THE HISTORY AND SPIRITUALITY OF INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE

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THE HISTORY AND SPIRITUALITY
OF INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE

Devotion to the Infant Jesus

The childhood of Jesus is an active devotion in the Catholic church for nearly a thousand years. Christians always longed to show their deep reverence to the incarnate God, Jesus Christ. This veneration was stimulated aside from the Gospel also by apocryphal writings like f. i. James's and Thomas's pseudo gospels. The Child Jesus was adored by Church Fathers like St. Athanasius or St. Jerome. Other great worshipers of the Childhood Jesus's are St. Bernard of Chlairvaux, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anthony of Padua. During the Baroque space it was first of all St. Teresa of Avila, who always traveled with her sculpture of the Infant Jesus during founding new convents. In Spain this cult had great devotion.

Individual depictions of the Child Jesus had their beginning in the 14th century. The oldest sculpture can be found in Germany where representative image had started in the visionary environment of women's convents. Usually the Child Jesus is holding in his hands various objects. With the right he mostly blesse, in the left hand he either holds a bird, an apple, a book, a cross or bunch of grapes, which is a reference to the Eucharisty. (J 15,1-11) In the middle Ages the sculptures were made of wood, where as in the baroque period they are of different materials like wax, ivory, bronze and others. In the baroque workshops, it became a habit to dress the statues.

The Infant Jesus of Prague

The cult of the Childhood Jesus's linked to the Baroque period. In it the Child Jesus plays the main part. Its history starts in Spain. It is the work of an unknown artist. It is believed that it comes from a convent between Cordoba and Seville and is a copy of a venerated wooden sculpture. There Dona Isabela Manrique de Lara a Mendoza obtained it. The sculpture then traveled as a wedding gift to her daughter Maria Manrique de Lara. She married a prominent Czech Nobleman Vojtech of Pernstejn. Again as a wedding gift to her daughter Polyxena who married Vilem of Rozumberk. She took the sculpture with her to her second mariage with Zdenek Vojtech of Lobkowicz. After his death, she donated the statue of the Child Jesus to the monastery of the Teresian Carmelites near the church of Virgin Mary Victorious in Prague Mala Strana. There it was placed first in the chapel, where it was venerated mainly by the novices.

In the year 1631 the Saxons invaded Prague and the plundering did not bypass the monastery. The sculpture of the Child Jesus was thrown out with the waste behind the High Altar. Here Father Cyril a Matre Dei found it when he returned to the abandoned church in Mala Strana from München. The sculpture was damaged. After many attempts in vain, Father Cyril was happy to get some money from a Prague citizen for repairing the broken arms. The Infant Jesus thus became again the object of worship and a number of miracles were linked to the statue and also the protection of Prague from the Swedes.

The family Martinic greatly worshiped the Infant Jesus. In 1651, under their leadership the sculpture was taken in procession from the church of Our Lady Victorious to all the churches in Prague. At this festivity it received the title Gratious. In 1655 the bishop of Prague crowned the Infant Jesus with a crown, that was ordered by Bernard Ignac of Martinic. In memory of this coronation a festive Mass is celebrated on the feast of the Ascention every year.

At first the Infant Jesus was placed in the chapel of the Holy Rood. In 1741 because of the great number of pilgrims, it was transfered to the side altar of St. Joachim and St. Anne, opposite the miraculous picture of the Virgin Mary of Mantua. The Altar in its construction shows two lines. The vertical line goes from the Holy Ghoste via God the Father to the Child Jesus. The other - horizontal line passes from the Virgin Mary over the Child Jesus to St. Joseph. These represent the two levels of the human and the divine family. At that time small silver pieces like links were placed around as signs of thanksgiving. This peaceful time did not last long. After the death of the Empress Mary Theresa, her son Joseph II. followed her on the throne in Austria. He abolished the Carmelite monastery on July 3rd 1784. The church became a parish, that was administred by the Maltese Knights.

In the 19th century the fame of the miraculous Infant Jesus spread to the Spanish speaking countries of South America and Italy. And not only there! In some monastries they used a special liturgical prayer to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Many far away Asiatic countries are thanking the Infant Jesus for miracles, like the Philippines, China or Vietnam.

About the statue self

The wax figure is 47 cm High. It is protected from damage by a silver casing, that reaches to the waist. The sculpture has probably a wooden core covered with material, that can be seen through the wax. The Infant Jesus was always dressed. It is handed down that Anne Loragh and Mary Sibylla Schayemaier dressed it and then in 1747 the English Ladies. The Infant Jesus wears a white under shirt, over it a white rocheta then a silk top with frills around the neck and hands, the forth and fifth gown is like the priest's pluvial. On his head is placed a crown. The first crown is from the year 1767, the other from 1810 - 20. There have been more than 70 dresses donated. The oldest well-preserved are from 1700. One is donated by the Empress Mary Theresa. The Infant has also new dresses that are made even of white silon. Dresses come as gifts from all the world.

Legends of the Infant Jesus of Prague

There are also legends narrated of the Infant Jesus of Prague. Can we possibly doubt their truthfulness, as they surely expressed how the people talked, lived and felt about the Infant Jesus?

One of them is about the origin of the Infant . . .
. . . at the time of the battles, to occupy the Pyrenees Penicula, between the Maurs and the Christians there apparently was in the South of Spain a Carmelite Monastery. Even that monastery was invaded. Only four monks rescued their lives. One was called Joseph, who had a special devotion to the Child Jesus. Once as he worked in the yard, suddenly a little child appeared to him and asked to pray with him. Therefore the brother prayed the "AVE" and at the words "blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus", the child said "that is me". Then the child disappeared, but its face was engraved in his memory. The brother longed immensly to see the child again, even for an instance. He wanted to produce a likeness, that would remind him of the Child Jesus, but his efforts were without success. For many years he struggled but could not make a portrait, until one day the child appeared again. At that time he was already very old. "I came to show my self again to you, so that you could finish the sculpture according to my likeness", said the child. Immediately he started to work. He finished the face like in a dream. He was happy! When he finished the work, the child vanished. The brother was very tired. He fell asleep and never woke up again. His little friend had come to take him home.
As to whether this legend is historically true, I do not know. It sertainly shows however, a lot of feeling, and it is beautiful.

Further 3 legendary narratives are caught up in three paintings of a series of pictures of the Gracious Infant, that originated in the first half of the 18th century. They tell of the time, when the sculpture was found with broken arms in the waste in the church behind the High Altar.
Father Cyril was beggining for money to repair the sculpture of the Child Jesus, but without result. By chance a rich man Mr. Benedict Manskonig from Ústi, on the river Elbe, came to Prague. He fell seriousely ill and received the Last Rights from Father Cyril, who told him about power that the Child Jesus has. Mr. Benedict then gave 100 golden pieces to the Infant Jesus, to win the favour of the Gracious Child, and he recovered.
Another tale describes, how father Cyril is praying to get money for new arms for the sculpture of the Infant Jesus, when a rich lady comes to visit him, to donate a big amount of money.
A further story tells how the Gracious Child helped the rich family of Henry Kolovrat of Libstejn. His wife lost her hearing and eye-sight. When she was touched with the Infant Jesus, she was restored to health. The lady, however was very selfish. She kept the Miraculous sculpture in her palace as a protection. But when she wanted to leave the palace, the horses would not move. The lady then rearlized that she must return the Infant Jesus to where it belongs. After that they could leave the palace easily.

The miraculous Infant Jesus was greatly worshiped by the mighty and the simple, poor people. Also it is of interest, that the first imitations of the Infant Jesus of Prague were created by the sculptor Jan Schlansovsky in the 18th century. He also carved a mould by which hundreds of copies were made, which were sent throughout the whole world. Also our Misen China factury owns a mould that the sculptor Gottleb Kirchner created according to the famous sculptor J. J. Kandler.

Miraculous

Records of miraculous phenomenon in conection with the sculpture of the Infant Jesus did not end sometime in the past. They occur even today.

One happened to a two year old Tamara in Brazil. From birth she had disconnected hips and could only walk with difficulty with the help of a special equipment, which, by the way is kept in our church of Infant Jesus of Prague. She could hardly walk. The parents prayed a novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague and on the 6th day, she could take the first steps without the equipment that aided her. The doctors were astonished. The friends could not believe it. The whole family arrived in 1995 in this church, to thank the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague.

Another case is the healing of an Indian woman, who had an accident in her youth, that paralyzed her. For a long time she had to rest in bed without moving. Once in a dream she saw the Infant Jesus and she understood, that she can be healed. She prayed the novena to the Infant Jesus, that someone ordered for her. While praying she started to observe that gradually the feeling come back to her feet and to her whole body. After a few weeks she was healed. In about 1994 she arrived here from USA as a 70-year-old grandmother with her husband and grandchild. All her life she had saved money for this trip to give thanksgiving to the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague.

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The popularity of the Child Jesus grew in Baroque Spain, possibly caused by the visions of Saint Teresa of Avila. Several Spanish sculptures found their way to Prague; they were made of wax, ivory, and bronze, and dressed in garments reflecting the aristocratic fashion of the period. The exact origin of the Infant Jesus statue is not known, but historical sources point to a 28cm high sculpture of the Holy Child with a bird in his right hand carved c.1340, but other sculptures were also carved by masters throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

The well-known statue probably came from a monastery in Bohemia, obtained by Dona Isabella Manrique who gave it to her daughter Marie Manrique as a wedding gift, then to Marie's daughter Polyxena as a wedding gift in 1587. In 1628, Lady Polyxena presented the statue to the Carmelites at the Church of the Virgin Mary the Victorious. This statue became known as the Infant Jesus of Prague. It stands 47cm high, with a 2cm base, and has a long gown around the wax body.

Veneration ceased after 1628 when the Carmelites fled Prague ahead of invading Saxons and Swedes. In 1638 a young priest named Cyrillus a Matre Dei returned to Prague and found the statue in the ruins of the church. He cleaned the statue, and placed it in the oratory. While praying before it, 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.

Repairing the statue's hand was a miracle as Father Cyril and his peers had neither the skills to do it themselves, not the funds to hire it done. Father Cyril asked that Our Lady to provide funds. The Divine Infant spoke again, saying Place Me near the entrance of the sacristy and you will receive aid. Cyril did as he was told, and a few days later the statue was fixed by a man who came by the sacristy.

With the statue repaired, miracles began to be reported, resulting in an increased veneration of the Holy Child. An altar was built for the image in 1641, and the gold and bejewelled crown on the statue was presented by Bernard Ignatius on 14 January 1651. In 1654 a chapel was completed to house it, and the Infant Jesus was coronated on 4 April 1655 by Archbishop Josef Corta.

Though Prague suffered through wars and unrest, the church and the Infant Jesus chapel were miraculously protected. The altar was rebuilt in 1776 using marble and two huge sculptures of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The Infant was kept in a glass case standing on a pedestal engraved with crystals, and surrounding the Infant were twenty angels in gold. Since then copies have been distributed throughout Europe, the Philippines, and the Americas, and devotion has continued to spread.

Devotion to this image is actually devotion to the Child Jesus. It is not idolatry, statue-worship, or any other slander. This is just a popular image, a way to visualize Christ, and bring a concrete form to someone who, for many people, needs to be visualized to be addressed.

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History of the Infant of Prague by Anders Wong
Infant Jesus of Prague Devotion
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More history

History of the Infant Jesus of Prague

By Anders Wong

Introduction

The devotion to the Holy Child Jesus has long been a tradition of the Catholic Church for a very long time. This devotion is a veneration of our Lord's sacred Infancy. Many saints had a very strong devotion to the Divine Child, notably St. Therese of the Child Jesus, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Teresa of Avila.

Prague is the capitol city of the Czech Republic, which is at the very central of Europe with Germany, Poland, Russia and Austria as its neighbours. The history of the Infant Jesus of Prague started in the 17th century when a statue of the Infant Jesus was brought into Bohemia (now Czech Republic) and eventually was given to the Discalced Carmelites in Prague. Since then, the statue has remained in Prague and has drawn many devotees worldwide to go and honor the Holy Child. Many graces, blessings, favors and miraculous healings have been received by many who petitioned before the Infant Jesus.

History

The exact origin of the Infant Jesus statue was not truly known, but historical sources point to a small 28cm high sculpture of the Holy Child with a bird in his right hand carved in around the year 1340. Many other Infant Jesus sculptures were also carved by famous masters throughout Europe in the Middle Ages.

The popularity of the Child Jesus grew in the Baroque period in Spain which may have been caused by the visions of St. Teresa of Avila. A number of sculptures made in Spain eventually found their way to Prague. These sculptures were made of wax, ivory, and bronze and were dressed in garments reflecting the aristocratic fashion of that period.

It is unknown to this date which of those early sculptures that got to Prague was the exact origin of the Infant Jesus of Prague. It was speculated that it came from a monastery in Bohemia and from there 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. Later, the Holy Infant statue was again given to Marie's daughter Polyxena as a wedding gift in 1587. In 1628, Lady Polyxena presented the statue to the Carmelites at the Church of the Virgin Mary the Victorious in Mala Strana saying, "I am giving you what I most esteem of my possessions. Keep the sculpture in reference and you will be well off" (*FN1*). This statue then became known as the Infant Jesus of Prague. It stands 47 cm high (includes a 2cm base) and has a long gown around the wax body.

Shortly after 1628, the Saxons and the Swedes took turns to invade Prague and the Carmelites had to flee and the veneration of the Holy Infant ceased. It was not until 1638 that a young priest named Fr. P. Cyril, a Matre Dei, returned to Prague and found the Holy Infant statue buried in the ruins of the Lady of Victory church. Fr. Cyril cleaned the statue and placed it in the oratory for worship. While he was praying before the 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". (*FN2*)

The repairing of the statue's hand was a miracle since Fr. Cyril and his peers did not have the financial resources nor the know-how to repair it. Through prayer, Fr. Cyril asked the Blessed Virgin Mary in several occassions to to provide the necessary funds for fixing the Infant statue. The Divine Infant spoke to him again, "Place Me near the entrance of the sacristy and you will receive aid" (*FN3*). Fr. Cyril then did what he was told and in a few days time, the statue was fixed by a man who came to the sacristy to offer help.

Since the statue was fixed, a number of miracles had occurred and the word began to spread, resulting in a large increase of veneration to the Holy Child. This includes the Czech nobles as well. These early miracles were recorded in a book by P. Emerich a St Stephano, published in German in 1736 and in Czech in 1749 (*FN4*).

In 1641, an altar was built for the Infant Jesus in the church, and in 1644 a chapel was built, but was not completed until 1654. Many nobles of the time had greatly supported the Infant Jesus, among them were Lady Polyxena, King Ferdinard (Czech), King Charles Gustav(Sweden), and Bernard Ignatius of the Lords of Martinic. It is interesting to note that the crown over the Divine Infant's head came from Bernard Ignatius, who presented the Infant statue with a little gold crown set with precious stones and jewels on January 14, 1651 during a procession that carried the Infant Jesus statue from the Lady of Victory church to other Prague churches. The Infant Jesus was solemnly coronated on April 4, 1655 by the Archbishop Josef Corta acting for Cardinal Harrach III who was sick.

After that period, Prague went through more wars and unrest but the church and the Infant Jesus chapel was miraculously protected. In 1776 the altar was rebuilt using marble and two huge sculptures of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph were placed to the left and right sides of the altar. The Holy Infant was kept in a glass case standing on a pedestal engraved with crystals, and surrounding the Infant were twenty angels in gold.

Since then copies of the Infant Jesus were made and distributed throughout European churches. The Spanish colonial efforts later brought the Infant Jesus to the Philippines and to central America. And since then, the devotion has kept spreading to all parts of the world.

Conclusion

The Lady of Victory church was officially returned back to the Discalced Carmalites in 1993 since the takeover by the Maltese Knights in 1784. Today, thousands of pilgrims pay homage to the Infant of Prague each year. The tradition of the Infant Jesus procession and the coronation continues to this day. On May 27,1995, a solemn procession of the Infant Jesus took place in the streets of Prague with Cardinal Sin of Manila (Philippines) and Cardinal Vlk of Prague leading the procession. This ceremony was the closing highlight of the annual Feast of the Infant Jesus in Prague.

As the devotion to the Infant Jesus spreads throughout the world, many parishes now offer Holy Mass and novenas to honor the Holy Child of God and many prayer groups have been formed. Jesus has kept His promise that the more that He is honored, the more that He will bless them. This is truly evidenced by the many favors He has granted to those who ask Him.

Bibliography

Footnotes :

1. Forbelsky, Royt, Horyna : Holy Infant of Prague, Arentinum, Prague, 1992

2. 'Devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague', Tan Books, Rockford, 1975

3. ibid. #2

4. ibid. #1

Sources :

1. Daughters of St. Paul : Infant of Prague Devotions, St. Paul Books & Media, Boston, 1992

2. Joan Cruz : Prayers and Heavenly Promises, Tan Books, Rockford, 1990

3. Lady of Victory Parish, Prague, Czech Republic

4. Sanctuary of the Infant Jesus, Arezano, Italy

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As you can see in #2 there are many prayers to the Infant of Prague. The most common prayer is the Infant of Prague Novena Prayer posted below.

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The Holy Infant Jesus of Prague - Divine child

The Holy Infant Jesus of Prague - Divine child

   
Devotion to the Infant Jesus celebrates the great mystery of the Incarnation. By honouring the Infancy of Our Lord, we acknowledge the humanity and the divinity of Christ, and we rejoice in God's caring love for us.

 

The Holy Infant of Prague

Devotion to the Holy Infant Jesus has grown as due to the miracles obtained through the veneration of the Holy Infant of Prague.

In 1637 Fr. Cyril found an abandoned statue of the Holy Infant which had broken hands. He was filled with wonder as he contemplated the God who became a child out of love for his people. Suddenly the statue spoke to the stunned Carmelite:

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.

For almost four centuries this promise has inspired devotion and love Of the Infant Jesus. The original statue is preserved in the church of Our Lady of Victory in Prague.

The statue is nineteen inches tall, made of wood and wax. It represents the Infant Jesus dressed in royal robes and wearing a crown.

INFANT OF PRAGUE NOVENA PRAYER 0 Jesus, Who has 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 Most Holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted. (Make your petition) 0 Jesus, Who has said, "All that you ask of the Father in My Name, He will grant you," through the intercession of Mary, your Most Holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask your Father in your name that my prayer be granted. (Make your petition) 0 Jesus, Who has said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away but My word shall not pass away," through the intercession of Mary, your Most Holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted. (Make your petition)

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING Divine Infant Jesus, I know you love me and would never leave me. I thank you for your close presence in my life. Miraculous Infant, I believe in your promise of peace, blessings, and freedom from want. I place every need and care in your hands. Lord Jesus, may I always trust in your generous mercy and love. I want to honour and praise you now and forever. Amen.

 

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**Devotion to this image is actually devotion to the Child Jesus. It is not idolatry, statue-worship, or any other slander. This is just a popular image, a way to visualize Christ, and bring a concrete form to someone who, for many people, needs to be visualized to be addressed. **

 

Needs to be said and emphasized again.

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Catholic Discussion Ping!

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[Judith Anne]

This is so interesting! I have a statue of the Blessed Infant of Prague, and the hands broke off in our last move. I think I’ll ask my daughter, an artist, to repair it. And thank you for the prayer.

Some things I haven’t remembered in a while, and your posts are a wonderful reminder.

[Pyro7480]

Catholic Caucus???

[Salvation]

Someone brought it to my attention today and I looked for a post. There was none, so I went looking.

[KittyKares]

Did something happen in the news to bring this up?

[Soliton]

that’s why the 2nd commandment prohibits graven images. Sooner or later miracles become associated with a statue and people believe it to have special powers. They go on pilgramages to see them and pray to them.

The Romans always had statues of gods and demigods. They didn’t think that the statues were the gods themselves, just representations. The prayed to the lesser gods to intercede with greater.

The early Hebrews knew that it was inevitable that statues would be worshipped. That’s why creating them was considered blasphemous.

Besides, no one knows what Jesus looked like, but chances are he didn’t look Polish. It’s just a statue of a child, not Jesus.

People who worship idols are always the last to realize what they’re doing. They also don’t think they are practicing magic when they cross candles over their throats at the feast of St Blaise to prevent sore throats, or burry a statue of St. Joseph upside down in the yard so their house will sell.

As a devout Jew, Jesus would be as horrified by the proliferation of statues in places of worship as he would be about us celebrating His birth by eating ham.

[Pyro7480]

Apologia of St. John Damascene Against Those Who Decry Holy Images

[Pyro7480]

They also don’t think they are practicing magic when they cross candles over their throats at the feast of St Blaise to prevent sore throats

There is nothing "magical" about the candles. The power is in the mercy of God obtained through the intercession of Saint Blaise.

The prayer that is said during this blessing of the throats: May God at the intercession of St. Blasius (Blaise) preserve you from throat troubles and every other evil, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

[Apercu]

Look up the word S-Y-M-B-O-L.

[Soliton]

In 754 the Synod of Constantinople, convened at the command of Constantine Copronymus, the successor of Leo, confirmed the principles of the Iconoclasts and anathematized by name those who had conspicuously opposed them. But the largest measure of the council’s spleen was reserved for John of Damascus. He was called a “cursed favourer of Saracens”, a “traitorous worshipper of images”, a “wronger of Jesus Christ”, a “teacher of impiety”, and a “bad interpreter of the Scriptures”. At the emperor’s command his name was written “Manzer” (Manzeros, a bastard).

[Soliton]

Sybols don’t talk and perform miracles. A symbol of what? How do you create a statue when you don’t know what the person looked like?

[Soliton]

There is nothing "magical" about the candles. The power is in the mercy of God obtained through the intercession of Saint Blaise.

Why do they always perform the ritual with candles placed on the throat then?

Because of thy great merits God endowed thee with the special grace to help those that suffer from ills of the throat;

Magic is the use of prescribed rituals considered to have supernatural power to affect health, sexuality, romance etc. It often involves invoking the services a familiar spirit with special powers over a specific area (like sore throats or real estate sales or lost items (anthony?).

We now know what causes sore throats and how to cure them. Even the Pope takes antibiotics for a sore throat rather that rely on St. Blaise.

[Zero Sum]

In 754 the Synod of Constantinople, convened at the command of Constantine Copronymus, the successor of Leo, confirmed the principles of the Iconoclasts and anathematized by name those who had conspicuously opposed them. But the largest measure of the council’s spleen was reserved for John of Damascus. He was called a “cursed favourer of Saracens”, a “traitorous worshipper of images”, a “wronger of Jesus Christ”, a “teacher of impiety”, and a “bad interpreter of the Scriptures”. At the emperor’s command his name was written “Manzer” (Manzeros, a bastard).

I tend to put more weight on the Council in Nicea in 787, which is accepted both in the East and in the West as Ecumenical. But to each his own, I guess.

[Soliton]

You can pick and choose whatever you like. God himself prohibited graven images. Hard to argue with God, but you can always find someone willing to do it.

I don’t doubt that most Catholics don’t worship these statues, but there are millions that do. With the growth of the Church into sub Saharan Africa, it will only get worse. It is much safer for their souls to leave images of the devine to the imagination rather than tempt them with idol worship.