|
Infant Jesus of Prague
Feast day : 14 January
“The more you honor me, the more I will bless you.” Infant Jesus to Rev. Fr. Cyril
Today is the feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague. The devotion to Infant Jesus of Prague can be dated back to the 16th century and honors the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague holding in His left hand a miniature globe topped by a cross, representing His kingship over the world and His right hand raised in blessing, with two fingers bent to reflect Christ’s divine and human nature, and the other three fingers raised to symbolize the unity of the Holy Trinity.
This small statue is believed to have come from a monastery in Bohemia. It was obtained by Dona Isabella Manrique who gave it as a wedding gift to her daughter Marie Manrique who married a noble of the Czech kingdom. The Holy Infant statue was later gifted to her daughter Lady Polyxena as a wedding gift in 1587. The novena to the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague can be prayed here
Lady Polyxena inturn gifted the statue to the Carmelites at the Church of the Virgin Mary the Victorious saying “I am giving you what I most esteem of my possessions. Keep the sculpture in reference and you will be well off”.
Shortly after in 1628, the Saxons and the Swedes took turns to invade Prague and the Carmelites had to flee their monastery. In 1938 the statue was discovered amongst the ruins of the Church by Fr. Cyril. The hands of the statue were damaged but Fr. Cyril placed it in the oratory and prayed to it. One day whilst praying to the Holy Infant Jesus, he heard the Infant Jesus say, “Have pity on Me and I will have pity on you. Give me My hands and I will give you peace. The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you.”
Short of funds to repair the statue, Fr. Cyril began to pray earnestly to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Again he heard the Holy Infant say “Place me near the entrance of the sacristy and you will receive aid” . Fr. Cyril did as he was told to and in a few days he received the help to repair the statue. Soon a number of miracles were reported on praying to the Holy Infant.
In 1641 a altar was built for the Infant Jesus and in 1644 a chapel was built and completed in 1654. The veneration of the statue drew many supplicants to the small Carmelite Chapel and, in 1741, the statue was relocated to the larger Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague and is a pilgrimage site today, drawing pilgrims from around the world.