Description
Infant of Prague 15cm Statue
Resin - Bronze Finish
15cm tall
In 1945 came the end of the Second World War. As soon as the gates of a concentration camp near Prague were flung open, a certain holy priest walked out that day from the place which he had never expected to leave alive. A deep gratitude filled his heart as he directed his steps immediately towards the Church of Our Lady of Victories. There he celebrated his first Mass in freedom beneath the statue of the Holy Infant of Prague, so much revered by his people. A few months later, this holy man was nominated and consecrated Archbishop of Prague, and a little later still his name was to become a household word throughout the world; for this was Archbishop Josef Beran, the prelate who has suffered so much in his struggle with the communists.
The Story of the Statue
What is the history of this image of the Child Jesus, beloved of the Czech people, to which devotion has spread among all the peoples of the world? It is a story intimately connected with the Order of Carmel, and shows the loving care of the Divine Child for the Order which has as its aim the glorification of His Mother.
The image itself is beautifully moulded of wax, and is eighteen inches high. Copies of it may be seen in very many convents, churches and homes. The childs figure is crowned with a golden crown, the orb is carried in the left hand, and the right hand is extended in blessing. It is usually seen dressed in a white tunic, a ruff around the neck, and wearing a long embroidered cloak. Over the centuries, many splendid votive gifts have been made to it, and it has thirty-nine magnificent robes and mantles, many adorned with diamonds and other jewels, and of all colours.
From Spain to Bohemia
The image of the Infant is of Spanish workmanship. Saint Teresa of Avila had strongly inculcated a devotion to the Christ Child which she always practised herself. On her journeys she always carried a statue of the Divine Infant. She prayed to Him, and recommended the devotion to her nuns. She used to sing lullabies to the Holy Child, and once in a rapture of happiness, she danced before His statue with her tambourine in her hand. From her convents devotion to the Christ Child had spread among the Spanish people, and especially among the nobility.
We first hear of the statue we now know as that of the Infant of Prague in the family of Maria Manriquez de Lara, a princess of the Royal House of Spain. She was a relative and close friend of Saint Teresa of Avila, and it is possible that the Saint herself designed the statue and gave it to her. Another legend has it that the statue was given to Marias mother by a holy Brother who had carved it after seeing a vision of the Holy Child.
Maria Takes the Statue to Prague
The Hapsburg Royal family had taken over the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1526, and from then on, the kingdom formed very close ties with Spain. The culture of the land soon became tinged with that of Spain, and it became fashionable for the nobility to marry into Spanish families. The Emperor Maximilian himself chose the daughter of Charles V, the Infanta Maria, as his bride. When she left Spain for Prague, she took Maria Manriquez de Lara as her personal lady-in-waiting. When Maria Manriquez left for her new home in 1556, she took the statue of the Infant with her.
In Marias Home
In Prague Maria Manriquez de Lara met a Czech nobleman, Vratislav z Perstejna, who was a very influential member of the Emperors court. She married him, and bore twenty children, of whom only seven survived. Maria Manriquez was a devout and holy woman, and the statue of the Infant was always venerated in her home. Her children were encouraged to pray to the Divine Infant, and model their behaviour on that of the Christ-Child. Needless to say, the family was an exemplary one.
Wedding Gift for Polyxena
Marias youngest child was named Polyxena, and she must have been the favourite of her mother. Polyxena as a young girl was introduced into the life and activities of the Emperors court. There she met and fell in love with Prince Sido
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