Monday, October 07, 2013

The National Shrine of The Infant Jesus of Prague



This Saturday I was passing through Prague, OK (pronounced "Pray-g" when you're in Oklahoma, by the way) and since I had some time to kill, decided to stop at the National Shrine of the Infant Jesus.

What I found was a statue dressed up by faithful adherents.

It reminded me a great deal of the Shinto-Buddhist statues I used to see all over the place in Japan, where the pagans gave "love offerings" to their pagan small-g gods, like so:

Shrine to some pagan god in Kagoshima, Japan. Look how some worshiper was so nice to put a hat and sweater on this dumb idol so it would have protection from the rain. Awwww. Maybe it can't grant favors as efficiently if it's wet and cold. Isaiah 44:9-20

I admit to wondering aloud where this idea comes from, that it's a good idea to depict Jesus as an infant. Obviously there are those among my brethren who believe it's never justifiable to visibly depict Jesus in whatever form (I don't entirely agree but am quite sympathetic to the position), but why an infant? What precisely did Jesus ever do as an infant? My guess is that He ate, slept, made cute noises, quietly learned, and pooped. But the Infant Shrine website tells us this:
Many pilgrims visit the Shrine every day to ask the Little Infant for His help and to thank Him for favors He has granted.
They are asking a nonexistent entity for these favors. Little Infant Jesus does not exist any more than little infant Rhology exists. Infancy is intended to be a mere phase in the life of a person, and it doesn't last long. God created Adam and Eve as fully-grown people and while He intended that they reproduce in the Garden and commanded Noah's family (ie, all of humanity) to multiply and fill the Earth after the Flood as well, He did that to produce worshipers. Infants don't worship, they don't teach others to believe all that Jesus commanded, they don't go into all the world and make disciples. They eat, cry, sleep, make cute noises, quietly learn, and poop.
My best guess is that Roman Catholics make a big deal out of Infant Jesus because Jesus is more approachable when a baby than a full-grown man. Already within Roman theology the idea that Jesus is a hard-hearted Judge to be feared is strong and leads people to ask His mom Mary to help them ask Jesus for stuff, since who can refuse one's mother?

This shrine's slogan is "The more you honor me, the more I will bless you." I can only assume this is an extra-biblical revelation from Jesus Himself. To be consistent, should not Roman Catholics start a TertioCanon and append it to the backs of their Bibles, so as to contain the revelations God is giving here in these latter days? 

The saddest part of all about this shrine actually surprised me. As I got closer I noticed this scene at the base of the statue:

Yes, those are coins, much like one might toss into a fountain for "good luck". What in the world do people think these trinkets are supposed to mean to Almighty God who took on flesh and actually died a horrible torturous death for the sins of His people? And a couple of quarters at some lousy shrine is going to attract more love and favor? The evidence of gross deception in play here had me amazed and saddened. At least I got to take the opportunity to teach my kids about such deception and to think about the differences between this kind of nonsense and biblical worship of Jesus. They're getting it, too.

Oh, and I found a good use for some of the quarters.


15 comments:

James Swan said...

My best guess is that Roman Catholics make a big deal out of Infant Jesus because Jesus is more approachable when a baby than a full-grown man.

Without ever studying this, I would agree with you.

My gut tells me that a Romanist responding to this entry will say something like, "Some of the practices pointed out by Herr Rho are not condoned by the Roman church." But yet, one need only visit South America to see how concerned Rome is about the correct form and practice of piety involved with statues, Icons, pictures, festivals, etc. They don't seem to really care.

I think Rho, you should have put up a sign next to the statue that says: "Free Money here," or perhaps at the nearest laundromat you could post a picture of the statue (with the assorted change) along the comment, "Do your Laundry Free by visiting here."


Off the subject: the wind on the video sounds like the dust bowl was coming.

Rhology said...

the wind on the video sounds like the dust bowl was coming.

LOL, Yank.

Jeff D said...

Yes, "the more you honor me, the more I will bless you" is terrible. But you go too far in dismissing infants for my sensibilities. Infants sound pretty useless. They can't do anything!

What precisely did Jesus ever do as an infant? The Son of God became man and lived, for a time, as an infant. Did that do anything? If it didn't do anything why bother? Why didn't Jesus become a full-grown adult, like Adam? Perhaps he became an infant to be the savior of infants as well as adults.

If the infant Jesus is a non-existent entity, so is Jesus on the cross, or Jesus healing the ten lepers, or Jesus walking on water. After all, Jesus is not dying on the cross right now. Jesus infancy was a brief period in his life, but his time on the cross was even briefer.

James Swan said...

in context, Herr Rho explained:

"Infancy is intended to be a mere phase in the life of a person, and it doesn't last long."

Rhology said...

Why didn't Jesus become a full-grown adult, like Adam?

Well, He did, and that He remains to this very day.

Pray to JESUS, yes, but not Infant Jesus. Pray to Jesus the man. As He really is.

Rhology said...

If it didn't do anything why bother?

It's not that BEING an infant didn't "do" anything. It's that infant*S* don't do anything except pretty much what I listed. Those statements are not the same.

TheDen said...

Contemplation of Jesus as an infant can be a good thing. I don't necessarily condone leaving money for wishes but there can be a special grace in the contemplation of what Jesus was like as an infant.

I think the correct prayer to God (as a Catholic) would be to emulate Jesus as He was as an infant. i.e. Completely full of humility, loving and trusting on His mother, Mary and entrusting in her care.

Christ calls on us to be humble of heart. To understand Jesus as an infant recalls Jesus at His most humble. When He relied on Mary the most.

Here's a Presbyterian who has some fantastic insight on the contemplation of the infant Jesus.

http://www.pres-outlook.com/advent3/8231-contemplating-the-infant-jesus.html

Rhology said...

I think the correct prayer to God (as a Catholic) would be to emulate Jesus as He was as an infant

Why not the pooping part? The lying around all the time? Not doing anything? Why pick the parts you like?

Jeff D said...

I see your points, especially after visiting their website. It is eerie. They explicitly built the chapel in order to venerate a statue. They would do well to smash the statue into tiny bits.

When I read your post, I just thought you were going too far talking infants down. "Is this guy really getting on infants' case for not worshiping and going out to make disciples?"

And what did Jesus do as an infant? He ate! He slept! He made cute noises! He made not-so-cute noises! He pooped! Jesus. The Son of God. Second person of the Trinity.

Would I pray to "infant Jesus"? No. Would I fault someone for making a depiction of that part of Jesus' life? No, not ordinarily. Unless they were praying to the statue or something. It is an amazing thing being depicted. Jesus became an infant.

Rhology said...

It is an amazing thing being depicted. Jesus became an infant.

Well, that's true, as far as it goes. I don't think they made a good faith effort to actually depict His infancy. Just look at that thing!
But I understand what you're saying.

Katy said...

Infant Jesus statues are weird and non-infanty. But I DO like that he took on his Name, already began shedding Blood, and started fulfilling the Law for me when he was 8 days old--because all that was for my salvation. I know there are a lot of non-Lutherans here, but the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus (Jan 1) is the best way to ring in what we popularly call the New Year, right in the middle of sentimentalized/secularized Christmas.

.

TheDen said...

Rhology,

Why not the pooping part? The lying around all the time? Not doing anything? ?

Well, I don't really need any help pooping and I don't think Jesus stopped pooping when He became an adult.

I also don't need help not doing anything.

Why pick the parts you like

I don't necessarily like humility. It's a part of my life I can improve on.

David Waltz said...

Personally, I pay little attention to non-official, 'popular' practices. For instance, I would not allow the following to influence any serious assessment(s) of the PCA:

>>...I was recently informed of a group of elders’ wives and other women in a PCA church who were enjoying a read through 50 Shades of Grey. For those not in the know, this is porn. When someone questioned whether they should be reading and discussing such stuff, the person was met with defensive derision. Really? Well, perhaps it’s OK, because the lead fornicator is named “Christian.”>>

[LINK to full online article.]


Grace and peace,

David

EA said...

"Personally, I pay little attention to non-official, 'popular' practices."

I find those practices interesting in that they offer an insight into what individuals believe and what their church permits. Filipinos for instance that have themselves nailed to crosses are interesting.

PeaceByJesus said...

Already within Roman theology the idea that Jesus is a hard-hearted Judge to be feared is strong and leads people to ask His mom Mary to help them ask Jesus for stuff, since who can refuse one's mother?

And a RC provided a timely quote:

“It is necessary to have recourse to the Virgin because she can only bring you to God. That's her whole mission. She has nothing of self in it at all. She lives only for God and to bring you to God,” said Marian expert Tim Tindal-Robertson during an Oct. 10 interview with CNA. -http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/mary-can-only-bring-us-to-god-expert-says-as-entrustment-nears/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+catholicnewsagency%2Fdailynews+%28CNA+Daily+News%29&utm_term=daily+news