Devotion to the Divine Child Jesus is born in the very heart of Christmas: in Bethlehem, where the Son of God became small to draw closer to everyone. This devotion prolongs the grace of Christmas throughout the year: the Child who was born to save us continues to give us His gifts.
Precisely, the Divine Child is represented with open arms, in a gesture of welcome, because He wants to receive and embrace each one. He wants us to give Him all our worries, to turn to Him, and to feel comforted by His tenderness.
So that you can contemplate the mystery of the Lord’s childhood and ask for His graces, we will share with you the history of this devotion and a series of prayers to the Divine Child Jesus.
History of the Devotion to the Divine Child
Origins
According to tradition, the first devotion to the Child Jesus was born on Mount Carmel, in Israel. There, Jesus used to walk and pray with Mary, Joseph, and his grandparents Joachim and Anne. The pious men who prayed in that place came to deeply love the little Jesus. After his Ascension, they continued remembering and venerating his childhood.
As time passed, when the Carmelites spread throughout Europe, they took with them this love for the Child God, planting the seed of a universal devotion.
The Saints and the Divine Child Jesus
Since the dawn of the 13th century, the figure of the Child Jesus began to occupy a central place in Christian spirituality thanks to Saint Francis of Assisi, who around the year 1200 inaugurated the first living Nativity scene to show the humility of God made child and awaken a deep love for the Birth of the Lord. A tradition recounted that the saint of Assisi approached the image of the Child Jesus moved by the scene when, suddenly, it came to life before those present for an instant.
Other saints have had the joy of seeing the Divine Child, such as Saint Anthony of Padua. They say that the little one appeared luminous, smiling, gladdening the heart of the saint, who was very ill. He sweetly took Him in his arms.
For his part, Saint Cajetan had a similar experience. The Blessed Virgin placed the Child Jesus in his arms while he celebrated his first Mass in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, in front of the relic of the cradle of the Divine Child. This vision marked him for life, to such an extent that he used to ask for graces “through the merits of the childhood of Jesus”.
Already in the 16th century, the devotion spread throughout Europe through the great Carmelite mystics: Saint Teresa of Jesus and Saint John of the Cross. On one occasion, as the Saint was descending some stairs in the convent of the Incarnation of Ávila, a beautiful child appeared to her, and thinking that it was a brother or nephew of some religious of the community, the Saint turned to him asking:
-What is your name, beautiful child?
-And you, what is your name?- he asked in turn.
-I am Teresa of Jesus- replied the Saint.
–Well, I am Jesus of Teresa, he replied.
It was the Child Jesus. After that vision, Saint Teresa decided to always carry with her a small image of the Divine Child and leave another in each foundation. She also composed several Christmas carols for Him.
- You may be interested in: Devotion to the mysteries of the Childhood of Jesus
The great promise of the Divine Child
In 1636, Jesus spoke to the Venerable Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament, a Carmelite nun of the convent of Beaune (France):
“Whatever you want to ask, ask it through the merits of my childhood, and nothing will be denied to you.”
Since then, many devotees throughout the world have asked the Father for graces through the merits of the childhood of Jesus, and have obtained admirable favors.
Images of the Divine Child Jesus
For three centuries, love for the Child Jesus has spread throughout Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Highly venerated images have emerged, among them:
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Child Jesus of Prague (Czech Republic)
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Holy Child of Atocha (Mexico)
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Divine Child of Arenzano (Italy)
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Divine Child Jesus of Bogotá (Colombia)
Prayers to the Divine Child Jesus
Prayer to the Divine Child to ask for a grace
This prayer is special for asking favors of the Divine Child. It is advisable to pray it for three consecutive days, asking for the grace that you wish to achieve.
Divine Child Jesus, owner of my heart and my life,my tender and adored Child,I come to You full of hope,I come to You begging for Your mercy,I want to ask You for the abundant blessingsthat You pour out on Your faithful devotees,those that Your open armsdistribute with love and generosity.O beloved Child, blessed Savior,stay with me alwaysto separate me from eviland make me like You,making me grow in wisdom and gracebefore God and men.O sweet and little Child Jesus,I will always love You with all my soul!Divine Child Jesus, bless usDivine Child Jesus, hear usDivine Child Jesus, help us.Kind Child of my life,comfort of the Christian,the grace that I need so muchand that causes me despair and overwhelm,that makes me feel restlessness in my lifeI put in Your blessed hands:(ask with much faith for what you want to achieve).Our Father who art in heaven…You who know my sorrowsfor I entrust everything to You,grant peace to the afflictedand give relief to my heart.Hail Mary, full of grace…And although I do not deserve Your love,I will not turn to You in vain,for You are the son of Godand the help of Christians.Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…Remember, O beloved Holy Child,that it has never been said,that anyone has implored before Youwithout receiving Your help,therefore, with simplicity and confidence,humble and repentant,full of love and hope,knowing the miracles You workand how quickly You grant remedy,with hope I ask You for this favor:(repeat what you want to obtain).Divine Child Jesus, bless us,Divine Child Jesus, hear us,Divine Child Jesus, comfort us,Divine Child Jesus, help us,Divine Child Jesus, protect us,Divine Child Jesus defend us,Divine Child Jesus, in You we trust.So be it.Pray the Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
A minute with the Divine Child Jesus
Bless me, Child Jesus, and pray for me without ceasing. Keep sin away from me, today and always. If I stumble, extend Your hand towards me. If I fall a hundred times, raise me up a hundred times. If You leave me, Child, what will become of me? Assist me in the dangers of the world. I want to live and die under Your mantle. I want my life to make You smile. Look at me with compassion, do not leave me, my Jesus. And, in the end, come out to receive me and take me with You. May Your blessing accompany me today and always. Amen. Alleluia.
Pray a Glory Be.
Prayer to the Divine Child in the face of adversity
Child Jesus: You are the King of Peace, help me to accept without bitterness the things I cannot change.
You are the strength of the Christian; give me courage to transform what in me must improve.
You are eternal wisdom; teach me in every moment how I must act to please God more and do greater good to other people.
I beg You, through the merits of Your childhood, to You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Act of Adoration to the Divine Child
I adore You, kind Child of the manger, the most humble and the greatest of the sons of men, and the poorest and the richest, the weakest and the most powerful.
I bless You, because You have deigned to descend to me, to be my model in the practice of all virtues, my guide in the difficulties of life, and my comfort in the days of affliction.
I love You, because You come to me with infinite love; with generous love, which my ingratitude does not tire; with obliging love, which anticipates the late impulses of my heart; with patient love, which awaits my conversion to love me even more tenderly.
Therefore, with a heart full of gratitude, on my knees at the foot of this bed of straw, I adore, bless, and love You, with all the fervor of my soul, and I dare to lift my eyes to my God, who deigns to look at me.
Prayer to the Child of Bethlehem by Saint John XXIII
Sweet Child of Bethlehem, make us penetrate with all our soul into this profound mystery of Christmas. Put in the hearts of men that peace that they seek, sometimes with so much violence, and that only You can give. Help them to know each other better and to live fraternally as children of the same Father.
Also reveal to them Your beauty, Your holiness, and Your purity. Awaken in their hearts love and gratitude for Your infinite goodness. Unite them in Your charity. And give us all Your heavenly peace. Amen.
Advent invites us to contemplate the Messiah who arrives small, humble, and close. Devotion to the Divine Child Jesus arises precisely from the wonder at the childhood of Jesus, a stage in which the tenderness of God is revealed with all its strength.
From the Scriptures, Jesus himself teaches us the spiritual value of becoming small:
“Unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 18:3).
To honor the childhood of the Lord is to recognize that God acts with power precisely when we become like children and abandon ourselves trustingly to His Holy Will. This is the spirit with which we must prepare our hearts and reap much fruit from Advent and Christmas.
Would you like to live Advent more prayerfully? Here are some articles that may help you do so:
What are the 4 Sundays of the Advent calendar?:Everything you need to know about the Advent season, along with practical tips to enter it more deeply.
Advent Wreath: Prayers for the 4 Sundays: Welcome the coming of Christ with family prayer around the Advent wreath.
6 Curious Facts about the Immaculate Conception: Learn more about this great feast in honor of our Blessed Mother, celebrated on December 8.
Virgin of the Sweet Expectation: 5 Prayers: Let us contemplate Our Most Holy Mother at the end of her pregnancy, ready to give birth to the Savior.
The Meaning of the Christmas Tree: Discover the Christian symbolism behind the Christmas tree.
What does the Divine Child Jesus represent?
The Divine Child Jesus represents the childhood of Jesus Christ and, in a particular way, the mystery of the Incarnation. The devotion highlights the closeness, simplicity, and humanity of Christ from his early years, and refers directly to the event of Christmas narrated in the Gospels.
What is a powerful prayer to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a miracle?
A traditional prayer to ask for the help of the Divine Child Jesus is the following:
“Divine Child Jesus, I trust in Your love and in Your mercy. I give You this need (name the intention) and I ask You to present it before the Father. If it is for my good and for Your glory, grant me the grace that I beg You for. Amen.”
This prayer expresses confidence in the will of God and in the intercession of the Child Jesus.
What is the miraculous 3-day prayer that never fails?
The prayer that begins like this and that you can find in this article is popularly known as the “three-day prayer”:
The Church does not guarantee specific results, but recognizes the spiritual value of persevering prayer.
When is the day of the Divine Child Jesus celebrated?
The celebration of the Divine Child Jesus varies according to the region. In many Latin American countries, it is commemorated on July 26, a date disseminated by the devotion that arose in Bogotá. However, any feast related to the childhood of Jesus—especially Christmas and the feast of the Holy Family—also constitutes a liturgical framework for honoring the Child Jesus.
What miracle does the Divine Child Jesus perform?
The devotion attributes to the Divine Child Jesus numerous spiritual and material favors received by the faithful. The Church teaches that every miracle comes from God, and the intercession of the Child Jesus is understood as a particular way of turning to Christ in his childhood. More than focusing on concrete events, this devotion invites us to trust in the love, protection, and guidance of Jesus.
