♔ THE HOLY FAMILY - REFUGEES ♔

 See, the Lord is riding . . . on his way to Egypt — Isaiah 19:1

St. Alphonsus Liguori: How much St Joseph must have suffered on the journey into Egypt in seeing the sufferings of Jesus and Mary! … Joseph was indeed conformed in all things to the will of the Eternal Father, but his tender and loving heart could not but feel pain in seeing the Son of God trembling and weeping from cold and the other hardships which he experienced on that hard journey.

After many days of hazardous travel, Joseph and his family would finally cross into Egypt, a sigh of relief granted. They were now safe, but as they made their way through Egypt, they received many strange looks from people as they were foreigners and were not to be trusted. Joseph would have had to repeat his actions in Bethlehem. Having to settle in another country, make a home, and find work was beginning to take its toll on St. Joseph.

Everything had happened so quickly since marrying his beloved: first, he had the dilemma of his virgin bride being found expecting, with the Son of God. At that time his heart was full of fear and anxiety until the Angel appeared to him and reassured him. Secondly, once he and Mary were together as husband and wife, he had to travel to Bethlehem for the census. This journey was hard for him, especially since Mary was at the point of giving birth, and having arrived there, they had to find shelter. Once he had found shelter in the cave, and Mary had given birth to our Lord, he had to sleep with one eye open. He was protective of his wife and child and would hear sounds at night, scared that thieves or other criminals might seek to hide there or worse, to rob them of the few possessions they had. After this, Joseph had been told of King Herod’s intentions to have the child executed, and he had to flee with Mary and Jesus in the middle of the night.

He saw the children of Bethlehem in his mind, and he wept for them in his heart. He wept for his wife, whose soul was being pierced at the thought of all those innocents being taken away from their mothers. He wept for his Son, who was being persecuted by a man who had killed even his own sons—King Herod. The steps to Egypt were stained with the tears of Joseph and Mary as they traveled the rough terrain under the hot sun and cold night sky. The child Jesus was carried into a foreign land as a fugitive, though he had committed no crime.

♔ THE IDOLS TOPPLE ♔

The Holy Family arrived in Egypt, not as visitors but as refugees fleeing from their own country, their refuge in the strange land of gods and goddesses. We are told by Servant of God Mother Cecilia Baij that Joseph feared the reception his family might receive from the pagans of this place and, being of a self-sacrificial nature, as every father should be, pleaded for God to spare his spouse and son any mistreatment during their sojourn and to let it fall upon him in their place.

Servant of God Mother Cecilia Baij:  At length, after having endures many trials, Jesus, Mary and Joseph reached their destination in Egypt.  Joseph dreaded this entry into an Egyptian city, inasmuch as there was the impending prospect of definitely settling there     with his spouse and the Divine Infant. He feared that these people, being barbarous and idolatrous, would mistreat both of them. He, therefore, turned to God in fervent supplication, saying:

“Oh my God, grant me the favor that your Only-Begotten Son and his holy mother may never be subjected to such outrages. Look down upon me, as I offer to take everything upon myself. If only they be spared from such adversities. Oh my God, do not permit that they, who are so innocent, so exceedingly virtuous, so rich in merit, shall be mistreated. I deserve every misfortune. Permit, therefore, that these things happen only to me, and not to them.”

Little did the Egyptians know that Joseph and Mary carried the One True God and brought him into their midst. Upon the entry of the Christ Child, the many idols of Egypt trembled and fell causing a panic and sadness among the people, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, and confirmed by the mystics:

See, the Lord is riding . . . on his way to Egypt; the idols of Egypt tremble before Him, the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them. — Isaiah 19:1

Servant of God Mother Cecilia Baij:  As they made their entry, the idols to which these blinded people rendered their adoration fell toppling to the ground. This caused a considerable stir among the inhabitants, since no one had any idea what could be bringing this about. How could they know that it was the true God himself who was thus destroying their false gods as he entered into their city?

Venerable Maria de Agreda:  On entering the towns of Egypt the divine Infant, in the arms of his mother, raised his eyes and his hands to the Father asking for the salvation of these inhabitants held captive by Satan. And immediately he made use of his sovereign and divine power and drove the demons from the idols and hurled them to the infernal abyss. Like lightning flashed from the clouds they darted forth and descended to the lowermost caverns of Hell and darkness. At the same instant the idols crashed to the ground, the altars fell to pieces, and the temples crumbled to ruins. ... Saint Joseph knew this to be the work of the incarnate Word; and he praised and extolled him in holy admiration. ... The Egyptian people were astounded at these inexplicable happenings.
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It is believed that the Holy Family did not just settle at the first town or city they encountered, but were constantly on the move in order to find a suitable place of safety. The angel did not tell Joseph how long they would have to stay in exile, so until hearing again from the messenger, they would travel in Egypt. Tradition states that they stayed in Egypt for three years before returning to their homeland and settling in Nazareth.

According to Eastern tradition, Theophilus the Coptic Patriarch of Alexandria from A.D. 385-412 had a vision in which he was shown the Holy Family’s escape route and the many places in Egypt at which they rested. He states that Joseph and his family fled from Bethlehem to Gaza, and then to El-Zaraniq, which is about thirty-eight kilometers west of El-Arish.

♔ RESTS ON THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT ♔

After weeks of further travel, they made plenty of rest stops, among them Matariyah. At this place a tree stands, very simply called “Mary’s Tree.” It was here that they rested in the tree’s shade, and a miracle was performed by the Divine Infant. It is believed that Jesus caused water to flow from a spring, from which they all drank, and afterwards, the Virgin washed his clothes in this water. After washing his clothes, Mary poured the washing water onto the ground from which a sweet smelling balsam plant sprouted. It is there to this day and is said to have curative properties.

This next tradition has been immortalized in many works of art over the centuries. Mary is exhausted and wishes to rest a while in the shade of a tree. She does not want to trouble Joseph—after all he has been doing all of the walking, and yet he does not seek rest until she recommends it. He is totally devoted to his spouse’s comfort and well-being. When the Virgin Mary mentions that she is tired and would like to rest, Joseph acts straightaway—just as he always had. He was given a request and he dutifully complied. This is not to portray St. Joseph as a pushover, but rather as a man who puts his family first in every way. Mary tells him that she is hungry and would like some fruit. The only fruit available is at the top of a very tall date palm tree, and though he would gladly try to climb up there for her, he knows it would be difficult and basically tells her it’s going to be a tough job getting way up there, and perhaps she didn’t realize how high it really was? The Child Jesus, quietly listening to his parents, decides to help them. He commands the tree to bow down to him, which it does, allowing St. Joseph to collect the fruit for Our Lady.

♔ ALTAR TO THE LORD ♔St. Joseph led his family to Mount Qussqam, which would be the most important and most meaningful stop for them in the land of Egypt as it fulfilled yet another prophecy from the Prophet Isaiah:

. . . there shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt, and a sacred pillar to the Lord near the boundary. It shall be a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt. — Isaiah 19:19-21


At this place there now stands the Al-Muharraq Monastery, within it the Church of the Virgin Mary, the altar-stone once being the bed upon which the young Jesus slept. This altar-stone is believed to be the fulfillment of part of the Isaiah prophecy. As for the mentioned pillar, it is held to be the Patriarchal See of the Apostolic Church in Egypt, believed to have been established by St. Mark in Alexandria—on Egypt’s Northern border.

♔ LIFE IN EGYPT ♔

While in exile, St. Joseph would no doubt be troubled by the idolatry of Egypt, but we also know that he would pity these people. Joseph began is intercessory role in the land of pagans by praying for their conversion while also doing good deeds for them regardless of their beliefs. Though the exile from his native land would be hard for Joseph, he always had the consolation of his blessed spouse Mary and the Divine Child Jesus.

Servant of God Mother Cecilia Baij:  Joseph was always very much concerned for the conversion of all sinners and would, with great fervor, plead with God in their behalf whenever he found such souls. So, here and now, living as he did among these unbelievers, he therefore, strove all the more to demonstrate his love for his fellow-man. How he longed to have every one of them come to the recognition of the true God! There mere thought that he was abiding in the midst of a people who were ignorant concerning God, and that among them all, there was not one who had knowledge of the true God, much less adored him, would cause the tears to roll down Joseph’s cheeks and his heart to give vent to its feelings through ardent sighs.

… Even though Joseph was so very poor, he still bestowed alms upon the poor. … Though he applied himself diligently to his work, Joseph never failed in the regularity of his prayers. Sometimes he was tired from his strenuous labors, and when he came back to Mary, he would tell her of it. She would place the Infant Jesus in his arms… The happy Joseph would receive him in deepest humility, and embracing him, he would acquire new vigor and be replenished in strength, while his soul would be filled with joy and consolation

♔ MAN OF TRUST ♔

St. Joseph placed his trust in God and knew that He would provide for him—even in the hardest of times when it seemed that the Lord had abandoned him. It is human to sometimes feel that God is no longer with us or that He has stopped listening to us because we feel the need for constant comfort and reassurance. We don’t always get this warm feeling and we often feel like we are left in the cold to fend for ourselves. We assume that many refugees feel this way; those who are forced to run away and go into hiding are afraid. Do we doubt that Joseph ever felt this way? We shouldn’t. Joseph, though especially chosen by God, was also a human being. He was not divine. He did not have special powers. He was a man. A man with human frailties and weaknesses, however he was a man of intense faith! He recognized his need for God’s help and in doing so was elevated in his dignity as a man. Joseph knew that he had only to ask for the necessities of daily life. The carpenter was humble, and every time his family faced hardships, then overcame them, he knew it was because of his God.

I rejoice in the Lord and exult in my saving God! God, my Lord, is my     strength; He makes my feet swift . . . — Habakkuk 3:18-19

Joseph and Mary would spend the next few years in Egypt with their only Son and would eventually get accustomed to their current refugee status and go about their day to day lives. Joseph no doubt thought about the life he had left behind in Israel. Would he ever see his friends and relations again? Did they even know where he and his family were? Probably not since he had been awakened suddenly at night to take the child and His mother and flee into a foreign land. He didn’t have the chance to tell anyone. For all they knew, Jesus had been murdered by Herod’s soldiers along with all the other boys his age. And as for Joseph and Mary, who knows? Though he didn’t preoccupy himself with these thoughts, he still thought about his family and friends back home, however he knew that one day he would be among them.

♔ THE MESSENGER RETURNS ♔

It was reportedly at Al-Muharraq that the messenger Angel came once again to instruct the Lord’s most humble servant. St. Joseph had been waiting for this moment for quite some time and finally it came to him:

Behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, and take the child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” So he arose and took the child and his mother, and went into the land of Israel. — St. Matthew 2:19-22
 
Joseph’s paternal heart was overjoyed that he could now bring his son and wife home. However, Herod’s son Archelaus had ascended the throne and was reputed to also be a tyrant. In the Gospel of St. Matthew we are told that Joseph was afraid to return to Judea, the angel appearing to him once more to redirect him to Galilee:

But hearing that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee and settled in a town called Nazareth. — St. Matthew 2:22-23

This passage from Matthew is often passed over quickly without a word or thought, but even this brief scene merits mention. In it we find that Joseph is afraid to return to Judea with his family, fearing that Herod’s successor would seek to destroy his son. Though St. Joseph has faith he still has a temporal fear which is a part of the human condition and the Heavenly Father understands this. So once again the Lord sends his messenger to instruct Joseph on what he is to do. This mention of Joseph’s fear speaks volumes not only about our human frailties but also of God’s compassion. The Heavenly Father allows Joseph to have, to a certain extent, self reliance even if it allows for him to fear. But the Lord is merciful, and so he sends his messenger to advise Joseph on the course he should take, to bring his family safely out of exile.

The entire journey from Bethlehem into Al-Muharraq and back to Nazareth had covered over two thousand kilometers. Joseph, the Just Man, who would have walked the entire way, leading his family into and out of exile, would have taken each step for the greater glory of God. Though the years of exile were built on the foundation of despair, the return home was built on joy. His faith continued to guide him forward.

But the path of the just is like shining light that grows in brilliance till perfect day . . .  Let your eyes look straight ahead and your glance be directly forward. Survey the path for your feet, and let all your ways be sure. — Proverbs 4:19, 25-26