Flight to Egypt, Eugene-Alexis Girardet, photo by Waiting For The Word

Our God, you have given us in your word

   the stories of persons who needed to leave

   their homelands—Abraham, Sarah, Ruth, Moses.

You have chosen that the life of Jesus be filled with

   events of unplanned travel and flight from enemies.

You have shown us through the modeling of Jesus

   how we are called to relate to persons from

   different nations and cultures.

You have called us to be teachers of your word.

We ask you, our God, to open our minds and hearts

   to the challenge and invitation to model

   your perfect example of love. Amen.

Now when they 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 fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”