Fr Axcel Soriano
ear Brother and Sisters in Christ, next week I will be flying to do a pilgrimage with my original Neocatechumenal community from the United States which I started this way of rediscovering my baptism many years ago. The Neocatechumenal way is a postbaptismal catechumenate in service to the universal Church to help people rediscover the richness of their baptism.
I belong to a community in London as well, since my formation as a priest in the seminary to this very day. But I will be doing this pilgrimage with my original community from the US, so you may notice my accent get stronger after I am back so I do apologise, jokes aside, this pilgrimage is done after many years of being formed in the Church our mother. Being nourished by this small community I can serve the Community of Communities, in this case the parish of Bishop’s Stortford, As you, like me, I also need a community, a group to help me grow in my faith. Like Jesus said to his disciples, put them in groups of fifty or a hundred and feed them. Mark 6:40. This for me is a place I can be received and respond to the Word of God that wants to become flesh in me. Give me life, I hope also one day this can be true in our parish in whatever way God wants it to be. There are glimpses already, but as I will be in this Holy Place I will ask the Lord for the graces we need to be humble and allow the Holy Spirit to work.
It is truly a grace again because it is my second time this year I get to go to this very special shrine. I went earlier this year with parishioners from Enfield. We did Assisi where St Francis was asked by the Lord to rebuild his Church, and in this Shrine of Our Lady, that is part of her own home brought from to the Holy Land to this place in Loreto by a noble family.
This place is a place of many miracles, but the most special one is where our Lady said to the Angel Gabriel, ‘Let it be done to me according to his word’. The place where St Joseph also protected our Lady and the Child. The home of a family. A woman named Mary, a Virgin who believed God can do the impossible, a man, a Carpenter who also believed that this Child would be someone special through a dream. He believed the Child who would bring salvation of the world and was called himself to protect Mary his spouse. And her foster son Jesus, our brother, our Saviour who calls us to follow Him.
The home is a family home, a home where the impossible is still done. I will bring all your prayers with me, that God can truly bless every family in our parish, especially those families in difficult situations, that he can truly do the impossible with those who are situations of sin, death, despair, of no hope. God wants to send them also an angel, with good news, the same good news I received, Fr Marco received and the one that is awaiting you. The Christ wants to give you his nature. He wants to raise you up and truly give us a fullness of life.
In that home Mary received the truth from an Angel. Here in our parish God wants us to also receive the Truth, Way, Life which is Jesus Christ, who calls us to follow him.
May be one day we will do a pilgrimage to Loreto or the Holy Land as a parish. In the meantime, pray for me as I will pray for all of you.
With all the blessings and prayers for the week ahead.
Fr Axcel
O God, who fulfilling the promise made to our Fathers,
chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to become the Mother of the Saviour,
grant that we may follow her example, for her humility was pleasing to You
and her obedience profitable to us.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You in unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
Amen