The Milk Grotto

Today, our little pilgrim community celebrated Mass at the "Milk Grotto."  Traditionally held to be the first place the Holy Family went after the birth of Christ, the grotto and church are mere meters from the hustle and bustle of Nativity Square.  Going down a few winding streets, we found ourselves outside an unassuming complex containing the site many believe to be the place that Our Lord spent the first few weeks or months of His earthly life (depending on who you ask).  

Why the "Milk" Grotto?  Legend has it that as Mary was feeding the Child some drops of her milk fell on the stones, miraculously turning them white.  The quality of the stones certainly gives a little credence to the story: they are the purest white I've seen other than high-quality marble.  As we were celebrating the Sacred Liturgy, I was struck by the humanness of the situation.  There are few things more beautiful in this life, or more human, than the relationship between a baby and new mother.  The tenderness and care that the mother shows her child, and the dependency of the child on his or her mother are enough to melt even the hardest heart.  It was these thoughts and reflections that I'd like to share with you all who are thinking about us and praying for us on this pilgrimage journey.  To see the Child and His Mother in this light is important for us, because it allows us all to relate to Christ in a way that really goes to the heart of what it means to say "et Verbum caro factum est," and the Word was made flesh.  The Baby Jesus went through much the same that all babies do, and Mary probably went through what many mothers do, like the doubts about readiness to be a mother.  This is perhaps what was most striking about the Milk Grotto: Mary and Jesus were human, too!  Jesus was like us in all things but sin, including (presumably) the discomforts of being a baby. 

I'd especially like at this juncture to thank the mothers of my classmates, and my own mother.  I think sometimes we don't vocalize our appreciation for all that you've given and sacrificed over the course of our lives.  I also wonder if we stop to contemplate the impact of our decision to pursue ordained ministry has on you, our mothers.  Thank you for all you have done and continue to do, and God bless you all.  Know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers each and every day, and that we are abundantly grateful for your presence in all our lives.