REFLECTION:

I always enjoy spending time with my newborn nephew. He’s only five months old, but he’s already a big boy — maybe it’s the Samoan blood. One thing about infants is that they let you know exactly what they want when they cry. I was with him this past Monday on Memorial Day, and he would cry whenever someone tried to put him down because he wanted to be carried or wanted to look around to see where everyone was. Other times he cried because he was sleepy or hungry. Babies may not know how to speak, but they know what they need.

In the same way, Saint Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:2: “Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk, so that through it you may grow into salvation.”

Peter invites us to look at our spiritual lives through the eyes of a newborn child. A baby naturally longs for milk because milk gives nourishment, strength, and life. Without it, the child cannot grow. Peter says our souls should have that same hunger for God.

The problem is that many of us have lost our spiritual appetite. We hunger for success, recognition, entertainment, money, comfort, or distractions, but we do not always hunger for what truly nourishes the soul. We try to feed our hearts with temporary things, yet still feel empty inside. Like a crying infant, sometimes our restlessness is really a sign that our souls are hungry for God.

The “pure spiritual milk” Peter speaks about is the nourishment that comes from Christ — prayer, Scripture, the Eucharist, the sacraments, and a life rooted in God. These are not simply religious obligations; they are what sustain us spiritually. Just as a baby weakens without milk, our faith weakens when we stop feeding ourselves spiritually.

What I also notice about my nephew is how completely he trusts the people caring for him. When he is hungry, tired, or wants comfort, he reaches outward. He depends on others. That is the kind of trust Peter invites us to have with God. Faith begins when we stop pretending we can do everything on our own and learn to depend on the Lord.

Peter does not just say to “take” spiritual milk; he says to “long for” it. Desire it. Crave it. Seek it. The saints became saints because they deeply desired God more than anything else.

Perhaps today we should ask ourselves: What am I truly hungry for? What am I feeding my soul with? Because whatever we hunger for most will shape the person we become.

May we become like newborn infants again — recognizing our need for God, trusting in His care, and longing for the pure spiritual milk that alone can nourish us and help us grow into salvation.