Mary , his betrothed , is with child . A righteous man who wanted to avoid exposing her and himself to shame , he sought to divorce this young and pregnant woman . But , as God would have it , the angel told him that this unborn child to be named Emmanuel , God is with us , was destined for greatness . As the passage reveals , Joseph awoke and took Mary into his home , thereby offering the mother and child security and protection ( cf . Matthew 1:18-25 ).
On the feast of the Holy Family , observed this year on Friday , December 30 , we hear another dream encouraging Joseph to escape with his family to Egypt , thereby avoiding King Herod ’ s ominous plan .
Now after they had left , an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said , “ Get up , take the child and his mother , and flee to Egypt , and remain there until I tell you ; for Herod is about to search for the child , to destroy him .” Then Joseph got up , took the child and his mother by night , and went to Egypt , and remained there until the death of Herod . So Joseph , Mary and Jesus departed by night to Egypt ( Matthew 2:13-15 ).
Through yet another dream , God endows Joseph with the knowledge that the cruel Herod was dead . With this message , an angel ensures him that he may return to Israel , but should resettle in another area , a place of sanctuary where they can avoid Archelaus ’ ( Herod ’ s son ) evil reign :
“ Get up , take the child and his mother , and go to the land of Israel , for those who were seeking the child ’ s life are dead .” Then Joseph got up , took the child and his mother , and went to the land of Israel ... And after being warned in a dream , he went away to the district of Galilee ( cf . Matthew 2:19-23 )...
In Matthew ’ s Gospel , Joseph arranged a series of journeys and stopping places that would be home for Jesus , Mary and himself . With each new place , he created a safe haven : a home where they could be spared the upheaval and fear that existed in the world around them . Through his courageous efforts , he protected them from the elements , from danger , from tyrants and most importantly , from death . Under his care , they were safe .
To be sure , Joseph chose not to abandon those entrusted to his care . Instead , he put himself in the role of a protector and shield . He embraced Mary , the child Jesus , and brought them to safety . His family became strangers in a foreign land , refugees in need of shelter and protection . As this story has been told throughout the centuries , it is often called “ The Flight to Egypt .” Although we may be left wondering who welcomed them into their new surroundings , a more important question might be : How and where is this ancient story being played out today ?
During the octave of Christmas , we proclaim yet another story with Herod . In this account , his reign of terror brings many vulnerable children to their gruesome end :
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the magi , he became furious . He ordered the massacre of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under , in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the magi . Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet : “ A voice was heard in Ramah , sobbing and loud lamentation ; Rachel weeping for her children , and she would not be consoled , since they were no more ” ( Matthew 2:16-18 ).
This passage is proclaimed on a day called The Feast of the Holy Innocents . Christian churches throughout the world remember these innocent victims of senseless violence . These slaughtered children are called martyrs , a term reserved for those who have died for their faith . In fact , they are considered the first Christian martyrs .
No Escaping Faces of the Lost
We have all seen images and heard stories of refugees who are fleeing their homeland . Just as Joseph heard the message to “ get up , take the child and flee ,” hundreds of thousands of parents across the globe have realized that the only way to protect their family is to leave their country of origin . As they travel to far-off lands escaping danger and destruction , they seek a better life for their helpless families . Sad is the fate of countless children wrenched from their homeland or from their mother ’ s arms , who vanish on the way to safe passage or are lost from their father ’ s grip . Haunting images of modern-day “ holy innocents ” leave us paralyzed and without words : the bloodsoaked five-year-old injured child , Omran Daqneesh , from the Syrian city of Aleppo ; the body of threeyear-old , Aylan Kurdi , washed up on a Turkish beach ; the nameless , drowned infant cradled in the arms of a German rescuer . That rescuer , himself a father of three and a music therapist by profession , is quoted as saying : “ I began to sing to comfort myself and to give some kind of expression to this incomprehensible , heart-rending moment . Just six hours ago this child was alive .” The German humanitarian organization , SeaWatch , which supports the safe and legal passage of migrants offered this statement : “ If we do not want to see such pictures we have to
January 2017 • The New Wine Press • 7