Table of Contents: Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague
- History
- Prayer of St. Therese of Lisieux
- 30-Day Prayer
- How to Pray the Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague
- Related Novenas
The statue arrived in Prague from Spain sometime in the 1500s. Legend says that the statue was carved by a friar who received a vision of the Holy Infant. Some believe that the statue was owned at one time by St. Teresa of Ávila.
When the Saxons plundered Prague in the 1600s, the statue was forgotten and lost. A Carmelite named Fr. Cyril found the statue in a Carmelite monastery. At this time, the Holy Infant appeared to him and said, “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.”
The end of that phrase–“The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you”–has been a popular devotional line associated with the Infant Jesus of Prague for centuries.
Devotion to the Infant Jesus of Prague is especially popular among the Carmelites, and it was something that St. Therese of Lisieux was also well known for.
Prayer of St. Therese of Lisieux to the Divine Child Jesus
In her autobiography, St. Therese shared a beautiful prayer to the Divine Child.
It’s a short prayer you can pray when you’re on the go or perhaps don’t have time to pray the Holy Infant of Prague novena:
O Little Infant Jesus, my only treasure, I abandon myself to Your every wish. I seek no other joy than that of calling forth Your sweet smile. Grant me the graces and the virtues of Your Holy Childhood, so that on the day of my birth into Heaven the angels and saints may recognize me as Your little spouse.
30-Day Prayer
Rev. Father Herm. Koneberg, O.S.B. wrote “The Miraculous Statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague” in 1895 about a 30-day prayer dedicated to the Holy Infant of Prague.
So the tradition of committing to a period of prayer, asking for the intercession of the Infant Jesus dates back at least to the 19th century.
The traditional nine-day novena remains popular today.
How to Pray: Novena to Infant Jesus of Prague
The novena to Infant Jesus of Prague can be prayed over nine days. It’s also a prayer that can be said for an urgent intention by praying every hour for nine straight hours.
This version of the Holy Infant of Prague novena comes from the League of the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague:
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 granted.
(Add your personal intention)
O Divine Jesus, Who said: “Unless you become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” grant me the simplicity and wonder, the tenderness and gentleness of a child. Fill me with innocence, hope, and love.
(Add your personal intention)
O Divine Infant, help me to know how close You are to me and how powerful is Your embrace. Help me to trust that You do hold the whole world in Your hand. I place my every need and care in Your hands.
(Add your personal intention)
Divine Infant Jesus, I want to give You my hands today. I want to serve You with all my heart and make You known and loved. Doing Your will is the source of my inner peace and joy.
Divine Infant, I give You my hands to touch those I meet with Your love and peace. I ask You to heal those in pain, to encourage the hopeless, to console the sorrowing, and to provide for those in want. I ask You to reach out to the lonely. I especially plead for the many people suffering from great poverty and injustice.
Miraculous Infant, I believe that You love me and know all of my needs. I place them in Your hands, especially my present concerns (mention your intention). I trust in Your love and care. I want to honor and praise You, now and forever. Amen.