In his book, The Incarnation, Birth, and Infancy of Jesus Christ, St. Alphonsus Liguori relates the following powerful example of how desperately the Child Jesus needs our love and attention - especially at a time when so many willfully attack or thoughtlessly ignore Him.

St. Colette was a Poor Clare nun, who was called by God - through the intercession of both Sts. Francis and Clare -to reform the religious orders of these two great Saints. As is often the case, over time, the religious had fallen away from the purity of the rule first established. Because of her zealous work, St. Colette naturally had a keen awareness of the need for conversion among sinners. She had dedicated her life to help those who needed to reform their ways. It was, therefore, not an uncommon occurrence for her to be immersed in the most fervent of prayers for the conversion and salvation of sinners.

One day, while in the midst of one of these prayerful sessions, St. Colette received an apparition from the Blessed Virgin Mary. Such a visit would no doubt have made the nun quite joyful, but she was quick to notice that the Divine Child Whom Our Lady was gently holding… was all covered with blood. To her horror, St. Colette saw that the helpless young Jesus was torn all over, with wounds in every part of His sacred Body.

As she gazed pitifully at the awful sight, the holy nun blinked through her tears. Then Our Lady spoke to her, in a tone as heartrending as the innocent Infant.

"O my dear child, take pity on me, and above all on my dear Son Jesus! Look at the way in which sinners treat Him!"

At this, St. Colette understood the actual pain that is inflicted on Jesus and Mary by our sins. The Blessed Mother’s words filled the Saint with more zeal than ever in her prayers! She wanted sinners converted for their sake. But now St. Colette desired all the more to rescue Jesus from the selfish indifference and spiteful hatred of people! She prayed for the conversion of sinners… that Jesus may have less to suffer at their hands.