The Passion of the Infant Christ

by Caryll Houselander

2021 Reprint of the 1949 Edition. Facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Miss Houselander has taken the theme of the infant Christ for her book and unfolds to us through the image of a child the redemption of the cross. Christ is born anew in us through grace, divine life is given and entrusted to us in order that we might live a Christ-like life. In reliving Christ in the world, we must assimilate the principles that governed his life at Bethlehem and Nazareth. Just as Bethlehem has neither meaning nor significance apart from Calvary, so also does our life become empty and unintelligible if unrelated to the Mass, if our living is not fashioned after the Eucharistic life of Christ. These age-old truths the authoress repeats for us, but in a setting that is new, that is discerning (particularly when she is tracing the qualities that make for child likeness) that is penetrating and meditative.

Genres: Catholic

156 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Caryll Houselander (1901-1954) was a British Roman Catholic laywoman; a mystic, writer, artist, visionary and healer. Born in London in 1901, Caryll was the second of two daughters born to Willmott and Gertrude (nee Provis) Houselander. Her first book, This War is the Passion. written during World War II, launched her prolific writing career. Houselander's talents included painting and many woodcarvings.

Caryll's "divinely eccentric" life was principally a devotion to contemplating Christ in all and men and women and in all life circumstances. Maisie Ward (a friend of Caryll and author of her principal biography, Caryll Houselander: That Divine Eccentric (Sheed & Ward, 1962), states, "Her message can be summed in a single sentence; we must learn to see Christ in everyone." Msgr. Ronald Knox was quoted as saying about Caryll's writing style, " . . . she seemed to see everything for the first time and the driest of doctrinal considerations shone out like a restored picture when she finished it."

Though she remained a single woman throughout her life, Caryll was engaged for a time to Sidney Reilly, who was the model for Ian Fleming's character, "James Bond."

Caryll Houselander has been described as being a mystic in the tradition of Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Teresa of Avila. She is best known for her works such as The Reed of God.

Caryll died of cancer on October 12th, 1954. Her bibliography consists of more than seven hundred written works including poems, short stories and articles, articles for juvenile publications and children's books (for some of these she did artwork for as well), articles for various Catholic publications, and, of course, her own books.

Reviews

[Mariangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Caryll Houselander. Some of the meditations are beautiful, others profound. I will need to reread it in the future. My favorite chapters were The Infant, Justice and the Host-Life.

[Angelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and life changing book. I love the way she writes and I highlighted so much.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read connecting the infancy of Christ with the Cross.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this moving book,Houselander insists that the physical world is an "inscaped" revelation of the mind of the Creator. (She borrowed the word but not its meaning from Gerard Manley Hopkins.)  In her vision, every concrete object and temporal event inwardly and completely expresses the eternal pattern of the universe. Her favorite example is a snowflake. She relies heavily on a dazzling prose style with imagery so abundant as to rival St. Francis de Sales, but unencumbered by logic and evidence.

I think her idea of "inscape" works much better as metaphor and as intertextual interpretation of the gospels than in the metaphysical sense she means, but the book is definitely worth reading.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is a profound reminder that Christ is found everywhere. I borrowed this book and there were so many places where I wanted to highlight a passage, so I will definitely be purchasing my own copy.

[Katheryn Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Poverty when those whom we love are dependent on us, illness when those whom we love are in danger of death, teach us our own insufficiency, our dire need of God. We learn not from outside, but from the depths of our own hearts, the meaning of Christ’s words: ‘Without me you can do nothing.’”

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, as always Caryl Houselander

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! Christ living in us, suffering in us. I think it’s a more developed version of the Reed of God.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Advent reading

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Mary R. Blanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caryll Houselander writes prose so poetically, this book sings.

A soul stirring read. Houselander sees into the soul of modern man, and finds Christ there. And He is alive.