King and Kin
My mother has a statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague like
the one pictured above on a dresser in her bedroom. She changes its robes fairly often, but not
necessarily according to the official colors of the liturgical season: green, for example, the color for Ordinary
Time, might show up at Christmas and alternate with red, a color usually
reserved for the feasts of martyrs. As a
child, I was fascinated by this child-statue, with its oft-changing yet somewhat formal
appearance; as an adult, I now appreciate its profound symbolism.
I suppose it’s not surprising that this image should come
back to me as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, for this Holy Infant
is just that: a child dressed in royal
robes, both kin and king. Christ’s royal
nature is illustrated by his left hand, which holds a globe topped with a
cross, a symbol of Christ’s kingship; this status is seconded by the crown on
his head. Yet Jesus’s human nature is
not neglected. He is after all portrayed
as a child, small and vulnerable, the kind of child you might want to take up
into your arms. His humanity is also inscribed
in his gesture. The two first fingers of
the statue’s right hand point upward, together, a symbol of Jesus’s dual
natures: he is human and divine, both,
simultaneously. The two remaining
fingers and the thumb of his right hand come together across his palm, a symbol
of the Trinity. (It is a gesture of
blessing still used today by the Pope.) The New Testament scholar N.T. Wright has noted that the prophecy from Isaiah, The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations (Is 52:10), is fulfilled in the tiny arm of the infant Jesus poking its way out of his manger-bed. The two images are wedded in the statue of the Infant of Prague.
As we consider the Feast of Christ our King, let us not
forget that Christ’s kingship is inextricably tied to Jesus’s humanity: he is at once king and kin, no matter the season. And as we are baptized priest, prophet and king, so are we called to live out that kinship in our service to other, and to
the world.
For more on the story of the statue of the Infant Jesus of
Prague, click here.
Photo source
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