Christ child reveals the mystery of God Incarnate

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

This Sunday, we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany.

Epiphany is one of the most ancient feasts in the Christian calendar - it predates our celebration of Christmas by at least two centuries and arose in the Eastern Church first. "Epiphany" comes from a Greek word epiphaino meaning "to show forth." Epiphany is the feast that celebrates God's appearance among us, revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the Epiphany "the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world" (no. 528).

Epiphany is also the unofficial end of the Christmas season (which liturgically lasts until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on Jan. 13), since it is the last time we will focus on the Nativity scene until next Dec. 24.

Epiphany, which is also the feast of the Three Kings, celebrates not only the appearance of "God with Us," it also celebrates the infancy of Christ. Looking at the crib or hearing, as we do this year, of the flight into Egypt, we face the mystery of our incarnate God. That mystery shows us the mighty king of all ages, who will "destroy every sovereignty, and every authority and power" (1Cor 15:24), also present in a helpless child.

Baby Jesus in the crib is such an approachable figure. We are drawn to him instinctively, without thought. Who can resist a child? And it shows us the lengths to which God will go to get close to us.

There are many images of Christ as a child that have drawn us close. The first to develop were the beardless child shepherds found on the catacombs and tombs of early Christians.

Later came the golden Christ child of the icons of the Eastern Church - with eyes focused on eternity and held in the protective arm of Mary. Perhaps best known to the Western church is Our Lady of Perpetual Help, with the child Jesus seeking Mary's protection from the impending cross.

Other Western images of the Christ child - without the Blessed Mother (or another saint) - include:

Santo Bambino di Ara Coeli

In Rome, on the Capitoline Hill, is a church dating back to the sixth century, built over the ruins of a temple to the goddess, Juno. Legend says that the Virgin and her child - identified as "the Son of God" - appeared there to the Roman emperor Augustus after a prophecy from a pagan priestess. Augustus had an altar of heaven, "ara de coeli," built there in honor of "the king of the Ages."

The statue now there was carved from olive wood by a 15th century Franciscan friar living in Jerusalem. Legend says the wood was from Gethsemane and that the statue's face was painted by angels. It was transported to Italy, surviving a shipwreck.

The Infant of Prague

This small, wood statue first appeared in the 17th century dowry of a Spanish princess who married a Prague prince. Their daughter gave the statue to the Carmelites at the church of Our Lady of Victory in Prague. The statue is of a child, crowned and clothed in royal robes, right hand raised in blessing and holding an orb. The royal orb symbolizes Christ's possession of total power. And the bestowal of a divine blessing - his two raised fingers - symbolize the union of the God-Man.

The Divino Niño of Colombia

While this representation of a happy toddler with gold hair and raised arms that seem to say - "Up, pick me up!" - can be seen robed in blue, the original is robed in pink. The Divine Child statue is an antique found in 1935 in Bogota by Salesian Father John Rizzo. He bought the statue and placed it in a small chapel in the Barrio Viente de Julio. The statue is now in Divino Niño Church in Bogota.

Santo Niño de Atocha, Mexico

In the 13th century, Spain was invaded by the Moors and Atocha (near Madrid) was captured. Christians were imprisoned without food or water. After appealing to their local patron, Our Lady of Atocha, the people began to report a child - dressed as a pilgrim - bringing food and water to the prisoners. Devotion to the Virgin of Atocha came to the New World in Zacatecas, Mexico. After a mining accident and prayers for the Virgin's help, the same mysterious child appeared to the miners to show them the way out.

The Holy Child of Atocha is represented as a pilgrim with a hat, staff and ornate cloak, carrying a basket of bread or roses and a gourd for water. The tradition of bringing shoes to the Holy Child dates to a legend that says the statue in Atocha wears out its shoes, because the divine child travels each night in search of the needy and of sick children.

Each of these images of the Christ child, and the legends surrounding them, shares one thing in common: the belief that God took on human flesh and became one of us. But the message of the Christ child is more awesome still; that we can become one with him. In our weakness, our dependency, our littleness, we become like children. And Jesus wants us to know (Mt 18:1-5) that becoming like children - dependent, little, humble and weak - is a good thing: "To become a child in relation to God is the condition of entering the kingdom," according to the Catechism (no. 526).

And the images of the Christ child make becoming like little one that much easier - after all, who doesn't want to reach out to a little child already reaching out for you?