The journey to Egypt

We read

Matthew 2, 13-23 

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

We pray

Dear God, just as you were with Mary, Joseph and Jesus keeping them safe during their journey through the dessert to Egypt, please keep me and my family safe at all times. Amen 

We live

Did you listen carefully to today’s reading? An angel appeared to Joseph twice. Once he told him to escape to Egypt. The angel asked Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, so that Jesus would be safe. Later the angel asked Joseph to leave Egypt and go to Nazareth. What did Joseph do? Did he obey? Is it always easy to obey? 

Today we are going to fast from doing everything our way. So, today if we are asked to do something, we will obey, even if we do not feel like. 

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