Bethlehem

Yesterday in Bethlehem, which is in the West Bank only five miles from Jerusalem, I was able to speak a little Arabic which I had learned in college 35 years ago. I was surprised the way it came back and I was able to show off to our group at the local restaurant which was a wonderful place under a tent.
Bethlehem is all about the Church of the Holy Nativity. I believe that Jesus was born where they built that church. Why?  Mary was alive after Jesus was gone. She would have pointed out this special place to others. The locals would not have forgotten that. I can picture believers venerating the place of birth in the earliest days of the church. When it came time to build a church in the town of Jesus' birth over 300 years later, finding that place of veneration for the building site would not have been difficult.
When I was in the grotto kneeling at the place of the manger all that I could pray were the words of the angel: "Hail Mary, full of grace." It's really true. Jesus was born of a woman, right here.