Just a lay-brother.
“Just a lay-brother” - that is how priests and family referred to the vocation when I was young, as if it was a loser vocation. In fact, there is a long line of various lay-brother saints in the history of the Church and religious orders.
Today we celebrate one of them, St. Paschal Baylon, a Spanish Alcantarine Franciscan. (1540-1592) He was a simple lay-brother possessing great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady. He is depicted here holding the Child Jesus, a favor Our Lady granted him in a vision.
I love the saints devoted to the Child Jesus, it seems the simplicity and humility of the Divine Child, along with a chaste purity, becomes the special hallmark of their spirituality.
The novena to the Infant Jesus began yesterday in many Carmels (though some people begin it today). Devotion to the Infant Jesus is a wonderful support to those struggling with sins against chastity, or those who come from a childhood of unhappiness, abuse, or neglect of whatever sort. Devotion to the Divine Child is not just for children, but for grown-ups who seek to become like little children as well.
May 17th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I didn’t know the Novena to the Infant Jesus began. Which novena? The Infant of Prague? Can anyone post a link (if it’s online)?
May 17th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
Julie, here is one site for a novena:
http://www.infantjesus.com/novena.htm
Some make the novena in the honor of the Infant of Prague, others make the novena in honor of the Infant Jesus of Cebu, the Infant of Atocha, or another devotion to the Infant Jesus. Same Jesus, just different clothes and miracles…lots of miracles.
May 17th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Thanks, Terry.
I wear a medal of the Infant of Prague, that was given to me by a religious Sister in Lincoln, NE, who got it from another Sister there who got it from the Shrine of the Infant of Prague in Europe, on the occasion of finding out that St. Wenceslaus adopted me this year. (The relics of St. Wenceslaus is at the Shrine of the Infant of Prague).
So…that’s my novena, I think.