The Flight into Egypt
No fixed feast day in the calendar
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Warned by an angel in a dream, Saint Joseph takes the Child and his Mother and flees to Egypt by night
What is this event?
The Flight into Egypt is the Holy Family’s hurried journey to save the Child Jesus’ life from King Herod. It happened not long after the magi came to worship the Lord. According to tradition, it is also the second of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady.
The story
When the magi had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Saint Joseph in a dream and said: “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.” (Mt 2:13).
Saint Joseph did not hesitate. He got up that very night and set out with the Child and his Mother. The Holy Family lived in Egypt, a foreign land, until King Herod died. Then the angel came again in a dream, and Saint Joseph brought his family back to the land of Israel (cf. Mt 2:15, 19-21).
The Gospel tells it as briefly as that. The donkey, the staff, the date palms and the moon on the card are images from artists’ tradition to help you picture the journey. The Gospel also does not tell us how many months old the Child was at that time.
What does Jesus want to teach you?
Even as a baby, Jesus shared the life of the poor, of people who must leave their homeland because of danger. He understands the suffering of refugee families today. The story also shows that God always takes care of his children through the people he gives that responsibility to, like Saint Joseph.
A lesson for you
- When your parents tell you something to keep you safe, obey right away, as Saint Joseph obeyed God.
- Welcome and help classmates who have just moved to your area, and people far from home.
- Every evening, pray that your family will live in peace under the protection of the Holy Family.
Identifying marks
- Mary sitting on a donkey, holding the Child close: the Mother protects her Son in danger; Jesus lived through fleeing for his life like so many refugees.
- Saint Joseph leading the donkey, staff in hand, eyes on the road ahead: he obeys God at once and bravely protects his family on the long journey.
- A starry night sky and a crescent moon: Saint Joseph set out “by night” (Mt 2:14); even in the darkness, God leads the way.
- A rocky dirt road with date palms faint in the background: the long, hard journey south into the land of Egypt.
The text on this page is the card in the Catholic Information app, word for word.
Compiled by i-Catholic · About