Prayers to the Grace-Filled Loretto Child of Salzburg
1. Brochure
Divine Infant, bless us!
Brief history of the Loretto Child
Since 1650 the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Salzburg have housed a precious treasure. It is the widely beloved Grace-Filled Loretto Child, to which countless people pilgrimage to entrust their cares and needs.
And those devotees of the Divine Infant who cannot come in person travel on the express train of their longing heart to the little Christ the King, who receives the weary and burdened with open arms.
The history of the ivory statuette made by an unknown artist can be traced back to the year 1620. At that time Countess Oettingen gave the only 11 cm tall statue to Mother Euphrasia Silberrath, who was in the process of founding a new monastery in Ensisheim in Alsace. At the same place Fr. Johannes Chrysostomus Schenk stood at that time at the head of the Capuchins as Guardian and Master of Novices. When this saintly religious, who had had a very lively relationship with the Divine Child since youth, saw the beautiful figurine at Mother Euphrasia, he begged so long until it was finally lent to him until his foundation of a monastery.
Through his tender and heartfelt devotion to the Infant Jesus he was soon generally called the "Christkindl Father". The Divine Infant rewarded his love with many and extraordinary graces. He died in the odour of sanctity on November 25, 1643 at Delemont.
In the meantime Mother Euphrasia had come to the Sisters in Salzburg, where her Infant Jesus also wanted to make His home. Here He set up His throne of grace, and to this hour the fame of His love and wonder-working power spreads through countless favours and striking answers to prayer.
Prayer when blessing with the Grace-Filled Child
May God bless you,
the ✝ Father who created you,
the ✝ Son who redeemed you,
the ✝ Holy Spirit who has sanctified you.
May the blessing of the Most Holy Trinity be with you on all your ways and preserve your body and soul from all harm. Amen.
With Your Divine Infant bless us, O all-pure Virgin-Mother Mary!
Daily at ~2:30 p.m.
the Infant Jesus blessing is especially imparted in all four directions of the compass for all devotees of the Infant Jesus, benefactors, the sick, the suffering and all connected with us who cannot come personally to the monastery gate.
And around the clock the promise holds:
If you only think with longing of the Divine Child,
already He lifts His little hand and blesses you gently!
O most beautiful Infant Jesus
O most beautiful Infant Jesus,
with You I wish to be united.
I consecrate myself wholly to You,
o take me from myself.
That I may live in You
and You alone in me,
o dear Infant Jesus!
(Fr. Chrysostomus Schenk)
Short novena prayer to the Grace-Filled Infant Jesus
O Jesus,
to Your Heart I commend …
(this soul, this intention, this suffering …)
Look upon it and then do what Your Heart inspires …
Let Your Heart prevail!
O Jesus,
I rely on You,
I commend myself to You,
I abandon myself to You,
I am sure of You!
Amen.
(Prayed daily in common by the Loretto Sisters, especially for benefactors and devotees of the Infant Jesus. Except from the 17th to the 25th of each month.)
Heartfelt petition to the dear Infant Jesus
O almighty Infant Jesus,
in whom dwells the whole fullness of the Godhead, You who are all love and goodness, rich for all who call upon You.
You source of life and holiness, of perfect comfort.
You our peace, our reconciliation, You salvation of all who hope in You:
To Your Heart I commend …
(this soul, this intention, this suffering …)
Look upon it and then do what Your love inspires!
O most loving Infant Jesus,
You who have already through countless favours revealed Your pleasure in the devotion to Your most holy childhood in this image, have mercy on us.
Glorify Your most holy sweet Name in us too!
Be to us Jesus! Be to us Saviour!
Amen.
(Prayed daily in common by the Loretto Sisters, especially for benefactors and devotees of the Infant Jesus, from the 17th to the 25th of each month.)
Infant Jesus, see us poor
Infant Jesus, see us poor
we plead to You, Divine Child.
Have mercy on us, for we are in need of help.
You are the sun of grace,
rich in goodness beyond measure.
Who comes to You goes away in bliss and refreshed at once.
The sick You quickly heal,
the faint of heart You comfort.
Who was in sin found rest for the soul with You.
Infant Jesus,
full of trust we too now approach Your throne.
Let us one day behold You Yourself, Redeemer of mankind, Son of God!
To the Divine Infant Jesus
Dear Infant Jesus,
You are full of the Holy Spirit! Pour the Holy Spirit with His seven gifts and twelve fruits upon us and the whole world, that the evil enemy must flee from us!
In the name of the ✝ Father and of the ✝ Son and of the ✝ Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Prayer to the dear Infant Jesus
O You my dear Infant Jesus,
You wonder-working Divine Child, let all who are suffering and infirm be commended to You!
You are rich in grace beyond measure, before You even the richest is poor.
Your little hand blesses all alike, full of wonder-working power is Your arm.
O heal, if the Father wills,
what is sick, eyes, head and heart.
Command the suffering: "Be still" and ease every burning pain!
Also where the ill lies deeper,
where it weighs on the soul like lead,
there help, O wise Physician of souls, You who were also sorely afflicted!
Where a soul anxiously falters,
teach it patience in suffering; where gloomy doubt plagues one, shine brightly with the truth!
Let none go uncomforted,
dear Child, who bows before You, graciously hear devout supplication that rises upward seeking help!
Take from us sinfulness
and give us firm trust in God, that we may one day in eternity behold You Yourself in Your glory.
Amen.
Morning greeting to the Infant Jesus
Good morning, heavenly Child,
Infant Jesus, I greet You!
O, I love You from my heart, Divine Infant, bless me!
Divine little Brother,
I thank You for the night that has passed;
through You may thanks be given to the Heavenly Father for us all.
Through You we are children of God,
we are so infinitely rich.
Make our hearts like Yours, to the Father's joy.
Heavenly Child,
enfold us all in Your little divine Heart;
wrap us so in Your love that we may remain Yours forever!
What we today think, say, do and suffer, Infant Jesus,
let it all be for love of You, in thanks to You, to gladden You!
Bless us and those we love,
all who are close to us.
Help the poor, the sorrowful, draw to You those who go astray!
And when my last hour comes,
lead me into heaven.
I will say to You forever with joy: Infant Jesus, I love You!
Evening greeting to the Infant Jesus
Sweet, dear Infant Jesus,
before we go to rest, let it be our joy, gentle Child, to see You once more.
Love has brought us here to wish You good night!
We also want to thank You,
for the day that has slipped away; Infant Jesus, we consecrate to You all our hours of life.
Good night, dear Infant Jesus, let us be commended to You.
One more thing, precious heavenly Child,
O forgive us our sins! Make us devout and well-disposed, let us find grace with You.
Good night, dear Infant Jesus, let us be commended to You.
Protect us this night,
may it slip gently by for You too. As soon as we awake tomorrow we will greet You again.
Good night, dear Infant Jesus, You are ours, we are Yours!
Thanksgiving to the Grace-Filled Child after obtaining what was asked
O most loving Infant Jesus,
in humility and full of the most heartfelt thanks I kneel before Your image. I will praise and glorify Your infinite goodness, for You have had mercy on me and so graciously heard my plea.
You shall always be my confidence and my hope.
Would that all people might recognise how pleasing it is to You to venerate Your most holy childhood and how wonderfully You reward all who trust in You!
O Divine Infant Jesus,
grant me the grace to become ever more pleasing to You through a childlike spirit, that I may one day enter Your kingdom of glory. Amen.
Information
Reproductions of the Loretto Child, blessed Infant Jesus oil, medals, rosaries, holy pictures, candles and fabric strips touched to the Grace-Filled Child are available at the monastery gate.
2. Brochure
Divine Infant, we trust in You!
Prayer to the dear Grace-Filled Child
O Loretto Child,
strong and wonderful,
be my little,
great Helper always!
Be my light in all dark days,
be my counsel in all anxious questions!
Little Child,
bless the hard toil of my day''s work,
bless the quiet glow
of my love!
And the people You have given me
as companions for this earthly life!
Heal the wounds that life has struck,
strengthen my soul that has borne much suffering!
Let me recognise Your love even then
when needs burn deep in the heart!
Grant me health and daily bread,
keep far from me worry, misfortune, fear and need!
Be merciful to me at the judgment,
call me to rest in the eternal light!
Sick greeting to the Infant Jesus
O dear, sweet Infant Jesus,
be most warmly greeted!
You here in this vale of tears,
my comfort, my All are.
You became our little Brother
through the power of Your love,
and You still will always be with us
in the holy form of bread.
I greet You many thousand times
in the holy Sacrament!
Would that with the great host of angels
I might praise You endlessly.
O, could I but go to church
in festive garb to see You.
But no, Your will shall be done,
I will trust You gladly.
I will here on my bed of pain
honour You, faithfully and devoutly;
will remember You early and late
until I come to You.
When I am in pain and suffering
alone by day and night,
I think of Your solitude
in the little shrine of grace.
When my blood glows with fever heat
and my hands burn,
I think of Your love''s ardour
in the Holy Sacrament.
When patience would leave me
and I feel the pain so keenly,
I think of the agonies of love
that Your Heart once endured.
O Infant Jesus, I suffer gladly
for You, for You alone,
for You who are never far from me,
You will give me strength!
O turn Your gaze so gentle
to me, a poor sick one,
You are the one who stills my longing,
who grants peace and rest.
O, when You graciously bless
the devout band of those who pray,
then bless me too, Infant Jesus,
though I am far from the altar.
Yes, bless me, who trusts in You,
gives all to You,
who beholds You in spirit with faith
and who loves You eternally!
Amen.
Your Cross
If all the angels, all the geniuses of the world had studied what would help in this or that situation, e.g. this sacrifice, that temptation, that suffering, they could have found nothing better that would have been more fitting for you. So has God''s eternal wisdom studied from eternity to give you this cross from His Heart as His most precious gift.
He examined this cross with His all-knowing eye before sending it to you, pondered it with His divine intellect, tested it with His wise justice and warmed and weighed it with loving mercy with His both hands, whether it was not a millimetre too big and a milligram too heavy. Then He blessed it with His holy name, anointed it with His grace, perfumed it with His comfort, looked at you and your courage with new life, and so it comes straight from heaven as a greeting from God, as an alms of the merciful love of your God.
The crosses we erect for ourselves, or choose for ourselves, are always somewhat adorned; for there is something of our own self in them and therefore they crucify us less. Perfection, this crowning achievement in the life of virtue, will thus consist in joyfully taking upon oneself those crosses that are laid upon one without one''s own doing.
(St. Francis de Sales)
Prayer to the Grace-Filled Infant Jesus
O Divine Infant Jesus!
You have condescended out of love for us to take on human nature and to hide the radiance of Your divinity under the form of a weak child. O how great and lovable You are in Your humiliation!
Full of trust I come to You, o dear Infant Jesus. Through countless favours You have revealed Your pleasure in the veneration of Your holy childhood in this image. I beg You through Your and my Mother Mary, have mercy on me, forgive me my sins, let me become ever more like You through purity of heart, humility and obedience. O come to my help, almighty Infant Jesus, especially in this intention...
Protect also the youth, whom You love in a special way, but who are exposed to such great dangers.
O Grace-Filled Infant Jesus,
I also commend to You all my relatives, Your holy Church and our homeland.
Amen.
Wonderful Grace-Filled Child
Wonderful Grace-Filled Child,
tell me how I should live.
To repay You, o Child,
Your love through time and ages.
Wonderful Grace-Filled Child,
tell me how I should thank,
for the graces, for the gifts,
that refresh my body and soul.
Wonderful Grace-Filled Child,
tell me how I should pray,
to move Your Father''s Heart,
to discern His will.
Wonderful Grace-Filled Child,
tell me how I should learn
not to break under the Cross,
to say the "Fiat" after You.
Wonderful Grace-Filled Child,
tell me how I should love;
so parched is yet my soul,
and so near the threshold of death.
Wonderful Grace-Filled Child,
reach me Your dear little hands when I must depart,
and lead me to the blessed end!
Loreto Monastery, we greet you!
We hasten here quickly
because you are the refuge and home
of the little Grace-Filled Child!
He reigns on a golden altar
and looks down with goodness
and hears faithfully year after year
many petitions, thanks and songs.
And when we are sorely in need
and no hope remained,
then the Loretto Child helps us
with God's power and love!
The prayers are taken from the booklet The Grace-Filled Loretto Child of Salzburg, Imprimatur: Ordinariate Salzburg, No.: 918/92, October 29, 1992.