The Miraculous Image of the Infant Jesus of Prague
"The more you honour me, the more I will bless you."
Devotion to the Infant of Prague is devotion to the Child Jesus, it is veneration of the Son of God, who in the form of an Infant, chose a stable for a birth place, a manger for a cradle, and shepherds for worshippers. Our Saviour grants special graces to all who�s venerate His sacred infancy. It helps us to keep mindful of the great mystery of Jesus� birth and infancy. Many graces have been received by those who�s invoke the Divine Child before the original Statue that it has been called �The Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague�. All who approach the miraculous Statue and pray there with confidence� receive assistance in danger, consolation in sorrows, aid in poverty, comforts in anxiety, light in spiritual darkness, streams of grace in dryness of soul, health in sickness and hope in despair.
The statue of the Infant of Prague represents Jesus at his infant years and it stands at height of 47 cm / 19 inch (45 cm figure on a 2 cm base). The Child is dressed in a long, simple, flowing robe which leaves parts of His feet visible. His face is framed by curly, medium-length hair. The core of the statue is carved wood that was most likely covered with linen. The actual surface of the statue is very fragile as it was modelled in coloured wax.
The right hand of the child is raised in blessing, the first two fingers are upraised to symbolize the two natures in Christ, while the folded thumb and last two fingers touch each other to represent the mystery of the Holy Trinity, while his left hand holds a globe sphere surmounted by a cross, signifying the worldwide kingship of Christ, the whole of our universe rests in his hands.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Teresa of Avila are among the saints notable for their strong devotion to the Divine Child. The Infant Jesus known as the patron for children, colleges, family life, foreign missions, freedom, good finances, health, peace, schools, travellers, universities, vocations.
The Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague is celebrated on the first Sunday of May.
Prayer to the Infant Jesus of Prague
O Infant Jesus,
I form the belief
that I shall be granted forgivenessof sins
and place it into the hands
of Your most Holy Mother Mary;
I commend myself to all
and every Holy Mass that is celebrated this day
and all over the globe,
and I offer all this on behalf
of the poor souls of purgatory.
Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
for Graces Received from the Infant Jesus
I prostrate myself before Thy holy image,
O most gracious Infant Jesus,
to offer my most fervent thanks
for the blessings Thou hast bestowed on me.
I shall incessantly praise Thy ineffable mercy
and confess that Thou alone
are my God, my helper, and my protector.
Henceforth my entire confidence
shall be placed in Thee!
Everywhere I will proclaim aloud
Thy mercy and generosity,
so that Thy great love and the great deeds
which Thou perform through this miraculous image
may be acknowledged by all.
May devotion to Thy holy infancy
increase more and more
in the hearts of all Christians,
and may all who experience
Thy assistance persevere with me
in showing unceasing gratitude
to Thy most holy infancy,
to which be praise and glory forever.
Amen.
History of the Infant Jesus of Prague
Originally, the Infant Jesus of Prague devotion came from Spain, based on the tradition, Infant Jesus statue was made as in was seen in miraculous apparition by monk to whom Infant Jesus appeared. Some say that the statue belonged to St. Teresa of Avila, the founder of the Discalced Carmelites, who was aflame with a great love for the Child Jesus.
When the Duchess Maria Manrique de Lara came to Bohemia to marry a Bohemian nobleman in 1556, she received the statue from her mother as a wedding gift. When her daughter Polyxena of Lobkowicz was widowed, she gave the precious statue (saying: �I give you what I prizes most highly in the world; honor and respect the child Jesus and you shall never be in want.�) to the monastery of the Discalced Carmelites attached to the church of Our Lady of Victory in 1628.
The Carmelites placed the statue in the novitiate chapel, so that the young monks could learn from the virtues of the Child Jesus. At that time the Thirty Years� War was raging through Europe and even Infant Jesus was not spared when the Saxon army occupied Prague in 1631. It was only after his return to Prague in 1637 that Father Cyrillus f the Mother of God, originally from Luxemburg, discovered the statue, abandoned in a corner. To his sorrow, however, he found that Infant Jesus had had both hands broken off. At this moment it seemed to him that Infant Jesus was saying to him:
Have mercy on me and I will have mercy on you.
Give me hands and I will give you peace.
The more you honour me, the more I will bless you.
Eventually Father Cyrillus ad new hands made for Infant Jesus. The gold coin invested in this was returned many times over, as the Child Jesus began to bless the monastery, the local people, and the whole of Prague. Miraculous healing were attributed to him, as was the protection of Prague when it was laid siege to by the Swedes in 1639. In 1651 the statue was carried as a pilgrim round all the churches in Prague and in 1655 it was solemnly crowned by the Bishop of Prague.
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Prayer of Father Cyrillus
O Infant Jesus, I run to You,
begging You through Your Holy Mother
to save me in this need
(mention your petition here),
for I truly and firmly believe
that Your Divinity can defend me.
Full of trust I hope in You
to obtain Your holy grace.
I love You with all my heart,
I am painfully sorry for my sins
and on my knees I beg You,
o Little Jesus, to free me from them.
My resolution is to improve
and never more to offend You.
Therefore, I offer myself to You,
ready to suffer everything for You
and to serve You faithfully.
I will love my neighbour as myself
from my heart for the love of You.
O Little Jesus, I adore You,
O Mighty Child, I implore You,
save me in this need
(you can mention it here),
that I may enjoy You eternally,
with Mary and Joseph see You
and with all the angels adore You.
Amen.
Novena in Urgent Need to the Infant Jesus of Prague
Jesus, You said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I knock, I seek. I ask that my prayer be granted (mention your request).Jesus, You said, "All that you ask of the Father in My name, He will grant to you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask Your Father in Your name that my prayer be granted (mention your request).
Jesus, You said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted (mention your request).
* To be said for nine consecutive hours or for nine days.
Remember also what our Lord said in the Gospel of Matthew 18:3;
�Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven�.
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Prayer to the Divine Child Jesus In Difficult Times
Divine Child Jesus,
In my difficulties: help me
From the enemies of my soul: save me
In my errors: enlighten me
In my doubts and pains: comfort me
In my solitudes: be with me
In my diseases: invigorate me
When others despise me: encourage me
In temptations: defend me
In difficult hours: strengthen me
With your maternal heart: love me
With your immense power: protect me
And, into your arms, when I die: receive me
Amen.
