Infant Jesus

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onlinebuddy

onlinebuddy

Senior Member
Sep 1, 2012
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I have many Catholics among my friends and family, who believe in "Infant Jesus."
Would just like to know everyone's views about the concept and origin of Infant Jesus.
 
Jesus was an infant at one time, certainly. The Wisemen honored Him as such, and Herod tried to kill HIm as such. It is well after the days of the WiseMen and Herod, and Jesus is now so much more. I think we would be better worshipping Jesus as the victor sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us.
 
kenisyes said:
Jesus was an infant at one time, certainly. The Wisemen honored Him as such, and Herod tried to kill HIm as such. It is well after the days of the WiseMen and Herod, and Jesus is now so much more. I think we would be better worshipping Jesus as the victor sitting at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us.
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That's true, Kenisyes. That's how I would like to picture Jesus. However, I have noticed that, in India, people PRAY to Infant Jesus as if time has stood still, and Jesus had never grown up to be an adult. That never made any sense to me. That's why I ask my Catholic friends, with all due respect, to explain this belief.
 
Here is a description of Him today...

Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Caused John to pass out.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

And His first punitive act upon His return is to burn the Beast and the False Prophet to death in the Lake of Fire.

You suppose He is still the Infant Jesus today?
 
onlinebuddy said:
That's true, Kenisyes. That's how I would like to picture Jesus. However, I have noticed that, in India, people PRAY to Infant Jesus as if time has stood still, and Jesus had never grown up to be an adult. That never made any sense to me. That's why I ask my Catholic friends, with all due respect, to explain this belief.
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I grew up Catholic, and have Catholic education through masters degree. I was in Catholic ministry for10 years full time. I know of no reason why anyone proposes you should pray to Baby Jesus. The only thing I ever heard, is, if it suits you to do so, it is not wrong. In India, I suspect there may still be leftovers of pagan god worship active, increasing the amount it is done, but i do not know.
 
Here are the closing lines of a Catholic prayer to St. Anthony of Padua (born in 1195). One of my Catholic friends posted it on facebook recently:
...O gentle and loving Saint Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms, and thee gratitude of my heart will always be yours.

St. Anthony is always portrayed as holding the infant Jesus in his arms.

Now, there are two things about this prayer that do not make sense to me:
1) How can a person who was born approx. a thousand years after Jesus hold the infant Jesus in his arms?
2) How can someone (assuming that he had the power) whisper into the ears of "Infant Jesus" when Jesus is no longer an infant?

I mean, someone's missing out on the time frame. Even if we assume for a moment that canonized Catholics saints have the power to intercede for those on earth, how can anyone in the right mind miss out on the timeline? It sounds all absurd.
Isn't this what man-made tradition does to you? It blinds you to the truth.

I do not intend to cause any controversy or division. Just am expressing myself.
 
kenisyes said:
I grew up Catholic, and have Catholic education through masters degree. I was in Catholic ministry for10 years full time. I know of no reason why anyone proposes you should pray to Baby Jesus. The only thing I ever heard, is, if it suits you to do so, it is not wrong. In India, I suspect there may still be leftovers of pagan god worship active, increasing the amount it is done, but i do not know.
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Yes, there is a lot of pagan worship in India. The mother son worship of Yashoda and Krishna is very popular. There are Catholic shrines dedicated to Mother Mary in Tamil Nadu, and to Infant Jesus in Kerala. People flock to these places, as many miracles are attributed to mother mary and infant jesus. The prime focus of visitors is to seek favors. I guess the concept of Infant Jesus is prevalent in Europe as well; not just in India.
 
onlinebuddy said:

Now, there are two things about this prayer that do not make sense to me:
1) How can a person who was born approx. a thousand years after Jesus hold the infant Jesus in his arms?
2) How can someone (assuming that he had the power) whisper into the ears of "Infant Jesus" when Jesus is no longer an infant?
Click to expand...

If it is not wrong to pray to Jesus as a baby (as the church teaches), then it was not wrong for Anthony to do it. The statue simply reflects the historical fact that Anthony prayed to the infant. It is to be interpreted as a reminder, not an actual historical event. The same is true of the prayer. It is not expected to be fulfilled literally, but is asking Anthony to speak to Jesus, the resurrected adult, as the Cath. Ch. teaches any saint can do. This is the catholic answer.

The best comparison is of legendary people like Santa Claus for the unsaved. Many unsaved people believe in Santa as a symbol of the spirit of Christmas, which they consider a spirit of joyfulness and giving. Pictures, TV appearances, weather tracking of his sleigh, and letters from the North Pole do not prove he actually exists, and asking his "helper" at the mall to "take your Christmas order" is much like whispering to a non-existent infant.

The Catholic Church was the home church for most of the Christian world for many centuries when almost no-one could read. So they made pictures, legends, statues, and simple prayers that a child could remember, as symbols of certain things. The whole thing here that you are asking about is just a picture, of a symbol, of the Scriptural fact that Jesus became a little Baby when He was born.
 
Ken,
I agree that the statues such as that of St. Anthony carrying the infant Jesus were symbols to those who could not read, and at a time when maybe the Bible was not available to every person. However, when the Bible became available, people still stuck to the symbolism.

When the Bible actually became available to everyone, they should have read the Bible to cross check whether all their beliefs were true or not. Instead, the Christian world did exactly the opposite. They interpreted the Bible to suit and support their traditions.

When a catholic prays to St Anthony and asks him to whisper into the ears of Jesus, he or she believes that St. Anthony is a mediator. Similarly, Mother Mary is believed to be a mediator between mankind and Jesus.

Also, we cannot compare St. Anthony with a fictional character such as Santa, can we? When someone talks to Santa, it is understood that it is just a tradition. However, when someone prays to St. Anthony, it is because he believes in St. Anthony (and other canonized saints) as a mediator.

My simple point is this: Why can't people get over the symbolism, if that's what it is? It is misleading many others.
 
If you are only praying to "baby Jesus", then that can be a binding that inhibits spiritual growth and knowing Jesus as our Great Shepherd, there is definitely a lot of parallels with other pagan worship and ideas, nothing new, its what the Catholic church has been doing since day 1, incorporating practices and rituals which reflect other pagan practices in order to say "look we not that much different, so join us instead" That was standard Roman practice too, so made sense it continued when the Emperor took over as head of church.
 
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