cleanliness and organization.

Wherever one goes, Austria is characterized by its beauty and cleanliness. Even its countryside is still untouched by pollution and contains the aura of freshness. I came during election period when different political organizations are vying for a post in Vienna’s parliament. Yet the city remains unscathed by irresponsible posters and ads of any political group. Furthermore, the city’s organization is admirable. Its buildings, roads and railways are well planned. Transportation is very convenient. One could buy a ticket that could be used for the bus, train, tram or the underground metro. The roads of the city are wide and well-lighted. Pedestrians and bicycle riders are prioritized because there is really a specific lane for them. There are no traffics in Vienna.

People live very comfortably. There are no poor in this country since there is a very strong government support for society’s needs. Though taxes are quite high, about 20% of one’s salary, yet people don’t mind because they enjoy them. Education and hospitalization are free. The government has a very good social service system. In fact those who bear children have two years maternity or paternity leave with government support for the child. Indeed, people here enjoy the good life.

However, Vienna is not heaven yet. There is another side of the city’s face. Here, people seem not to believe in God anymore. Religion is cold. Spirituality is lacking because perhaps people have everything they need. Even prayer is no longer a need and materialism is strong. When one enters the church for Sunday services, only the old people are present perhaps to atone for the sins of their youth. The young are far from the Church. Austria is characterized by a very liberated stance on sexuality. There is free love even for young people. Sex advertisement can be seen on TV. Sex shops are all over the city. Though Vienna has a population of 8.5 M, 2 M are senior citizens. Like all the other European cities, Vienna has a zero percent population growth. More people die than children being born.

I visited a bookstore once in the First District. A few meters away, I noticed several persons distributing pamphlets. I learned that they were members of the Human Life International praying and protesting to stop abortion in Austria. I saw a door leading to a building which is said to be the biggest abortion clinic in the country. In the last 10 years, it has aborted almost a million babies. Beside the door is a woman wearing an anti-abortion placard while she prays the rosary and holds a miniature image of an aborted baby. They have been fighting and struggling against this evil for the last 8 years. They have a little office around the corner which has a counseling room and a small chapel where at least 2 volunteers pray daily before the Blessed Sacrament. An icon of the Holy Family is prominently place in front as a reminder of the importance of the family.

What they do is very inspiring. Though they have little success, they keep the struggle every single day even during winter. They explained that the number of abortion has decreased. Before their advocacy, there were about 12-15 abortions everyday. Today, there are about 6-8 abortions per day. The clinic itself has suffered financially. It used to occupy 3 floors of the building. Now it is left with only one floor.

Austria may be a very cultural and artistic city but it has also a façade that is not so beautiful. In living the good life, some people forget the purpose and meaning of why we live. In their desire to enjoy the best of what life can give, some people forget the spiritual side of man that can never be extinguished. The thirst, though, continues to persist for only God can fully quench it.

Stop Over

I left the Philippines for a two-month family vacation. My destination: Vienna, Austria. With some relatives, I left on the early dawn of September 7, the eve of Mama Mary’s birthday via Qatar Airways. Before reaching our final destination, we had a 3-hour stop-over in Doha, host to the 15th Asian Games in December. Stopping-over has many reasons. I guess the main reason for doing this is for refueling. The destination is long way to go, so the plane needs to take stock.

As the plane touched down the runway of this semi desert city state, we were ushered into their modern international airport. While seated on the comfortable waiting room waiting for our next schedule of departure, I was mesmerized by the sight of the surrounding. I was impressed by the presence of different people in various costumes and nationalities. There were Arab men in their traditional garb, muslim women dressed in black with their faces covered by black burkha, Indian women in their sari, sexy European women, Japanese and Korean tourists, Filipino OFWs and a Buddhist monk in orange costume. It was really a parade of people coming and going. One thing struck me as I was observing them: these people I see in the airport, I will be meeting them just once in my entire lifetime.

The stop-over offered me a time to pause and reflect. Traveling is one of my fortunes in life. It is a terrific experience as one gets to know the world. I have traveled a lot of times in different parts of the world and I am headed once again to one of the most beautiful places in Europe. The last time I was in Vienna was in 2000 after the World Youth Day in Rome, Italy. All those times my life revolved around my mission, work and prayer. There was never a recess in the activities in school. Serving God and people was fulfilling but it was also draining and exhausting. My physical and spiritual energy was constantly sapped by the wear and tear of the ministry. I did not even have the time to think about my family because they are abroad. And as the saying goes: “out of sight, out of mind.”

With this family visit, I was filled with excitement on this return trip to the land of Mozart not so much because this year marks the 250th birth anniversary of this great Austrian composer. What filled me with deep emotion is the fact that I will be there to spend my holiday with my parents on the occasion of their Ruby Wedding anniversary. Forty years ago, my dad and mom made their vows to love each other in good times and bad times in a simple, rural rite at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Madridejos, Bantayan Island. From this union came five children (one died as a baby) and I being the 2nd to the eldest. My parents’ love for each other was tested time and time again. And like gold in the furnace, their love finally emerged purified and persevering. In a few years this love will turn into gold. Of all the people who come and go in my life, it is my family who will stay with me through thick and thin. They are the ones who will leave a lasting impression and the only ones who will stay while the rest are gone.

Another reason for my visit to Vienna is again a family matter. I will be baptizing my new born niece, Gwyneth Clarstin, daughter of my brother Glenn who is happily married to Gamai. Though they were married here in Cebu, they have moved to Vienna. I have only 3 “pag-umangkons” and Gwyneth is the only rose so far. For our family, this is a big event! We will be welcoming her as part of our family. But more than this, she will become a child of God. She will receive the Holy Spirit in her soul such that she will be the dwelling place of the Holy Trinity. It may seem like a passé. Yet this is a reality that touches our very being and changes our relationship with God forever.

If we consider our life as a journey, stop-over is a part of the trip. It is good to stop once in a while to check our purpose, our direction and level of our commitment. Refueling is a necessary option for the trip to reach its final destination. Stopping is also beneficial to make a reality check of who we have along the way. We may run the risk of traveling alone. So we take time out from our busy schedule to ensure that we stay connected to our family, our destiny and even to our God.

Introduction

I am a Salesian of Don Bosco. I was ordained a priest on 8 December 1997 by His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal at the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Cebu City. I am now in my 9th year in the priesthood.

I got the inspiration to be a priest since I was in the 6th grade because of one man: Pope John Paul II. His visit to the Philippines in February 1981 brought about in me an enthusiasm for the priesthood. Today, the enthusiasm has not waned. Despite the stained-image of the priest and the fragility of many priests, I still believe the priesthood is a very lofty calling. The priest becomes an ambassador of God to men. And as such, his vocation challenges him to be a man of God committed to bring people to Christ.

It is in answer to this challenge that I have tried to start this BLOG.

It is quite a discovery.. my friend Juper introduced me to this free blog and he showed me the way how to do it. I find it amusing. This thing has a big potential for us priests who are in the Ministry of the Word..

I would like to share thoughts and reflections that may be of help to anyone to make sense of what is happening to us and around us in this fast and crazy world. It is also for me to remind myself that life is both a gift and a responsibility. God will hold me accountable for everything I do. And if I could just be a little candle from which anyone can gain encouragement on every step in this journey called life, that is by itself a reward!