Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto - Advocate of Mothers and Soon to be Mothers
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| Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto |
Although technology is very helpful to achieved these means, majority would often also seek Divine help for they knew that Our Lord and Our Lady will help them. This is where the devotion to Nuestra Señora de La Leche y Buen Parto comes in and in recent years, miracles through her intercession were reported , especially for mother and the expectant ones.
For this blogpost, we are going to explore on how the devotion came to be, how it became popular and its significance in our times.
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| Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto of Our Lady of La Leche Movement in Harrison Plaza Chapel, Manila |
The image of Nuestra Señora de la Leche and Buen Parto is an image of the seated Blessed Virgin Mary breastfeeding the Child Jesus that she is holding. Some images of the Virgin under this title sports a crown to give emphasis of her role the Queen-Mother of the infant Christ the King. Although there were variations on the color of her dress to some images, majority would depict her wearing red and blue dress and cloak.
If we examine closely to the image, the image also depicts a moment in time where the Blessed Virgin looks tenderly to her Son as she breastfeeds Him while the infant Jesus relaxes and having his intimate moment with His mother and also gives us an image of a vulnerable infant who would need his mother's attention which would also teaches us his great humility that the Son of God entered the World a a vulnerable and weak child in order to Redeem the human race.
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| The Milk Grotto in Bethlehem |
The devotion to the Virgin of the Milk began during the early years of Christianity. Pilgrims would visit a hallowed chapel known as the "Milk Grotto", short distance south of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. According to Sacred tradition, while Mary and Joseph were fleeing Herod’s soldiers on their way to Egypt, they stopped in this cave while Mary nursed the baby Jesus. A drop of Mary’s milk fell upon the stone and it turned white. The white stone was venerated by pilgrims, especially by mothers and women who are trying to conceive. Pieces of this stone are being pulvurized and will be mixed with their food or drinks and praying to Our Lady of the Milk, they believe it will increase the quantity of their milk or enable them to become pregnant. Rows of framed letters and baby pictures sent from around the world to the Milk Grotto testify to the effectiveness of the “milk powder” and prayer.
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| The Lactation of St. Bernard of Calirveaux |
The devotion to the Virgin of the Milk would be known during the Middle Ages through a Cisterian monk and Doctor of the Church St. Bernard of Clairveaux where he wrote an account of one of the visits of the Blessed Virgin Mary mystically provided him her breastmilk while in prayer. The devotion would later spread throughout the world and it became popular in Europe that different statues and paintings became widespread throughout Christendom and some of them became known under different titles.
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| Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto in Florisa USA based from the original Spanish image that was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War |
More than twenty years later, the early Spanish settlers brought a replica to the United States and enshrined it at the Mission of Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine, Florida, USA. It was the first shrine ever to be dedicated to the Blessed Mother in the United States and was established on the very spot where the first parish Mass was offered 55 years earlier. The original chapel, built around 1615, was destroyed by gunfire during the colonial days and later, by a hurricane. The present chapel now houses a replica of the original statue that was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War of March 13, 1936.
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| Nuestra Señora de Biglang Awa of Pulilan, Bulacan |
In the Philippines, there were scant accounts whether the devotion to Nuestra Señora de La Leche ever reached the shores given the popularity it has in Spain, yet it is interesting to note that an image of the breastfeeding mother already existed which is currently venerated in Pulilan, Bulacan as Nuestra Señora de Biglang Awa".
Although devotion to the Virgin of the Milk hardly existed in the colony, Mothers would flock some notable Marian shrines to seek help on having children and its safe delivery, most specifically to Nuestra Señora de los Remedios of Malate, Manila, Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso of Parañaque, Nuestra Señora de la O of Pangil, Laguna and those of Nuestra Señora de la Salud and Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario - La Naval de Manila of Old Intramuros. The most famous of all was that of Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Salambao of Obando, Bulacan and its famed fertility dance is the go to site for women who wanted to have children.
It would take centuries until a venerated image of the breastfeeding Virgin Mother that would be known as "Maria, Ina ng Diyos" in her parish in Bayanan, Muntinlupa City and the Our Lady of La Leche Movement will be established to fully propagate this devotion.
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| Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto of Ticzon-Gonzales family that inspired the formation of Our Lady of La Leche Movement |
A rare and beautiful antique statue of our Blessed Mother was bequeathed by the late Ramon R. Ticzon, to one of his nieces, Remedios Ticzon-Gonzales when he passed away in 1999. The Blessed Mother is shown in an unusual manner- seated on the floor and lovingly breast-feeding the Infant Jesus. At first, Baby (as she was known by her family and friends) had to ask herself, what is this image of the nursing Blessed Virgin Mary called since no one from her family, friends, even to the reliogious knew about the title of this unique image. She was able to find her answers when browsed the internet and found the identity of the image as Nuestra Señora de La Leche y Buen Parto (Our Lady of the Milk and Good Childbirth) and gathered as much information as possible about this unique image and title.
The beauty and the significance of the image inspired Ms. Gonzales to propagate the devotion to Our Lady of La Leche in the country. Baby decided to ask her parish priest, Rev. Fr. Nick Blanquisco of the Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Mandaluyong City about the possibility of propagating the devotiion to Our Lady of the Milk. With the assistance of Fr. Blanquisco, she was able to obtain permission, on May 8, 2000, from the late Archbishop +Jaime Cardinal Sin of the Archdiocese of Manila, through the then Vicar General, now Bishop Socrates Villegas, to promote the devotion and the ecclesiastical approval was granted to print the novena prayers.
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| Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto that are being distributed by the movement |
Initially, the members of the Our Lady of La Leche Movement conducted the Saturday novena at the parish church. Eventually, they embarked on an outreach program bringing the pilgrim image of our Lady to hospitals, maternity clinics, homes for unwed mothers and even to private homes in Metro Manila, upon request.
Novena pamphlets, estampitas, posters, calendars and statuettes of our Lady that the members of the Movement distributed, greatly helped to promote the devotion. The movement also distribute maternity needs to the less fortunate mothers who can't afford them along with the propagation of the devotion.
The devotion at present
The feast of Our Lady of La Leche is celebrated every October 11, the traditional feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Women from all walks of life implored the aid of the Virgin of the Milk to seek her help from having a child to its safe carriage and delivery. Whatever the reason, countless families give witness to the reality that when they prayed, what they were told was impossible, becomes possible, “for nothing is impossible, with God.” Why do Mary’s prayers facilitate such a grace for couples, especially mothers? Perhaps Mary’s life provides the answer. She knew what was it like to be mother for she herself is the Mother of the Redeemer and she understood the concerns that her devotees needs and she is always there to help.
As we conclude this blogpost dedicated to Our Lady of La Leche, here is the prayer to her that can be prayed by mothers, expectant ones and even for all the faithful to see her maternal help.
Lovely Lady of La Leche, most loving Mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our Mother, please listen to ourhumble prayer. Your heart knows our every wish, our every need. We trust, dear Mother, that you will shelter us beneath your protecting mantle, like what you did to your Son. Intercede to Him that we may have the courage and the strength to overcome whatever difficulty surrounds us. Give us the grace to be faithful to you always and may you be our shining inspiration now and forever.
Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto, pray for us!
References:
"All About Our Lady of La Leche", Retrieved from http://our.lady.of.la.leche.tripod.com/about.htm on August 16, 2019.
Darang, Josephine, "A Purely Personal book of Miracles: A Collection of Columns published by Philippine Daily Inquirer", Sound Publishing Corporation, Makati City., 2006.
Holweck, Frederick. "Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.
"Milk Grotto church", Retrieved from https://www.seetheholyland.net/milk-grotto/Milk on August 17, 2019.
Credits to the owners of the photographs utilized to this blogpost.
+AM+DG+
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