Radiant Beams from Thy Holy Face

This painting by Bernardino Luini (1480–1532) shows Saint Katherine of Alexandria and Saint Barbara, Virgin Martyrs, in the company of the Infant Christ and His Virgin Mother. The little Jesus is opening the pages of the Scriptures. This He does for all who seek His Face. “No man hath seen God at any time: the only–begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18). “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures, the things that were concerning him” (Luke 24:27).

Those graced with a special love for Our Lord in the mysteries of His infancy and childhood can attest to the healing power of this devotion; it corresponds progressively to the journey of the soul through the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways. There is nothing sentimental about devotion to the Infant Christ: it takes one to the very heart of the Gospel and opens one’s eyes to the glory of God shining on the Face of His Incarnate Word.