O come, Emmanuel! Christmas and the devotion to the Infant Jesus

The birth of God as an infant in the poor manger of Bethlehem is the greatest expression of humility. He came to the world in the silence of the night and in simplicity, to bring peace, joy, love and salvation to the fallen mankind. 

Although Christ is celebrated as an infant in a special way during Christmas, the devotion to the Child Jesus has extended beyond the Christmas season. 

Many saints held a deep devotion to the Divine Child, especially Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (also known as Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face), Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint Faustina Kowalska. 

Among many practices of venerating the infancy of Christ is the devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague. The original statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague is preserved in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, in the Carmelite church of Our Lady of Victory. 

The Infant holds a globe in his left hand with a cross on it, signifying his kingship over the world, while his right hand is lifted in blessing. 

An old legend says that the statue was crafted by a pious friar who received a vision of the Infant, although the exact year when the statue was created is not precisely known. The statue is said to have originally belonged to Saint Teresa of Avila, a Spanish Carmelite nun and a doctor of the Church, who offered it as a wedding gift to the royal family of Marie Manrique de Lara y Mendoza (1538-1608), a Spanish noblewoman. After marrying Vratislav Pernstyn, a Czech nobleman, Maria brought the statue from Spain to the Czech Republic in 1555.

In 1587, the statue was inherited as a wedding gift by her daughter Polyxena Lobkovicz, who then donated it in 1629 to the Carmelite Monastery in Prague and the adjoining Church of Our Lady of Victories. The statute of the Infant has been venerated since then for its miraculous healing powers. 

During the 30-year War, the Carmelites fled the monastery, while the statue was forgotten in a storage area behind the altar. It was discovered with hands broken off by a priest, Father Cyril. The tradition says that he heard the Infant speak to him, “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.” These words became the key prayer of the devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague. 

The devotion has since spread around the world, especially in Spanish-speaking countries. Thanks to missionaries and European immigrants, the devotion reached India, China, the Philippines, South and North America, including Oklahoma, where the National Shrine to the Infant Jesus of Prague was formally established in 1949 in the town of Prague. 

It has served thousands of pilgrims as a place of worship, silence, meditation and spiritual discovery of Christ and his teachings.

Jacqulyn Dudasko from Saint Teresa Catholic Church in Okemah has been a frequent visitor to the shrine on her work commutes. She explained the strength and power flowing from the devotion to the Infant Jesus in her life of faith. 

“The Infant Jesus of Prague is a beautiful reminder of the humility of Christ coming to us as a child and calling us through his humble life to child-like love, a love that knows no bounds,” Dudasko said. “We can approach the Infant Jesus having no fears, just trust and faith.”

Miceala Tinaco from Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Redemptorist) Church in Kansas City, Mo., has been cultivating a devotion to the Infant Jesus and making pilgrimage to the shrine for many years, to ask the Infant Jesus for his help and blessings. 

“Christmas is the culmination of our celebrations of Christ as an infant. During this time, we always ask the Infant Jesus to bless and protect our family so that we can gather next year and celebrate Christmas all together again,” Tinaco said.

She also shared the importance of the devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague in her hospital ministry. Passing on holy cards with the Infant Jesus to hospitalized patients, she places them right in front of their eyes. 

“I want them to see the Infant Jesus first thing when they wake up after surgery or recovery from their sickness,” Tinaco said. 

Maria Dolores from Saint James the Greater Church Catholic in Oklahoma City has been visiting the shrine with her family for more than five years to attend Mass almost every Sunday. 

“My husband Elias received a grace of conversion from the Infant Jesus during consecration at Mass in 2018. After that we got married here also. There was no other place we could imagine getting married but at the feet of the Infant Jesus,” Dolores said.

She described the relevance and meaning of this devotion in her family life, “We always feel peace and presence of God here. The devotion to the Infant Jesus strengthens our faith and we experience his love in our family and daily life,” Dolores said.

Jad Ziolkowska is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.

Photo Jad Ziolkowska/Sooner Catholic.