The world’s most celebrated refugees — the Holy Family

In January, the popular devotion to the Holy Baby Jesus or Santo Niño is reenacted all over the Philippines. The small statue of Jesus is held up on a pedestal followed by a long procession of dancing and chanting people.

In Cebu, Bacolod and Aklan, this event has become a revelry or a version of the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The latter also attracts many tourists but is celebrated only, like the last hurrah, before the penitential Lenten season begins in March.

If one refers to the true history of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the events after His Nativity were not all accompanied by boisterous celebration. Although man has the tendency to lengthen Christmas, we must be reminded that our Lord God, who became man and stepped down on earth, has a different version of joy in life.

If God His Father so wished He could have easily enthroned Jesus like a king. All kings including Herod as well as kings from afar would have been made to pay homage to Him. But this was not God’s way. Pomp and circumstances were not decreed for the King of Kings, for His kingdom is not of this earth. Homage, however, was made to the Holy Child by a selected few, the Shepherds, the Wise Kings, the priest Simeon and the former teacher of Mary in the temple, Ana. Kings are considered above the laws of the land, yet the Holy Family submitted to all Hebrew laws including the circumcision and the purification of a mother after her child’s birth.

The flight into Egypt and the angel protectors

On the fifth day of the Purification Novena observed by pious Hebrews, the Lord said to Mary, "My Spouse and My Dove, you cannot finish the nine days devotion. Herod is seeking the life of the Child. In order to save your Son’s life, you must flee with Him and Joseph into the land of Egypt."

After St. Joseph had hurriedly packed their few belongings on the donkey that had traveled with them from Nazareth, the Holy Family left Jerusalem shortly before midnight on their long and dangerous trip to Egypt. Mary held in her arms the Infant Jesus, who was well wrapped in swaddling clothes and supported by a large piece of linen, which was tied around His mother’s neck. The Blessed Virgin wore a long cloak that covered her and her child.

All the splendid angel protectors of the Mother of God again appeared in bright human form and changed the night into day for them. Then, with St. Joseph’s permission, she sent one of the angels to warn St. Elizabeth to hide with her son, John, in the desert around the town of Hebron, where they were then living.

The Holy Family spent their first night in a cave in the hills south of Bethlehem, off the regular caravan route. They were thirsty and exhausted and Mary was so sorry for her Child that she wept. But, at her prayer a spring of clear water suddenly gushed forth, and a wild goat came to them and allowed Joseph to milk it.

St. Elizabeth and little John were then hiding in a cave on a hill nearby. Suddenly, John felt that His Lord was close and was suffering. He fell on his knees and prayed fervently with his arms extended.

Through Gaza to Heliopolis

St. Elizabeth sent one of her servants with generous gifts of money, food and clothing to the Holy Family, which he overtook near Gaza. There they rested briefly, while Mary shared these gifts with the poor and healed several sick and crippled women.

During the first night in the desert, the Holy Family rested at the foot of a small sand dune. After they had eaten and Mary had nursed her Babe, St. Joseph made a sort of tent with his cloak and some sticks in order to protect the mother and Child from the wind. He slept near them on the ground, resting his head on the sack that contained their belongings. Mary now perceived that Jesus was offering up to His Father all their hardships, so she did likewise, praying with Him and with her angels most of the night.

Within a few days, the poor travelers had exhausted all their small provisions of fruit, bread and water, although they tried to make their supply last longer by not eating several times until nine o’clock at night. While they were thus suffering from hunger and thirst and fatigue, a strong wind and sandstorm arose.

During the long journey, while Mary walked or rode on the donkey always holding her Divine Son in her arms she often thanked Him for having made her His Mother. Three times a day she nursed Him, and whenever they stopped for a rest she caressed Him tenderly. A few times the Infant Jesus wept tears of love and compassion for mankind, and then Mary would weep, too. Often Mother and Son conversed mystically.

At other times St. Joseph would talk with Mary frequently asking her what he could do for her or Jesus. Sometimes he would humbly and devoutly kiss the feet of the Divine Child, take Him in his arms and beg Him for His blessings. Thus, the Holy Family passed the ten days of their flight across the barren desert, consoling and cheering one another in mutual kindness and love.

The Child Jesus blesses the City of the Sun

When the Holy Family entered the pagan land of Egypt, the Infant Jesus in the arms of His mother raised His eyes and hands to the eternal Father and asked for the salvation of its inhabitants. As they arrived at the town of Heliopolis or City of the Sun, He used His divine power to drive the demons from the idols in the temples.

Heliopolis is the "city" sacred to the God Ra, Lord of the Sun, and to Horus, God of the Sky — the falcon-headed god (son of Osiris, god of the underworld, and Isis, mother of the earth) who slew the evil Seth in combat, and was consumed in fire only to rise again from his own ashes. Some of the sarcophagi of the ancient Pharaohs were fashioned in the shape of Horus and his falcon head — for he is the symbol of resurrection and life after death in which the Egyptians of antiquity devoutly believed.

In the ’80s, my husband and I were official guests of Egypt Air. One of our requests was to visit the residential area of the Holy Family. According to our guide, the Heliopolis district, near the Cairo International Airport where we were billeted, was where Joseph and Mary fled with Jesus.

The Street of Mary’s Tree

Not far from the famed Youssof Kamal Palace is a street named Shagaret Miriam (The Street of Mary’s Tree). In this area is the sycamore tree, gnarled with age but still green, protected by a high pink wall, in the shade of which the Holy Family rested at the end of their Flight into Egypt. The little grove of sycamores was reputedly planted by Queen Cleopatra VII — the last of the line of Pharaohs descended from Ptolemy, a general of Alexander the Great.

Legend says that to tend her gardens of sycamore and fragrant balsam, Cleopatra "imported" a colony of Hebrew gardeners. It was only logical, therefore, for Joseph and Mary to seek refuge among this settlement of Jews.

Today, the lone sycamore tree is enclosed in a small courtyard. Children of middle-class Egyptian families were busy playing when the caretaker unlocked the gate. The century-old tree had fallen on its side but was still alive. The caretaker pointed to a small old stone tub which he says was used by Mary to bathe Jesus.

The French Jesuits, years ago, built a lovely little church a few meters away from this garden. This is where we went. It had been pouring rain all day – a novelty for desert rimmed Cairo, and desert sand had turned into desert mud.

When we entered the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Family, however, despite the drizzle, birds greeted us with happy snatches of song as they flitted through the branches. It was as though the noise and turmoil of the crowded streets outside had faded away, while here was an oasis of peace and tranquility. Over the entrance to the church were inscribed the words: "Sanctae Familiae in Aegypto Exsult" (The flight of the Holy Family into Egypt).

The first years of the Child Jesus’ life in Egypt

St. Joseph found a poor and humble three-room house at a small distance from the town. Upon entering this new home, the Mother of God knelt on the ground and kissed it with profound humility, thanking the Lord for giving them this place of rest after their long and hard journey. She dedicated all that she was to do there to the glory of God, while she offered to take upon herself all the trials and labors of their exile. Then, she set about cleaning the rooms.

During the next three days the Holy Family was so completely destitute that they had to live on whatever St. Joseph could beg for them. Then, he succeeded in obtaining work in his trade as a carpenter. But, he was not well treated by the person who employed him. Looking upon him as a foreigner and a refugee, they paid him whatever they pleased. Sometimes after a whole day’s work he was not able to bring any money home. As the house was without furniture, he soon made a couch for Mary and a cradle for Jesus, as well as some low tables and stools. Of the three rooms, they assigned one to the Mother and Child, and the other two to St. Joseph as his bedroom and workshop.

The Holy Family adjusted themselves to their poverty calmly and even joyfully. However, Mary decided to help in earning their living. She therefore began to do needlework for some good women in the Jewish colony, and soon her reputation for skill and quality of work spread, so that she was never in want of employment. However, she always refused to do any frivolous fashion pieces — this attitude aroused criticism among some of her customers. While she sewed, the Infant Jesus lay quietly in His cradle beside her.

Jesus sets a routine for his mother

Due to the many hours which she now spent at this work, she had to devote more of the night hours to prayer and contemplation. Her divine Son was greatly pleased with her zeal and acceptance of poverty, and wishing to lessen her labor, one day. He said to her:

"My Mother, I wish to make a rule for your daily life and work. For nightfall you will take some sleep and rest. From midnight until dawn, We will praise the Eternal Father together. Then prepare the necessary food for yourself and Joseph. Afterwards give Me food and hold Me in your arms until noon, when you will place Me in the arms of your husband to give him some refreshment in his labors. Then retire and return to your work until it is time to prepare the evening meal. Pray continually to the Eternal Father for sinners."

Mary and Joseph had the Infant Jesus with them as they took their meals. Whenever St. Joseph wished to caress the Divine Child, he humbly asked Mary’s permission. Taking the little Jesus in his arms, he was so filled with tender joy and love that he forgot all his hardships and even considered them easy and sweet. Both Mary and Joseph often received such heart-warming consolations from Jesus that they gladly accepted all trials for love of Him.

A child no longer

When Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines in the ’80s, it was also the festival month of Santo Niño. One of the members of his party asked me, "Why do Filipinos make a cult of the Baby Jesus? Don’t you think this influences the psychology of Filipinos in the sense that they get emotionally attached to the infancy of Our Lord. For a developing country, the adult Lord Christ is a more appropriate inspiration."

I wholeheartedly agree with this point of awareness.

(Reference: Brown, Raphael. The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics. USA: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1951)

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