Becoming Small Again: What St. Faustina and the Child Jesus Teach Parents, Co-Parents, and the Lonely of Heart

When I first learned how St. Faustina wrote about the Child Jesus in her Diary, something in me softened. I’m a parent, a co-parent, a man trying to walk in faith, trying to stay steady in a world that doesn’t always feel steady back. And the more I read Faustina, the more I understood that God wasn’t inviting me to become stronger, louder, or more “in control.”

He was inviting me to become smaller.

Not smaller in dignity — but smaller in trust, simplicity, and dependence on God, the way a child rests safely in the arms of a loving parent.

This is the spiritual heart of parenting. This is the secret grace of co-parenting. This is the healing balm for loneliness. And St. Faustina shows us exactly how to walk into it.

Faustina and the Child Jesus: Lessons from Her Diary

St. Faustina didn’t create a “technique” with the Child Jesus. She didn’t imagine Him as a coping trick.
He came to her.

He appeared:

• As a little Child on the altar, blessing the world (Diary #566)

• As a tiny King who teaches humility by His littleness (Diary #608)

• As a Child in her arms, whispering love to her heart (Diary #1481)

Why a child?
Because God makes Himself small to reach the hearts of those who feel small — those who feel lonely, overwhelmed, unsure how to love well, unsure how to forgive, unsure how to co-parent in peace.

The Child Jesus is not weak.
The Child Jesus is not fragile.
He is God choosing to be approachable, peaceful, gentle, and near.

Parents need this Jesus.
Co-parents especially need this Jesus.
Because when you’re raising a child across two homes, with two histories, two wounds, two temperaments, you must learn a humility the world does not teach.

Why Parents Need the Child Jesus

1. Children teach us to surrender control

A child lives by trust.
A parent lives by responsibility.

But a co-parent must somehow hold both:
responsibility and surrender.

The Child Jesus teaches us:

“Let go of being right. Seek to be loving.”
“Let go of fear. Trust Me with what you cannot control.”
“Let your heart become simple again.”

When we treat our co-parent with gentleness — even when they are stressed, sharp, or afraid — we imitate the Child Jesus who never forces, never manipulates, never fights for dominance.

He simply invites.

2. Children remind us what love looks like when it isn’t complicated

Kids forgive quickly.
They move on.
They cry, then laugh five minutes later.
They don’t replay the past over and over. They don’t keep score.

But adults…
We remember too deeply.
We replay wounds too often.
We hold grudges too quietly.

Parents — especially in co-parenting — need grace to return to a simpler, purer love. Faustina learned from Jesus that simplicity is a superpower.
It opens the heart to peace.

3. The Child Jesus heals loneliness

Faustina often encountered Jesus precisely when she felt misunderstood or alone.
He came as a Child, not to overwhelm her, but to console her.

Parents often hide their loneliness.
Co-parents hide it even more.
And men hide it most of all.

But the Child Jesus reminds us:

• You are not abandoned

• God sees your quiet sacrifices

• God hears every tired prayer

• God understands when you feel like you’re raising your child alone, even when someone else is technically involved

He stays with simple, humble hearts.
He stays with the ones who feel small.

How to Start a Child Jesus Devotion as a Parent or Co-Parent

Here is a simple, daily rhythm modeled on St. Faustina’s spirit — not seeking visions, but cultivating a heart open to grace.

1. Keep an image of the Child Jesus

A small nativity figure, the Infant of Prague, or even a picture printed from your phone.
Put it where you pray or where you drink your morning coffee.

This isn’t superstition.
It’s a reminder:
God became small so you don’t have to live overwhelmed.

2. Pray with the simplicity of a child

No long formulas.
Just speak honestly:

“Jesus, little and mighty, teach me to love simply.”
“Help me be patient with my child.”
“Help me be peaceful with my co-parent.”
“Make my heart small, trusting, and clean.”

3. Offer your daily tasks to the Child Jesus

St. Faustina offered little chores with great love.
Do the same:

• Driving your child

• Answering a text without hostility

• Keeping calm during conflict

• Being steady even when you feel lonely

• Choosing patience instead of irritation

Each act becomes a form of worship.

4. End your day with a 10-second surrender

Before bed:

“Jesus, I trust in You.
I give You everything that was messy, painful, or confusing today.
Make my heart like Yours.”

This small prayer cleans the soul.

A Final Word: The Grace of Becoming Small

St. Faustina shows us that the way to deep grace is not by becoming more impressive, but more childlike.
Not childish — childlike.
Trusting.
Gentle.
Willing to forgive.
Willing to start again.

Parents need this.
Co-parents especially need this.
And every person who has ever felt alone needs this.

Let the Child Jesus teach you.
Let Him soften you.
Let Him show you how to love in a way that heals your home, your heart, and your relationships.

Because when God became small, He showed us the greatest truth of all:

Sometimes the holiest thing you can do is to simply be small in God’s arms — and love with His simplicity.