“When Herod died, behold, 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 into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead’.” Matthew 2:19-20
My first memory of Egypt is the sight of the pyramids. I was impacted by their magnitude and their beauty, but mostly because I thought of all the Israelites that had worked on their construction. Many had lost their lives building those pyramids. They were constructed with the sweat and blood of my ancestors. Those pyramids held all the secrets of those Jewish slaves that spent years working under the sweltering sun to turn the dream of an ambitious pharaoh into reality.
It took us twelve difficult days to reach Egypt. We encountered hunger, cold and a terrifying storm during our journey. But an army of angels were accompanying us and protecting us the entire time.
When we arrived in Egypt, we were directed to Heliopolis, where there was a large Jewish community. The gifts that we had received from the Magi helped us to obtain a humble abode and buy some food to maintain us until Joseph was able to find a job. We were blessed that he found one right away. There was always a need for a carpenter everywhere we went.
In his spare time, he built a third crib for Jesus. It was so beautiful that it became his trademark. Soon, he was building cribs for all our neighbors’ babies.
We have been in Egypt now for seven years. Time here has flown by, and I have been so busy that I had to push my writing aside. I took up knitting as a way to keep busy at first, but eventually it turned into a business. The clothing that I knit for Jesus and Joseph were so beautiful, that soon I was receiving orders. I even learned how to create beautiful tapestries, and they sell fine at the marketplace.
Last night, Joseph had another dream. It seems that Herod has died and it is now safe for us to return to our homeland. This time, though, we don’t have to go in a hurry in the middle of the night. We can take our time to sell the little house that we eventually bought with our savings, and to properly bid goodbye to the friends we have made here.
Egypt at first was difficult, mostly because the Egyptians worship so many different gods that it was hard for me to comprehend their pagan ways. And the women are so different from the Israelite women with their faces painted with signs and symbols, that i just cannot relate to them. But in the end, we made a life here amongst a Hebrew community who welcomed us with open arms. And I will forever carry in my heart all the memories of Jesus’ firsts. It was in Egypt where He got His first tooth, where He said His first word “abba,” where He took His first steps next to the Nile River and where He learned to say His prayers. The day that He said “mama” for the first time, I almost died from the emotion. He has grown into a beautiful and smart little boy.
The first Passover that we spent in Egypt was also very memorable. After all, it was in this land where this feast was established, when God took the lives of all the firstborn Egyptian boys, and He saved the Israelite boys by passing over their houses whose doors were marked with the blood of the paschal lamb. We were far from home, away from our family and friends, but we were thankful to God that we were alive because He had protected us.
We got together with other neighbors and we killed the lamb. We ate it with bitter herbs which symbolize the sufferings of our ancestors in Egypt and with unleavened bread which symbolizes purity. The Paschal meal is only mandatory for the men but all the women participated too. When we are in exile the celebrations and our customs take on a special meaning.
Even though I miss my homeland, my family and my friends, I have grown roots in this foreign land, and I am not looking forward to another journey through the desert. But we are in God’s hands and we have to obey Him. If the Lord has decreed that we must return to Nazareth, it is time to plan for a new journey.
Reflection:
Mary and Joseph are obedient to God. What do their obedience teach me? Was there ever a time when God was prompting me towards taking a step that I didn’t quite understand? How can Mary and Joseph’s example help me to deepen my trust in God?
Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.
Resources from the following books are being used on this journey:
1. The Mystical City of God: A Popular Abridgement of the Divine History and Live of the Virgin Mother of God by Venerable Mary of
Agreda
2. The World’s First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Fulton J. Sheen
3. Las Palabras Calladas: Diario de Maria de Nazaret by Pedro Miguel Lamet
4. My Soul Magnifies the Lord: A Scriptural Journey with Mary by Jeanne Kun
All Bible references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise specified.
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