Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

When the magi had departed, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared to 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.”

Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night

and departed for Egypt.

He stayed there until the death of Herod,

that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled,

Out of Egypt I called my son.

When Herod had died, behold,

the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream

to Joseph in Egypt and said,

“Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel,

for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”

He rose, took the child and his mother,

and went to the land of Israel.

But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea

in place of his father Herod,

he was afraid to go back there.

And because he had been warned in a dream,

he departed for the region of Galilee.

He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth,

so that what had been spoken through the prophets

might be fulfilled,

He shall be called a Nazorean.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you were pleased to give us the shining example of the Holy Family. Graciously grant that we may imitate them in practicing the virtues of family life and in the bonds of charity.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Family of Israel: The first two chapters of Matthew’s Gospel show how Jesus fulfills Israel’s scriptures and what was spoken through Israel’s prophets. Jesus is shown to recapitulate in himself the story and experience of Israel. That is why the Holy Family of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary needed to go to Egypt and depart (exodus: exit) from it. Just as Israel’s sons left the land of Canaan to go to Egypt and were saved by Joseph, so Jesus leaves the land of Judah with Mary to go to Egypt under the protection of Joseph. And just as the family of Israel left Egypt to return to the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses and Joshua, so also the Holy Family returned to the land and to a town in Galilee called Nazareth. In this way, Jesus experienced what Israel experienced: the threat and persecution of political authorities, living in Egypt for a time, an exodus from Egypt, journeying through the wilderness, reentry into the Promised Land, the guidance of the angel of the Lord, and the protection of Joseph. As the Letter to the Hebrews teaches us: Jesus is our merciful high priest because of his solidarity with us (Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:15-16). 

2. The Holy Family: When the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph fled to Egypt, they remained faithful to God. And when the time came to return to the Promised Land, they immediately obeyed the Lord’s command through the angel. Throughout his life, Jesus truly honored his heavenly Father. He always sought to do the Father’s will and not his own. This was instilled in Jesus as a boy by Mary and Joseph. Both Mary and Joseph always sought to do the Father’s will and not their own. In her humility, Mary invites God to act in her life: “Be it done to me!” For his part, Joseph silently and faithfully obeys God’s will, often manifested to him by angels in his dreams. We never hear a word of protest from Joseph, no matter how difficult God’s invitation. And when difficult things were asked of Jesus, he said to his Father: “Not my will but yours be done!”

3. The Family of God: The Son of God was sent by the Father to bring us into God’s family. “God in his deepest mystery is not a solitude, but a family, since he has in himself fatherhood, sonship, and the essence of the family, which is love” (John Paul II, January 28, 1979). God shares his family life and love with humanity. The story of our redemption and salvation unfolds as a family history, with a Father, an older Brother (Jesus), a Mother (Mary), and many siblings, all united in a bond of love. The Church, in which we have been incorporated through Baptism, is the family of God. We are members of God’s family, even as we are here on earth. And yet we are pilgrims on a journey home. This is why, when Jesus speaks of heaven, he uses the image of a house: “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” And Jesus says that he is going to prepare a place for us (see John 14:2-3).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to contemplate the place you are preparing for me as I journey home. I long to be in the Father’s house and share in the heavenly banquet. At times, I become weary from the journey home. Strengthen me today with food at your table and grant me your Spirit to guide me in all that I do.

Living the Word of God: How am I living the mystery of being a member of God’s family? Is there a brother or sister in Christ with whom I need to reconcile? What virtues of Saint Joseph can I strive to imitate today? His attentiveness to God’s word? His devotion to Mary? How he protected his family from danger? His reflective silence?