PATER NOSTER PILGRIMAGE

PATER NOSTER PILGRIMAGE
“Looking Back)

A Pilgrimage is supposed to be a journey to Holy Places and Shrines. That was in my mind when I joined the Pater Noster Pilgrimage one time.
We were scheduled to visit Greece, particularly its capital, Athens; Israel, where the Holy Land was to be found; Turkey (Istanbul and Izmir specially); and Italy (Rome, Turin, Florence, Asisi).

Indeed it was a visit to Holy Shrines and Places but that was only one aspect of it. There were also the other equally important even if only incidental factors to consider, like the political, historical, social and the spiritual as well as the more talk-about shopping escapades.

It took political will to keep those shrines , landmarks and ruins intact. Such political will was felt strongly in all t he places that we visited. Discipline was evident everywhere. I just pitied my own country, the Philippines.

One reason tourism was thriving very well in those countries was strong political will or how else could they keep those streets and highways well maintained, garbage well attended and water supply uninterrupted even at the highest mountaintops? How else could they secure so well all those valuable places if not for political will?

Historically it was the blessed luck of those countries that they were civilized early in time. But which country had no history? Which country had no Holy Places and Shrines?

Socially and culturally each country could brag something of its own heritage and this differs from place to place. It would just be a matter of putting things in order.

There is no such thing as genuine pilgrimage done only to visit Holy Places, for a pilgrimage is also a learning experience. We all learned that the holier the place, like in the Holy Land, the more confusing it became and the more troubles it generated.

There were places claimed by the Islams (The Goldlen Mosque); by the Jews (The Wailing Wall) or by the Christians (The Sepulchre Church); sometimes by them all like the Kidron Valley. As a result there were misunderstandings, confusions, riots and even wars.

Yet, even spiritually a pilgrimage could be misleading if one’s spiritual background was not strongly rooted. For this reason I thought that a pilgrimage was not for the young minds.

There were for instance two graves attributed to the Virgin Mary, one in Jerusalem and the other one in Turkey. Two homes were she supposedly grew old, the Dominican Abby in Mt. Zion and the Meryem Ana Avi in Ephesus plus the controversies about her assumption.

Not surprisingly, the shopping escapades eventually gained more grounds. It was the most real, the most genuine, the one experience that one could easily appreciate by just paying the right price.

Naturally there were more sharing about items bought or about stores where they acquired them. Those souvenir items would be part of themselves that they could carry around wherever they would like to go. And those souvenirs would remind one and sundry about their pilgrimage. Through their souvenirs they could always easily share themselves with others.

In Greece everything looked Greek and sounded Greek to me in the beginning until I soon realized that I was in Greece. From far away every person was extremely good-looking reminding me of the gods and goddesses of the Greek Mythology.

Looking closer, however, revealed parrot-nosed men and women with dangling breasts. Most of the old folks looked like witches but were all very kind and nice.

Greece, especially Athens, its capital was a good place to visit. Its Acropolis, ancient temples, amphitheaters and other ruins of the ancient civilization were historical places to behold. They brought me back in time to the periods of our ancestors.

Israel was another experience. The country was so particular about its security. From the airport to anywhere we went was surrounded by young energetic men and women securing the place. Most of them were under training not enjoying their job.

Israel must be the holiest place historically. It was where Jesus of the Christians was born, lived, preached, suffered, crucified, died, buried, resurrected and ascended to heaven. It is also where Mohammed of the Islam talked to God, also ascended to heaven and promised to return. It was where the obviously “weird” practices of the ultra-orthodox Jews, started.

But Israel, the supposed promise land was also the land of conflict and bloodshed due to seemingly endless wars. People were not at peace with themselves.
Even religious Shrines were under the care of different religious groups, and this was ironical in a place that God had chosen.

Beautiful and magnificent churches marked Holy spots sometimes confusingly by several generations of invaders and different groups of caretakers. Furthermore, all those Holy landmarks were surrounded by souvenir shops and noisy peddlers echoing their voices among difficult to solemnize prayer of the pilgrims.

Turkey, to me was a revelation. Most of the antiquities were well preserved. Their ruins were mostly undisturbed thus giving out genuine vibrations of reality. One could almost feel the presence of the people that lived there or smell the s cent of the food they were eating.

The Palaces and the treasures, the Churches and the Mosques were all too great just like the Acropolis and the Aesklepion, just to mention a few. It was in Istanbul where I saw and met coffee vendors and shoe-shine boys in beautiful and seemingly ancient costumes. Even the shoe stand looked like a golden throne.

Italy was easily the most romantic. From Rome to Florence to Turin even while passing through hundred mountain tunnels one could absorb romantic waves and rhythm of love.

No wonder Italy was full of people, of million faces, of flowers and songs and warm embraces.

From the tiny droplets of the Coin Fountain to the detailed paintings of Michelangelo in Rome; from the ancient castles and medieval villages to the gentle flow of the river Po down Parco Valentino in Turin, love emanates shiningly. No doubt one would see lovers romancing everywhere: along the streets, inside the bus, in the restaurant, in front of churches, at parking areas, in the dark or under the light…just anywhere; while walking, while sitting, while standing, eating, bathing, dancing and possibly even while praying.

But Rome, in spite of the Arab pickpockets and the Gypsy snatchers was also where the Pope was and an audience with the Pope was a most romantic encounter. With all those pilgrims coming from all corners of the world, all bringing love and expressing it in hundred different ways, the Vicar of Christ must be romantically overwhelmed.

We were there during the time of Pope John Paul II. Our small group, fourteen only left, expressed our love by shouting at the top of our voices: “John Paul two, we love you, John Paul two, we love you…Philippines! At the same time each of us was waving a tiny Filipino flag. I saw the Pope looked at us for a short while but that short while was full of heavenly bliss that culminated our Holy Pilgrimage.