The flight into Egypt
The second sorrow of Mary.
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Scripture
Matthew 2:13–15
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” He arose and took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Meditation
Joseph rises in the night and takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt. The Child whom the Magi came to worship must be carried away from Herod’s violence. God entrusts his protection to the vigilance of Joseph and the care of his mother. Their obedience takes them from their home into a foreign land.
Mary’s love is expressed in the care a young child needs on a journey. She carries Jesus, shelters him and stays beside him. The flight reveals the vulnerability of the Son of God, who has entered fully into human life. His mother shares the hardship of his exile.
Care for the vulnerable
Families still leave their homes to escape war and persecution. Children depend on others for food, shelter and safety. Contemplating this sorrow, we pray for them and ask how we can offer practical help. We also ask for Joseph’s readiness to act when someone in our care needs protection. May our love for Christ make us attentive to the people whose lives have been uprooted.
Prayer for this sorrow
Beloved Mother, who has suffered so much, give to us your courageous heart. Please pray for us to have strength so that we can be brave like you and accept with love the suffering God sends our way. Help us to also accept all the suffering we inflict upon ourselves and the suffering inflicted upon us by others. Heavenly Mother, you, in union with Jesus, purify our suffering so that we may give glory to God and save our souls.
Follow with the Our Father once, the Hail Mary seven times, and Most Merciful Mother.