An angel told Joseph, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him” (Matthew 2:13). (Note that the angel said “the young Child,” not “your Child.”)
Joseph left his home and journeyed to an unfamiliar foreign land. He spent a great deal of money, endured both mental and physical hardship, and lived as a stranger in a foreign land, all to save the Infant Jesus, who was “not his own.”
Let us reflect deeply on this.
On this journey, Joseph took with him James, his son from his first marriage. “Together with Him, you, James, fled to Egypt as fugitives, along with Joseph and the Mother of Jesus” (Menaion, October 23, Lauds, 2). The journey would have lasted at least a week. They crossed the desert separating Palestine from Egypt and spent their nights wherever they could, in the makeshift inns of the time, in abandoned houses, in caves, or beneath trees, until they eventually reached Egypt.
As they descended from the mountains of Palestine, they found themselves near Jericho, close to the Jordan River. Mary dismounted from the donkey and walked with the Infant Jesus in Her arms. Passersby who saw Her were struck by Her appearance and could not stop admiring this earthly angel. They were also impressed by the graceful and rhythmic way in which She walked, which reminded them of a partridge. Because of this, they called the unknown woman “the Partridge.” In memory of this event, the Monastery of the Partridge, known as Deir Hajla, was built at this location. Its ruins have been preserved to this day.
As they continued their arduous journey through the wilderness, they were attacked by a group of bandits. The robbers took their food, the blankets carried on their donkey, and, above all, the gold offered to Christ by the Magi, also known as the Wise Men. But when their leader saw the Infant Jesus, he was astonished.
“If God were born as a human being, He would look exactly like this!” he exclaimed. “Let them go. Let us leave them in peace,” he told his companions.
“Rest assured that this Child in my arms will never forget the good you have done for us,” the Mother of Christ said to him.
According to tradition, this thief was the same man who was later crucified on the right side of the Lord. He was also the first to enter Paradise.
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Next in this series: Why Did God Choose Egypt as a Refuge for the Holy Family?
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