The Church, Got Pure Spiritual Milk from Christ to Grow into Salvation?

Got milk? I mean, pure spiritual milk.

The First Reading of Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)(1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12) describes our post-Pentecost craving for “pure spiritual milk”.

Are you craving what Peter calls “pure spiritual milk”(1Peter 2:2)?

If so, you must have been “born from the above”(John 3:3), to have been born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:6-7). It means that you must have been baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11) on Pentecost, as Christ the Son, came from heaven (John 6:38), incarnated (John 1:14), in the human flesh of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:31-33, 35), suffered, died, resurrected (e.g. John 18:1-21:14), and ascended (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-12)(i.e. John 16:7).

For you to crave “pure spiritual milk” (1 Peter 2:2), you must have gotten rid of vices (1 Peter 2:1). It means to live in freedom from carnally-driven vices but to bear abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:13-26). You must have eliminated leavens of vices by the time of Christ’s Paschal sacrifice throughout Lententide (i.e. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Now, what does Peter possibly mean by “pure spiritual milk”?

It means the Word of God out of the mouth of Jesus (i.e. 1 Peter 1:23). Indeed, his words are the spirit of life (i.e. John 6:63).

Having gone through Lenten purification for the incarnated Christ’s Paschal sacrifice for Pesak (Passover) and having observed feast of Chag HaMatztot (Unleavened Bread) and Yom HaBikkurim (Counting of the Sheaf), and Shavuot (Pentecost)(Leviticus 23:4-22), you must have been made clean and therefore crave “pure spiritual milk” (1 Peter 2:2), the spiritual drink for life, the Word from Jesus (John 6:63; 1 Peter 1:23).

You are now in the new land where milk and honey flow (cf. Exodus 3:7). It is the “pure spiritual milk” that flows from Christ the living stone, rejected by humans but chosen and precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 2:4), the cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6; Psalm 118:22), on which you build yourself into holy priesthood, together with brothers and sisters, so that one holy catholic apostolic Church is established on this living stone, the Christ (1 Peter 2:5)!

Namely, craving “pure spiritual milk”(1 Peter 2:2) means being hungry for words spoken out of Christ’s mouth and being thirsty for the Holy Spirit (i.e. John 6:63), to grown into salvation as the Church. And taste and see the goodness of the Lord in the “pure spiritual milk”(1 Peter 2:2-3; cf. Psalm 34:8).

The Gospel Reading (Mark 10:46-52) describes how Bartimaeus, a man born blind in Jericho, craved the goodness of the Lord and tasted it through healing of his eyes to see.

Perhaps, tasting the Lord’s goodness in the “pure spiritual milk” through the words of Jesus and the Holy Spirit can transform you as Bartimaeus was, as you continue to grow into salvation. And our one holy catholic apostolic Church continues to be nourished and grow through "pure spiritual milk" flow from Christ the living stone. 

Again, got milk, “pure spiritual milk”, that is, to remain saved?