Saint of the day September 4: Feast of the Divine Child. Catholic Saints

Every first Sunday in September the feast of the Divine Child is celebrated. It is a celebration dedicated to the childhood of Jesus, an invitation to contemplate the Son of God in his full humanity, living in a simple home, in the warmth of a family.

The devotees of the Divine Child Jesus wish to honor those first twelve years of the life of the Redeemer of humanity, the years of his happy childhood. They invoke the Almighty so that, through the merits of Christ’s childhood, he may grant his favors to all who need them.

The “child” as “the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven”

The childhood of Jesus has always been an object of veneration and interest throughout history. This is evidenced by both the development of theology and the countless forms of popular piety, generally expressed in traditions and art.

These expressions are echoes of a Jesus who wanted to manifest himself as a child to saints of different times, giving them company, comfort and strength. Jesus Child is always capable of awakening tenderness and trust in the human heart, inviting each one to live purity of heart:

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever becomes little like this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever receives a child like this in my name, receives me” (Mt 18, 3-5).

Devotion to Jesus the Child has been consolidated and has spread throughout the Christian world; and in some Latin American countries it has taken on a special aspect. That is the case of Colombia, where the love for Jesus as a child has deeply marked the Colombian culture and heart.

The first Sunday in September

According to the Liturgical Calendar, the feast of the Divine Child must be celebrated on the first Sunday of the month of September, at the conclusion of the “novena” that devotees pray on the first Sundays of each month, starting in January.

However, in Colombia, popular custom has established a curious connection between July 20, the date on which Colombia celebrates the ‘Cry of Independence’, and the devotion to the Divine Child, whose national votive center has traditionally been the parish. Divino Niño Jesús, from the ‘Veinte de Julio’ neighborhood of Bogotá, the capital. Although it is true that the majority of Colombians remember their Patron Saint on that civic date, the day officially consecrated to devotion continues to be the first Sunday of September, which this year coincides with Sunday XXII of Ordinary Time (September 1).

In the soul of Colombia: the ‘Veinte de Julio’

In 1935, the Salesian missionary and priest Juan del Rizzo was committed to spreading the devotion of the Infant Jesus of Prague in Colombian lands, specifically in Bogotá, the capital. Unfortunately, the Italian priest found opposition to his ministry from some devotees who alleged the “exclusivity” of the title “of Prague”, granted to the dedication of the Child Jesus that he wanted to make known.

While searching for a solution to the problem, Father del Rizzo found in a religious art workshop an image of the Child Jesus, standing on a cloud, with his arms open – evoking their position on the cross – and dressed in a tunic. pink Father del Rizzo acquired the image and took it to the fields of the Salesian youth work in the “Veinte de Julio” neighborhood of Bogotá, where years later the Divino Niño Jesús parish would be built.

In this way, the faithful devotees began to approach and venerate the image with the name of the “Divine Child Jesus.” Since then, there are many who have converted their lives in front of the image, as well as many who are grateful for the miracles, graces and favors received.

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Through this link from the Catholic Encyclopedia you can access a collection of prints or images of the Divine Child, a resource that can contribute to your personal devotion: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Estampas_del_Ni%C3%B1o_Jes%C3%BAs.