Sunday Reflections, Feast of the Holy Family, Year A, 28 December 2025

Flight into Egypt

Blessed Fra Angelico [Web Gallery of Art] 

Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand)

Readings (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India) 

Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)

Gospel Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 (English Standard Version, Anglicised)

When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, 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.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Léachtaí i nGaeilge

St Joseph and the Christ Child

El Greco [Web Gallery of Art]

St Joseph is central in the Christmas story as St Matthew tells it. His role is to be the husband of Mary. It is as such that he names Mary’s son and so becomes his legal father (Mt 1:21). It is as husband of Mary that he took the child and his mother by night and fled to Egypt. It is as husband of Mary that he took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. It was as husband of Mary that he was afraid to go there’(Judea) and risk not only his own life but theirs and took them instead to Galilee.

Please continue at Bangor to Bobbio.