Infant Jesus of Prague

The Aves capture vivid red, the traditional color of the Infant of Prague chaplet, in the crowned facets of 8mm crystal cathedral beads.   The 12mm faceted Paters shine with a bronze luster to match the crowns of the Aves.
The bronze center-piece is a radiant Infant of Prague.   An ornate bronze crucifix  completes the rosary.

Prayers and History

Chaplet of the Holy Infant Jesus

"The More You Honor Me The More I Will Bless You"

This chaplet consists of a medal of the Infant Jesus [of Prague],  three beads in honor of the Holy Family, and twelve beads  in memory of the twelve years of the Sacred Infancy of our Divine Savior.

On the medal the following invocation is said:
"Divine Infant Jesus, I adore Thy Cross and I accept all the cross Thou wilt be pleased to send me. Adorable Trinity, I offer Thee for the glory of Thy Holy Name of God, all the adorations of the Sacred Heart of the Holy Infant Jesus."

On the first three beads: 
Pray the Our Father three times in honor of the Holy Family, 
preceded by the aspiration: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us."

On the twelve beads:
Pray twelve Hail Mary twelve times in honor of the twelve years of Our Lord's Childhood, 
preceded by the aspiration: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us."

On completing the chaplet say:
"Holy Infant Jesus, bless and protect us."

This devotion owes its origin to the zeal of Sister Marguerite, a Carmelite religious, who died in France in 1648. She was distinguished for her devotion to the Holy Child Jesus.

The Divine Infant revealed to His faithful servant how pleasing to Him is this holy practice; He promised her that He would grant special graces, above all purity of heart and innocence, to all who carried the chaplet on their person and recited it in honor of the mysteries of His holy infancy. As a sign of His approval, He showed her these chaplets shining with a supernatural light.

Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague in Urgent Need

(To be said for nine days or nine consecutive hours)

O Jesus, Who 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 answered.
(Mention your request.)

O Jesus, Who 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.
(Mention your request.)

O Jesus, Who said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word shall not pass," through the intercession of Mary, Your most holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.
(Mention your request.)

History of the Chaplet of the Holy Infant Jesus

December 27, 1992 
Brother John Raymond 

Many people throughout Church history had a special devotion to the Holy Infancy of Our Lord. Venerable Marguerite of the Blessed Sacrament was one such person. Marguerite was born in France in 1619. Her devotion to the Holy Child began in her own childhood. At the age of five she had a vision of Jesus as a Child. 

Marguerite entered the Carmelite Order, known for its devotion to the Holy Infant, at the age of eleven on the day of her First Holy Communion Day. The new postulant was soon afflicted with what was thought to be a physical illness. She had convulsions, fright, oppression and stiffness in her body. The Superior, and Marguerite herself, discovered it to be the persecution of the devil. She was miraculously cured of this mysterious ailment. 

Unfortunately, the doctors who had tried to cure her by an operation caused her to have a lifelong pain in her head. After her cure Marguerite began to have visions and ecstasies. The extraordinary life she began to live was recorded by her superiors. She began to relive in the spirit the mysteries of the life of Our Lord as it unfolds in the liturgical year. 

Her special mission was revealed to her one day by Our Lord when He said; "The wonders of My Infancy will be resplendent in you. I have chosen you to honor My Infancy and the mysteries of Bethlehem and of Nazareth." Jesus even began to call her the "Little Spouse of the Infant Jesus." One day the Divine Infant said to her; "I wish you to institute an association of which I will inspire the rules. . . this association will be My family, the Family of the Infant Jesus, this is the title you shall give it." 

On March 24, 1636 Marguerite founded this new association. The members were to honor the Holy Childhood of Jesus; His first twelve years. Nine persons were selected to start this devotion in honor of the nine months Jesus spent in the Womb of Mary. They consecrated themselves to the Infant Jesus at midnight, recalling the time of His Incarnation. By 1665 the association had about 3,000 members. 

The Family of the Child Jesus still exists today under the title of "The Archconfraternity of the Infant Jesus." This title was given to it in 1885 by Pope Pius IX. One of the pious practices of the members is the recitation of the "small crown," or Chaplet, of the Holy Infant Jesus. Another practice is to honor the twenty-fifth of every month in memory of the birth of Our Lord. 

On Christmas night, 1638, the Child Jesus had another favor to ask of Sister Marguerite. He wished that "she would dedicate to Him a place where He would be recognized and honored as King." One day her confessor, Fr. Languet, came to see her and expressed his wish to build a small chapel in honor of the Child Jesus. She recognized this as the fulfillment of the Child Jesus' request. So the little chapel was built at the Monastery of St. Etienne. Sister Marguerite placed the first stone of the chapel and upon its completion set a statue of the Virgin holding the Child Jesus on a throne that she had made. 

Sr. Marguerite spent her life serving the Divine Child. Her spirituality was to live with the Child Jesus at Nazareth, and with Mary and Joseph, to serve Him. She practiced this until her early death at the age of 29 in the year 1648. 

History of the Statue

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".1 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". 2

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".3 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 1749.4

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 Carmelites 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.  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.

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

This item provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org

This chaplet can also be used for
Meditations on the Twelve Days of Christmas!

Historia del Niño de Praga

Coronilla del milagroso Niño Jesús de Praga

Para Honrar Los Misterios De Su Infancia.

Por la señal de la Santa Cruz, de nuestros enemigos líbranos Señor, Dios Nuestro.

Señor mío Jesucristo, Dios y Hombre Verdadero, Creador, Padre y Redentor mío. Por ser Vos quien sóis, Bondad infinita, y porque os amo sobre todas las cosas, me pesa de todo corazón de haberos ofendido. También me pesa porque podéis castigarme con las penas eternas del infierno. Ayudado de Vuestra divina gracia, propongo firmemente nunca más pecar, confesarme y cumplir la penitencia que me fuera impuesta. Amén

V. Abre, Señor, mis labios.
R. Y mi lengua pronunciará tu alabanza.
V. Acude, oh Dios, en mi auxilio.
R. Apresúrate Señor a socorrerme.

Adorada y glorificada sea la Santísima Trinidad, Padre, Hijo, y Espíritu Santo, por todos los siglos de los siglos. Amén.

Adorado y glorificado sea el Padre.

V. El verbo se hizo carne.
R. Y habitó entre nosotros.

Padre Nuestro
Padre Nuestro
Padre Nuestro

1º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de Tu encarnación.
Ave María

2º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de tu Visitación.
Ave María

3º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de tu Nacimiento
Ave María

4º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de la adoración de los pastores.
Ave María

Adorado y glorificado sea el Hijo.
V. El verbo se hizo carne.
R. Y habitó entre nosotros.

5º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de tu Circuncisión.
Ave María

6º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de la Epifanía.
Ave María

7º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de Vuestra presentación en el templo.
Ave María

8º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de Vuestra huída a Egipto.
Ave María

Adorado y glorificado sea el Espíritu Santo.
V. El verbo se hizo carne.
R. Y habitó entre nosotros.

9º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de Vuestra permanencia en Egipto.
Ave María

10º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de Vuestro regreso a Nazaret.
Ave María

11º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio en el misterio de Vuestra vida oculta en Nazaret.
Ave María

12º Divino Niño Jesús, bendito y alabado seas en el misterio de Vuestra pérdida y hallazgo en el Templo.
Ave María

Gloria al Padre, al Hijo y al Espíritu Santo.
Como era en un principio, ahora y siempre por los siglos de los siglos. 
Amén

V. Sea bendito el nombre del Señor.
R. Ahora y siempre por los siglos de los siglos. Amén

Chapelet de l’Enfant Jésus
(Petite couronne)

L'origine de cette dévotion est due à Sœur Marguerite, une religieuse Carmélite, qui est morte en France en 1648. Elle se signala pour sa dévotion au Saint Enfant -Jésus. L’ enfant Jésus révéla à la soeur combien Lui plaisait cette  pratique; Il lui promit qu'Il accorderait des grâces spéciales, surtout la pureté de cœur et l'innocence, à tous ceux qui porterait le chapelet sur leur personne et le réciterait en honneur des mystères de Sa Sainte enfance. Comme signe de Son Approbation, Il lui montra le modèle du chapelet resplendissant d'une lumière éclatante.

A l’image du rosaire qui médite les 20 mystères de Marie, le chapelet de l’enfant Jésus nous invite à méditer dans la prière les douze mystères du Christ enfant.

Ces mystères sont :

• L'Annonciation

• La Visitation ou Séjour dans le sein de Marie

• La Nativité

• L'Adoration des Bergers (épiphanie)

• La Circoncision

• La Présentation au Temple

• L'Adoration des Mages

• La Fuite en Égypte

• Le Séjour en Egypte

• Le Retour de l'Égypte

• La Vie cachée à Nazareth

• Jésus au milieu des Docteurs

Vous pouvez trouver une liste différente avec par exemple : ses voyages à Jérusalem avec ses parents.

On commence le chapelet par la croix en récitant l’invocation Divin Enfant Jésus, « j’adore votre croix et j’accepte toutes celles qu’il vous plaira de m’envoyer »

Chacun des trois gros grains représente une personne de la Sainte Famille, Jésus, Marie et Joseph, surnommée "la petite Trinité sur terre"

Sur chaque gros grain on récite un Notre Père, précédé des paroles : « Et le Verbe s’est fait chair, et Il a habité parmi nous »

• Avant le grain de Jésus on prononce : « Adorable Trinité, nous vous offrons toutes les adorations du Cœur du Saint Enfant Jésus »          

• Avant le grain de Marie : « Très Sainte Trinité, nous vous offrons ce que vous avez opéré dans l’âme de la Sainte Vierge au moment de l’Incarnation »

• Avant le grain de Joseph : « Adorable Trinité, nous vous remercions des grâces dont vous avez comblé le glorieux Saint Joseph, en vue de Jésus et de Marie »

NB : On peut se contenter du Notre Père avec les paroles « Et le verbe s’est fait chair, et il a habité parmi nous »

Chaque petit grain sert à méditer un mystère de l’enfant Jésus. On récite sur chacun, un Je vous salue Marie précédé des paroles : « Et le Verbe s’est fait chair, et Il a habité parmi nous »

On termine le chapelet sur la médaille ou sur la croix en récitant un Gloire au Père, précédé des paroles « Et le Verbe s’est fait chair, et Il a habité parmi nous ». On peut ajouter une invocation finale : « Saint Enfant -Jésus, bénissez et protégez nous ».