Celebrate the Infant Jesus of Prague

The image of Jesus as a boy crowned as a King with a cross-topped globe in His left hand; and His right hand raised in blessing is present in many Catholic churches throughout the world. This figure depicting both the innocence and kingship of Christ, has a rich history and is celebrated annually on January 14th. The devotion of this blessed figure started in the mid-16th century in Spain (not Prague) and has spread over the world. One of the most famous celebrations of the Infant Jesus occurs each year at the Infant Jesus Church and Shrine in Bangalore, India where one can ponder a celestial lighted statue of Infant Jesus below an immense 6 by 9-meter carved mural of the Nativity scene. Read about the church and see the images at https://churchwonders.com/churches-shrines/india-churches/infant-jesus-church-shrine-bangalore-india/. The Shrine is also the site of the annual Novena festivities of the Infant Jesus Feast. The festivities kick-off with a flag hoisting event and continue with a novena of Masses celebrated each day from January 5 to January 13. The culminating Feast Day will be celebrated on Sunday January 14, 2024. See all the Infant Jesus Feast Day events at https://www.youtube.com/@BangaloreArchdiocese.

“The More You Honor Me, the More I Will Bless You”
These words were heard by the Carmelite Father Cyril of the Mother of God in the rubble of a Carmelite monastery in Prague in 1637 which had been desecrated and plundered during the 1631 invasion by the Saxons. The 18-inch statue of Infant Jesus had been damaged and the arms broken off. As Father Cyril was viewing the armless statue of the Infant Jesus and contemplating, in awe, the mystery of the all-powerful God becoming a child; the statue spoke to Father Cyril saying, “Have mercy on me and I will have mercy on you. Give me my arms and I will give you peace. The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you.” Father Cyril repaired the statue and placed it in the Carmelite Chapel, and after receiving multitudes of adoring visitors, and the occurrence of many miracles, in 1741, the statue was relocated to its present, more spacious, location in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague.

History of the Statue and Devotion
The original image of Infant Jesus was a small wax-over-wood statue reportedly made by a monk based on a miraculous vision in Spain. The image shows Jesus as a child of 4 to 6 years of age and is adorned with a golden crown and a regal robe. In His left hand, He holds a miniature globe with a cross on the top depicting His status as King of the World. The 2 fingers on His right hand are extended and symbolize the 2 natures of God and Man. The statue came under the care of the Spanish Princess Maria Maximiliana Manrique de Lara y Mendoza who took the statue with her to Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) when she went north to marry Vratislav, Chancellor of the Czech Kingdom (1530-1582). She later gave the precious statue to her daughter, Princess Polyxena of Lobkovic, who venerated the statue and received much consolation and help. Princess Polyxena donated the statue, in 1628, to the monastery of Discalced Carmelites at the Church of Our Lady Victorious, a group with roots in Spain, the same as the heritage of her mother and of the holy statue.

Statues Across the World
The image of Infant Jesus is venerated by thousands each year at the church in Prague and the devotion has spread worldwide where one will see statues of the lovely boy-King at churches in every Catholic country. In the U.S., the Daprato Studios of New York made numerous images of the statue in the 1930’s which can be seen in many churches across the country. The Daprato image shows the boy Jesus dressed with a gold-gilded floral-patterned tunic and royal cape of red or yellow with a regal golden crown of a King. The Infant holds a globe of the Earth topped by a cross; and His right hand is raised in blessing with a ring over two fingers (like on the original statue in Prague) representing a gift of gratitude, in 1788, from a noble family whose daughter received a miraculous cure through the intercession of Infant Jesus. However, there are many variations on a theme of the lovely statue – some of which can be seen at https://churchwonders.com/infant-jesus-of-prague/.