Devotion to the Infant Jesus is
as old as Christianity itself. It ever tends to keep the great
mystery of our Lord's birth vividly before us.
A special devotion to the Divine Child
originated with the Carmelites in the city of Prague, Bohemia, in the
beginning of the seventeenth century. Princess Polyxenia of Lobkowitz
had received as a wedding gift from her mother a statue of the Divine
Child, previously brought from Spain. After the death of her husband,
the princess devoted herself to works of charity and was particularly
helpful to the Carmelites in Prague. When in 1628 the Carmelite
Monastery had been reduced to poverty, owing to the ravages of war,
the princess gave her precious statue to the Carmelites, saying: "I give you what I prize most highly
in the world; honor and respect the Child Jesus and you shall never
be in want."
Her gift was placed in the Carmelite
oratory. The words of the princess proved prophetic for as long as
the Carmelites kept up their devotion to the Divine Infant of Prague
everything prospered with them. The Carmelites were later forced to
flee from the city and in the confusion of the war they were unable
to take with them their miraculous statue. The invaders seized it and
threw it into a pile of rubbish. In 1635, peace came to Prague and
the Carmelites returned. One of them, Father Cyril, who had
previously received great spiritual help through his devotion to the
Infant of Prague, sought the statue and found it amidst the rubbish.
Overjoyed, he placed the statue again in the oratory. As Father Cyril
was one day praying devotedly before the statue, he heard a voice
saying: "HAVE MERCY ON ME AND I WILL
HAVE MERCY ON YOU. RETURN MY HANDS TO ME AND I SHALL GIVE YOU PEACE.
THE MORE YOU HONOR ME, THE MORE I SHALL BLESS YOU." Startled by these words, Father Cyril examined the
statue and upon drawing aside the mantle covering it, he found that
both hands of the statue were broken off. The hands were restored to
the statue through the generosity of a client of the Divine Child.
Once more peace and prosperity returned to the Carmelites.
Devotion to the Divine Child had always been
practiced by the Carmelites for through their Mother, Mary, this
Divine Child had come to the world. St Theresa of Jesus practiced
particular devotion to the Divine Child. St. Theresa, the Little
Flower, was also a most fervent venerator.
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