Faced with a difficult situation, it is possible to go to the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, in order to find the desired solution; For this, it is important, in addition to knowing the respective prayers, to understand the meaning of the novena, as will be presented below.
Novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor
First of all, it is important to say that, regardless of the religious figure to which one goes in request of a favor, which derives in the solution of a certain problem, faith and devotion must be ahead of everything. There are many prayers for this purpose, framed within a specific ritual, however, these can be dead letters and purely symbolic acts, if you are not aware of what is said and done.
In this regard, it is important to highlight the following, a novena, understood as the set of prayers that, recited for 9 consecutive days, seeks to pay tribute to a certain celestial identity, makes sense, from faith and from the knowledge of what that continuity it means. If you are interested in this topic, we recommend you read the following article: Prayer to the mighty hand
In this case, the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, beyond the importance of the text corresponding to the prayers used, is the understanding of its meaning, framed within the historical context that gave rise to it. Certainly it is a commitment of faith and prayer for 9 consecutive days corresponding to emblematic moments in the life of Jesus. See below each of these days.
First day. The Annunciation:
The first day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, alludes to the special moment when the angel Gabriel announces to the young virgin Mary, Joseph's wife, with metaphorical words, the grace that she would have, by conceiving and giving birth to birth a child who would be called Jesus, and who would be none other than the very son of God, who would come to give his father, God the Father, the throne of David.
Faced with his perplexity, the angel told him that the Holy Spirit would come down and with him, all the virtues of the Father, in such a way that the child begotten would be a holy man. The Virgin Mary accepted his words and the holy commitment of such magnificent grace.
Second day. The Visitation
On the second day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, the angel informs Mary about the state of good hope of Elizabeth, a lady who, due to her age, could no longer conceive children, but by the grace of God, the miracle had occurred, since for the Lord nothing is impossible. This news leads her to visit Isabel with whom she shares her experience, and with whom she stays for three months, before returning to her house. Mary feels blessed.
Third day. Jesus birth
This day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor is one of the most important, because it refers to the events that occurred around the birth of Jesus. It is said that when Joseph and Mary were on their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to comply with the registration requirement, corresponding to a census ordered by Emperor Augustus, the time came for Mary to give birth.
Not finding an inn, they had to take refuge in a manger, where in fact the baby Jesus was born. Pastors who were in that place were surprised by an angel of the Lord, who gave them the good news about the birth of the son of God, the expected Messiah. Following the signs of the angel, the shepherds indeed found him, in diapers and in the manger. Everyone was very excited.
Fourth day. The presentation of Jesus.
It is very important to understand the importance of the fourth day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, because on this occasion, not only does the child appear before the Jewish religious authorities in the temple, but also, thanks to the words of Simeon, a just man of the time, not only the divine origin of the child is established, but also the important role he would play for the peoples, Israel and humanity in general.
It is said that Simeon had previously been warned by the Holy Spirit about this fact, so when he saw Mary and Joseph enter the Temple with the child, he had no doubt about what was happening. It is understood how amazed everyone would be at this moment
Fifth day. The Magi visit the Child Jesus
As expected, the rumor about the birth of such a peculiar creature spread to other places, reaching the ears of some magi, who, guided by a star from the East, went to Jerusalem, asking where that child king of the Jews was. . This fifth day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, serves to remember these events, where it is known that both the magi and King Herod felt great curiosity and concern about this.
Herod, worried about the connotation of king, attributed to this newborn child, asked the wise men to go in search of him, so that after being informed, he would also go to pay tribute to him. Since it was already known that he was in Bethlehem, the wise men went there, bringing him gold, frankincense and myrrh as presents. On the spot they worshiped him and then returned to his land, without informing Herod, for in a dream they had been warned of his wickedness.
Sixth day. The Child Jesus in the Temple
The sixth day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, refers to an important event in the life of Jesus, when he was just a 12-year-old boy, a day of Easter celebration in the temple, instead of return home with their parents, once the acts are over; he stays for three days, in the place, sharing with the teachers.
His parents, anguished after finding him, are surprised at the performance of the boy, who had managed to impress those who were there with his talent. When Maria asked him the reason for his action, he answered her, remembering that he was where she belonged, in his Father's house. Mary and Joseph did not understand his words, they all went back to their home in Nazareth.
Seventh day. The final judgement.
This day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, invites reflection on the moment in which Jesus speaks about what will happen on the day of the final judgment. According to this, on that special day, the son of man and his angels, sitting on his throne, and in front of him, the whole world, will proceed to separate the sheep from the goats.
On the right he will place the sheep, understood here as these, those people who, for their good behavior, that is, who provided food and shelter to the needy, will ascend to the kingdom of heaven; on the contrary, to his left, he will place the goats, that is, those people who, due to their bad behavior, will be taken to hell.
Eighth day. The rich and the poor
On the eighth day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, it is important to remember the words of Jesus when expressing through a story, the difference between what could be obtained, according to the actions in life. Jesus said the following: there were two men, one rich and one poor. The rich enjoyed great abundance, translated into fine clothing and banquets. The poor man named Lázaro, on the contrary, suffered from hunger and hardship.
One day the poor man died, being taken to heaven with Abraham, where he could enjoy a full existence. Another day the rich man died, but he was buried and then taken to Hades, where to his regret he suffered enormous torments. Given this, the rich man asks Abraham the reason for his miserable situation, Abraham replies, that in life he had already enjoyed his material goods, while the poor man had only experienced discomfort.
The rich man begs and asks to take him to heaven, or at least for Lazarus to wet his tongue with a little water; Abraham replies that this is impossible, due to the great abyss between the two places, so the man asks that he please send someone to notify his family of this situation, as a warning; Abraham tells him that it is not necessary because for that they have Moses and the prophets. Adding, in addition, if they do not listen to them, they will pay less attention to a dead person.
ninth day The son of God
On the last day of the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, the cycle of prayer closes, during which peak moments in the life of Jesus were recalled. This particular day must serve to reaffirm in the conscience of the devotee, the fact that Jesus as the son of God, lived among us and came to give light to humanity, to overcome darkness and remind us that it is only the truth.
Origin of the devotion to the Divine Child Jesus
Definitely the devotions towards the son of God do not spare any of the aspects that make up his earthly life; there are parishioners who express devotion to the crucified Jesus, others raise prayers for the mantle that covered the body after his crucifixion, others adore his hands or his eyes, since through them his divine power is expressed.
There are also people who express admirable veneration towards the figure of Jesus as a child. This religious consideration of adoring the child Jesus supposes taking into account the period of the life of the son of God, up to the age of 12, when it is considered that he began to show signs of maturity, out of the ordinary, when exchanging opinions in that moment of his life, with recognized sages, evidencing at such a young age, manifestations of maturity worthy of admiration.
As expressed at the beginning of this work, the life of Jesus, the son of God, on the earthly plane, left a large number of objects of worship by his faithful, but there are few references that exist where they worship, or devotion to the childhood stage of Jesus, to ask him for a favor; however, several regions are recognized in the Catholic world where honors are paid to the child Jesus.
They can be pointed out among the most renowned: El Niño Jesús de Escuque in Trujillo Venezuela; The Holy Child of Atocha Spain; The Infant Jesus of Prague; The Holy Child of the Afflicted in San Cristóbal de la Laguna in Tenerife Spain; The Divine Child Jesus of Florence in Colombia; The Divine Child of July 20 in Bogotá Colombia; The Child Jesus of Tepeaca Puebla Mexico; The Niñopa of Xochimilco in Mexico City.
When making a description of the cult towards the blessed child Jesus, one would have to start by saying that, from the popular point of view, in many parts of the world on December 25, the birth of the child Jesus is celebrated. Basically it can be indicated that those regions of the world, where the Catholic Christian religion predominates and where the Anglo-Saxon influence is not so impressive or predominant, the veneration of the child Jesus is present.
We are referring to areas such as the Iberian Peninsula (Spain), and most Latin American countries. In this time of Christmas commemoration, the letters, and expectations of gifts that children have, for that date, are addressed to the child God, to the child Jesus. In the Catholic Christian world, this Christmas custom is deeply rooted.
There is no child from a Catholic family, who does not make his letter addressed to the baby Jesus, obtaining his presents, after corroborating his good behavior throughout the year. However, from the religious liturgical point of view, it is in 1200 AD, that it is known, as the great Saint Francis of Assisi venerated the image and miraculous strength of the baby Jesus, making at the time of his nativity, an allegorical manger to his birth and the joy that for a Christian this symbolized.
Saint Anthony of Padua at this same time, is also recognized a great fervor towards the child Jesus, for this reason, it is that his figure always appears hugging an image of the child or his presence is close to him. In the same orientation was San Cayetano, who kept a deep devotion to the child Jesus, invoking his image and sanctifying the favors received by Jesus in his childhood.
Two other important characters considered saints, and with a great inclination towards the child son of God, were Santa Teresa and San Juan de la Cruz. The first, Saint Teresa, is known as Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, since from a vision she had, she joined her adoration, always carrying a statuette of the Holy Child everywhere, and placing as a requirement in any church founded by her, the obligation to place the figure of the Holy Child Jesus as the central emblem of the church.
Already in the XNUMXth century, in Barranquilla Colombia, the Salesian order, needing to build a temple, selects Father Juan Rizzo to go out to look for alms for that purpose; The father did not like the job of asking, however, with discipline and daily, he went out to fulfill the task entrusted to him, but without achieving any achievement, until one day, before leaving, he decided to pray to the image of Mary Help of Christians. If you are interested in this topic, we recommend you read the following article: Catholic prayers for children
Seeing that she was holding the child God in her arms, she fixed her eyes on the child, feeling that he was saying to her: “take me with you on your trip”; Father Rizzo, faced with the situation, then decided to ask not the mother of God, as she used to do, but the child, son of God. The results were immediate, as he received a large number of donations, tripling the one who ranked second in this activity.
From this fact, Father Rizzo tells how the miracle was forged that he always kept in his mind and in his heart, the image of the baby Jesus, with his arms open, asking to be welcomed. For this father, the Divine Child in his magnanimity, came to fill us with blessings.
Later, Father Rizzo traveled to Bogotá, with the mission of founding another church, but this time he would do it in a very poor neighborhood called July 20; It was 1935, on this occasion the parish priest had the impediment of not being able to use the image of the child God, of San Antonio de Padua; so he proceeded to look for a new image of the child Jesus, getting one, considered to be the most beautiful image of the existing child.
This image was provided to him by an Italian artist who had an art store specializing in religious motifs; The piece was taken to the 20 de Julio neighborhood and in the midst of his desolate poverty, Father Rizzo forged a movement of veneration for the Blessed Child Jesus, successfully accomplishing his task.
Father Rizzo, by developing the cult of the child Jesus and his miraculous faculties, also worked with great success, charity, the work of caring for the most needy; There is no possibility that the child does not fulfill a wish, if you do not perform an action of kindness, of mercy towards your neighbor. The kindness and miraculous will of the child soon spread and reached the most remote places, not only in the country, but in the world.
People in need of some favor, financially, health-wise, or family-wise, did not hesitate to go to church and pray to the baby Jesus, with the greatest charge of faith. Such popularity gave rise to the appearance of images of him in different regions. There are images of the child Jesus that are the best known by believers, to which the greatest miraculous force is assigned, such as: The Child Jesus of Prague, the Holy Child of Atocha, the Divine Child of Arenzano, and the miraculous Child Jesus of Bogota
According to Father Rizzo, there are four aspects that he recommends doing to anyone who wants a favor of the blessed child Jesus: first they must celebrate a mass in honor of the child Jesus, for 9 days, every Sunday and there they must receive communion in at least one of they; this is known, with the name of the novena to the divine child Jesus to ask for a favor; then approximately 50 grams of chocolate, or food, must be delivered to a needy person.
The third condition states that, if the person has resources, he can give what is known as a complete market to the poor. Finally, as a last condition, the miraculous strength of the child Jesus must be disclosed using the necessary means, and an invitation to visit the temple, where the child Jesus resides, and prove the miraculous essence of him.
Generalities
As stated previously, devotion to the Divine Child is a belief that is widespread, irradiated in many countries, especially in the Spanish-speaking world, specifying that it is in: Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia, where his veneration reaches mass considerations. , reaching large human contingents.
But basically, it is in the Republic of Colombia, where his sainthood is commemorated throughout the year; in Mexico and Venezuela, his honor is concentrated in regions, for example, in Venezuela the cult is rooted in the Andean region, particularly in the state of Mérida (festivals in his honor run from December to February 3); and in Mexico in the state of Puebla.
In these countries, but especially in Colombia, it is no surprise to find in the Catholic Churches, the image of the Divine Child, celebrated by a large number of parishioners, who also invoke him through prayer, or by practicing the novena to the Divine. Child Jesus to ask for a favor, precisely looking for some kind of protection, inspired by the miraculous effluvium of the holy Child.
In order to promote his invocation even more, but with a better and greater awareness of the meaning that venerating the son of God implies, in his phase as an infant, we will now proceed to present a series of arguments that will allow greater clarity, above all, if it is intended request your favors.
Special Consideration in the Bible
The most important religious memories in the world have a sacred text that serves as an orientation, as a guide; in it, what the deity wants from her congregation is expressed. In this case, although it does not refer specifically to the cult of the Divine Child, explicitly, there are phrases and considerations in this sacred book, where they refer to the meaning of venerating this entity.
For example, when the Bible establishes that every Christian practitioner must seek his evolution, his personal transformation, aspiring to emulate the figure of Jesus, that is, every person who longs to be a good Christian must, in turn, recognize that, in front of his Creator , is a tiny figure, totally dependent on the will of God; the human being is like a helpless child who needs or longs for the protection of his father (Matthew 18.3).
Also, when the human being has awareness in his mind, and the internal feeling of faith, of that relationship, in this case, the path to his eternal salvation is guaranteed; Performing the prayer to the Child Jesus to ask for favors, allows us to perceive that everything that is longed for in the name of the son of God, will be fulfilled with certainty (John 14.13).
Historical data of his devotion
The oldest consideration, on the devotion to the Divine Child, that is to say to the son of God, relates that the complete family of Jesus, when he was very young, took a walk to a place in Judea (Israel), called Mount Carmel. Although the objective of the family was spiritual recollection, that is, they went with the task of carrying out a family prayer process, the activity became very enjoyable.
The members of the family enjoyed the moment, they generally attended: Jesus, Mary, Joseph; his parents, but his grandparents San Joaquín and Santa Ana also made an appearance. Apparently the presence in the place, on the part of Jesus represented great interest, the child attracted attention, later after his death, resurrection and subsequent ascension, the faithful go to the Mount Carmel site, to pay tribute to the child God, begging him for his favors.
Spread of Prayer
In this aspect, evidence has been found that other sanctified figures spread the prayer to the Divine Child and of course the Novena to the Divine Child Jesus, to ask for a favor; the first to whom these roles are recognized are: San Antonio de Padua and San Cayetano, these even in their images, carry a child in their arms. Other important saints for the Catholic Church are also recognized as having responsibilities in the spread of prayer (Saint Teresa).
Baby Jesus rewards his followers
This refers to how faithful the child Jesus is with his followers, when they request his grace, for some favor; If you do it with the greatest possible sensitivity, with the most fervent faith, everything will be granted to you. This principle is based on a famous story where Jesus made a promise to a devout woman from a French convent that if she demanded a favor through the image of the child Jesus, nothing would be denied her. The nun had the task of preaching the prayer to the Divine Child to ask for favor.
Representations of the child Jesus
To the extent that the miraculous force of the Divine Child spreads, its popularity deepens, reaching practically unthinkable limits. There are worshipers of the baby Jesus in areas of Asia, where there are Catholic Christian communities, here probably the cult is also present. This condition of popularity arouses the interest of artists who try to carve statuettes with the image of the baby Jesus, as beautiful and attractive as possible.
Devotion in Mexico
The devotion to the childhood of the son of God has its particular roots in each region of the world where it is present. In the case of Mexico, the fervor towards the figure of the Divine Child Jesus can be seen in the set of prayers, celebrations and requests for favors that the Mexican people make to the so-called Santo Niño de Atocha. His sanctuary (Santuario de Plateros), located in Fresnillo Zacatecas, is currently an important place of pilgrimage.
It is said that the original devotion was born in Spain, when the Christians, imprisoned and held incommunicado by the Moors (only children could visit them), thanks to the intervention of the Child Jesus, managed to obtain consolation for their ills and the food they required to continue living. Since then, miracles began to be attributed to him. achieving great popularity.
In this regard, it is not possible to establish precisely at what moment in the history of Mexico, the veneration of the Santo Niño de Atocha was born, from what if there is reference, it is that it probably began to develop, from the arrival in this country, of the image of Our Lady of Atocha, brought by the Spanish. In fact, miners who settled in Plateros (place of the sanctuary) considered this child as their protector ever since.
Details of the prayer to the Divine Child
As has been said in the development of this work, the prayer to the Divine Child that is made in the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, has tremendous power, which guarantees its efficiency; the prayer contains the following details: in its first part, the deity must be named, indicating his relationship with the Creator Father, pointing out that he is the love of the believer and the hope of all those who believe in Christ.
The Divine Child can be indicated or named as a precious and beautiful child; the demanded favor is totally conditioned to the power of the Divine Child; it is pointed out that he already knows his shortcomings and anguish; They confess to him the total faith that they will acquire the calm and motivation that will turn insecurity into optimism, also, that the child is the son of God the Father and his closeness to the great Divine Power generates a lot of confidence in his miraculous vocation.
In the end, with great humility, but with fervent faith, what is desired is detailed in precise form, and the execution of the favor is left in his hands, he prays that the intermediation before God the Father always be enlightened, the farewell must be adorned with the word Amen, and do not forget to recite two Our Fathers, two Hail Marys and a Glory.
Closing remarks
Analyzing the social behavior around the deity of the Divine Child is definitely a curious and interesting fact to observe, in the first place, due to the speed with which the cult spread in the Colombian country, where the most generalized fervor spreads in all its strata. social; let us remember that it all began in 1914 in a very poor sector of the city of Barranquilla, and today the proliferation of the image of the Divine Child is seen everywhere.
We can find this image in parks, squares, public and private institutions, taxis, buses, mechanical workshops, all seeking divine protection and what is surprising is that its dissemination does not come from any advertising campaign organized by the church for that purpose, however , the facts prove the fervor of a people, which almost in its entirety venerates with faith and respect, the image of the Divine Child.
It is said that, in the most difficult moments of the country, involved in countless crises generated by political violence, drug trafficking, organized crime, corruption at all levels, collective and selective assassinations; The Colombian people have appealed to spirituality, asking the Divine Child for his intermediation to achieve the desired climate of tranquility and peace.
It is said that in those dark and dark moments that the country lived, the popularity of the Divine Child became greater, more popular and apparently the prayer addressed to him was a means or channel through which the Colombian people traveled seeking the strength that it would reinvigorate their hope in a better country.
As stated above, spirituality was a great defense mechanism for the Colombian people, in the face of so many calamities; the prayer to the Divine Child was a refuge where millions of people seeking hope found shelter.
Despite the events that took place in that country, characterized by the cruelest violence, which caused a general destabilization throughout the nation (Colombia is the country with the most refugees in the world); many behaviors between people, of collaboration, solidarity, mutual help, and help to the needy were evidenced; It seems as if a miraculous event had occurred, in the midst of such a serious social conflict.
Conflicting people began to get closer and seek balanced solutions, and today, despite the fact that violence and anxiety continue, the intensity of the conflict is not felt as much. It is said that the faith placed in the prayer to the Divine Child was the miraculous balm that helped lower the levels of violence.
Although an objective causal relationship cannot be established between what happened in the Colombian country and its apparent pacification, as a consequence of an act of faith, without a doubt the spirituality of the people and their faith in their deities, especially their cult toward the goodness of the Divine Child, the cultivation of his prayer was a significant refuge, in which large sectors focused their desires for peace.
Finally, it has to be considered that the prayer to the Divine Child and the novena to the Divine Child Jesus to ask for a favor, are devotions that arise in the person and are nourished with due faith; His cult is used to achieve certain favors, depending on the individual need that is being experienced.
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