"Have mercy on Me and I will have mercy on you. Give Me hands and I will give you peace. The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you."
I remember as a child going to my great-grandfather's house. We called him "Pappy." May he rest in peace.
He was a good man and a hard worker. More importantly, he was a prayerful man. His favorite devotion was the Infant of Prague.
Fittingly, a man who worked with his hands his whole life, and gave his hands to God, seemed to always have a peace in life.
According to History of the Infant Jesus of Prague,
"The original statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague was created as a royal wedding gift from a Spanish Princess to her Austrian royal cousin."
"Later, the statue had been discarded in war and His hands destroyed. Found by a Carmelite, he fixed the hands and placed the statue in a place of honor in the Carmelite Church in Prague, Czech Republic."
The Carmelite priest said he heard the words at the beginning of this article:
"Have mercy on Me and I will have mercy on you. Give Me hands and I will give you peace. The more you honor Me, the more I will bless you."
As a lifelong Catholic, I did not appreciate this devotion as I should have. But I do believe God sets us on a journey through life. Not a finish line of life.
In college, during some of my more difficult moments, I tried using the words of the Infant of Prague. It was not to trick God into giving me what I wanted (as I am sometimes guilty of), but to really try to find my path in life.
It seems to me that when I am on my knees, I need to get back in line with God. I am also in need of bringing myself closer to God.
The Message of the Infant of Prague is a simple reminder.
We know that God will have mercy on us if we are merciful. Be merciful! We are called to be merciful.
When we find our true calling, no matter if we are at work, home, or simply out in public, and we give our hands to God and do His work in the simplest of ways, often, there is a peace in that.
Do the work of God and you will find the peace the world cannot give.
When you find peace and mercy, you will want to do it more. More peace. More mercy. More walking with God. A statue of a child with such a simple request can become the light to get you on your way to a heavenly homeward trip.
Several prayers are attached to the Infant of Prague. A simple web search will give you many options.
All of them allow you to honor the Child Jesus. I will offer my prayer. I say it every time I place hymn numbers on the board near the altar before Mass. The Infant of Prague statue is right next to the board.
I place my hand on the globe in His hand. As a man, my place is on earth for now. I quickly pray, "Let me honor you, and please bless me in whatever I do."
The world in His hands is indeed full of blessings!
A Priest once told me the artistic meaning of the statue.
Jesus has a crown saying He is the King of the Universe. His free hand says, "I (the Holy Trinity) am speaking." His other hand holds the world.
What an awesome artistic depiction. The King of the Universe is speaking. He has the whole world in his hands.
Consider not what you want. Consider what God wants. As a child of God, do your best to honor God, and he will bless you!