About Me

My photo
Life is tough. Nuns are tougher.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

The Infant of Prague


The store trip of the week is over. It was touch and go there for a while trying to get Sister Mary Fiacre out of the car. It was tempting to just leave her in there, but it's still pretty hot out and we didn't want to end up on the evening news.

We managed to save $70 by shopping with our coupons and buying only items that were on sale in the first place with them. That and the other items we bought on sale cut our bill in half and we had a moment of celebration by purchasing a day old cake. The checker thought it was for Sister Mary Fiacre and gave her a milar balloon with Winnie the Pooh on it. I'd love it if the milar balloons at the store had saints on them! Today would have been a good day for the Infant of Prague.

And so it is. We keep out little Infant of Prague statue in the kitchen so he's comfortable.

Look, we know it's a statue and it isn't comfortable or uncomfortable. We're not stupid. But the idea is to honor the Infant of Prague, so the the toasty kitchen it is. Luckily he has been on the refrigerator all this time and not the filthy stove.

Don't know what I'm talking about? Yes you do! You've seen this statue and pictures of it over and over. The ornately dressed little baby Jesus with a crown bigger than His head holdling the world in His chubby baby hand. He has many outfits, as though He was made by Mattel, and He changes clothes, wearing matching togs to match whatever Father wears at Mass each day: green for everyday, white for special occasions, purple for Lent, red for a martyr's day. Father never wears ermine, but the Infant does, on His collar.

The actual Infant of Prague was the wedding gift of a Spanish queen for her daughter who was marrying into the Czech royal family. The daughter passed it onto her daughter.

As long as the Czech people honored the Infant of Prague everything was hunky dory. But gradually people forgot about the little shrine in the cathedral. No doubt someone got sick of buying doll clothes and changing Him and dusting Him and the like. Prague was over run. By the Swedes. (Apparently before they invented Ikea they were more aggressive.) The Cathedral was in ruins.

Now there was one priest who especially cared for the Infant of Prague, and when the smoke cleared he dug through the rubble and found the statue. It was okay, but it's little hands hand cracked off. So the monk cleaned up the statue and put it in a place of honor again.

Then one day, while he was praying before the statue the priest heard a little voice saying, "give me my hands....." (This part always reminds me of the end of the movie, "The Fly".) The priest felt very bad that the Infant had lost His hands, so he had a whole new statue made.

The old statue kicked the new statue off the shelf. At least that's what I think happened, since the new statue was found smashed to bits and the old statue had no hands to push him off.

Then the priest had new hands put on the old statue and Prague has been fine ever since. More or less. Certainly, the Swedes turned their attention to "blomgort" end tables , how to make directions without using words and lingonberries.

So that's the deal. If you honor the Infant of Prague He will bring you stabilty. In particularly, financial stability. It's a pretty good deal. Notice the word "stability"....not rich, well off, cushy...just what you need. Which, by they way is also not your call. God will decide what you need.

Our Infant of Prague is not the fancy kind who comes with a box of changable outfits. It's just a little plastic guy. Really hard plastic, though. Nicely painted.

For one thing we have our hands full changing Sister Mary Fiacre. We don't need to be changing a doll. And besides, we can't afford the fancy kind.

11 comments:

Christopher Clark said...

Didn't I tell this exact same story in a comment to a previous post. I think I did, I just used fewer words.

In other news. I've come up with a second "all religion day" at the Top 5.

http://top5daily.blogspot.com/

Sister Mary Martha said...

I believe you mentioned Prague. I don't recall you saying where the statue originated, now it got there, the priest who saved it, the fact that it lost it's hands and requested new ones, or that it is invoked for financial stability.

I'm sure you didn't mention ermine, either.
sistermarymartha

Christopher Clark said...

"fewer words"

Sister Mary Martha said...

Christopher, go stand in the corner.

Sister Mary Martha said...

The Pope can be pretty decked out. I was referring to the average parish priest whose daily garb for Mass is color coded, a code which is also followed to dress the Infant of Prague.

Anonymous said...

Interesting story about Infant of Prague. Actually I never heard it, and now I know it. I'd like to have such statue also at home.

Anonymous said...

I was looking at this website to see what the precious Infant Of Prague represents. Last night I could not sleep! I was awaken at least 20 times by the Infant. No he didndt say wake up, but would come in my dreams and I would wake up. I saw him several times, and then just sometimes the name I would be saying over and over in my dreams and I really dont know why. Any ideas out there. I did read the story but it really dont fit any situation I have today.

Anonymous said...

Hi sister Martha today it was avery hard day for me and I cried a lot and then went to sleep a little beacause of the headache caused by crying I don't remember much But I saw the Infant of Prague .I never saw a picture of him but then I searched for it in google and there I find that it was him...Can you pls help me with this dream!!!As sson as I saw him in my dream I began the 9 hours novena...
THANKS A LOT GOD BLESS YOU...

MuZiknMovieZ said...

Hi ... I am in search of a statue of the baby infant of prague...my grandmother had one that was under a glass dome screwed to a brown wooden plate it was porcelain and the robe had a velvety touch im originally from pennsylvania...if you can possibly contact me at michellem8266@gmail.com....my name is michelle miller and i live in florida

neetiques said...

Could you please tell me how to say the Infant of Prague rosary?
Thanks

Anonymous said...

I purchased a Beautiful Infant of Prague Statue at our local St. Vincent DePaul store.When i got home I discovered a small round piece of something stuffed up inside and then tissue stuffed inside to hold it in. It looks like a small round stone or bone item. Would you have any idea what people may have put inside there statues?