Friday, April 29, 2016

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT 

                  The wise men from the east who had followed the divine star visited and worshipped Baby Jesus and presented their gifts to Him. They were directed by God in a dream to return by another route. An angel asked Joseph to escape to Egypt with Mary and Baby Jesus immediately.
                  King Herod, who was expecting the return of the wise men to his palace, became furious when he realized that they had tricked him. He ordered a massive infanticide. All male children in Bethlehem and its neighbourhood who were two years old and younger were ordered to be killed. The king’s armed soldiers set out to kill the innocent infants mercilessly {Matthew 2: 1-17}.
                  There is a charming legend about the exile of the Holy Family to Egypt. The king’s soldiers learned that some families had escaped from Bethlehem and chased them. Though the Holy Family had moved away from Bethlehem, they were aware that the soldiers would come after them. They were tired and exhausted, but continued their journey to save the Holy Child.
                  On the way, they saw a group of farmers sowing seeds of grains in their field. Joseph asked for some water to drink, which they gave gladly. Joseph and Mary refilled their leather bottles with water for the long journey. The senior farmer asked them about the purpose of their hurried journey. Joseph told them about the king’s order to murder the children. The farmers were shocked to hear this and they promised that they would deny having seen the Holy Family, if questioned by the approaching soldiers. St. Mary sternly forbid them from telling a lie even if it would save their lives. She asked them to have firm faith in Almighty God and be truthful throughout life.
                  The Holy Family thankfully bid farewell to the kind and compassionate farmers and resumed their tiring journey. The farmers returned to their field. They were filled with wonder to see a  marvellous miracle before their eyes. The seeds that they had sown a few minutes ago had miraculously sprouted and sprang up suddenly, the grains had ripened instantaneously and the fields were now ready for harvest soon after the seeds were sown. They thanked God for the miraculous harvest and praised the sanctity of the Holy Family. They brought their harvest tools and started reaping the farm, singing the traditional songs of praise.
                  A group of armed soldiers on horseback approached the reaping farmers and enquired about a family with a baby who went along that way. The senior farmer told them that they had met a family with a child when they were sowing the seeds in that farm and had provided them with drinking water and that was the last family to pass that way. Thus the farmers could talk with truthfulness and save the Holy family. The soldiers surveyed the fields which were being reaped and told to themselves, “If they had seen the family at the time of sawing, they cannot be the people we are searching for, as it is now the time of reaping what they sowed.” They returned to Bethlehem, leaving the Holy family to continue their flight to Egypt.
                  We should speak only the truth. When words are manipulated to get our own way, even deviating from truth and righteousness, we go wrong. Jesus taught us, "Just say 'Yes' or 'No' - anything else you say comes from the evil one" {Matthew 5: 37}.
                 Honesty is the best policy. It is a good rule that we should be faithful and truthful in every action - both big and small. 
                 A true Christian should not tell a lie even if telling the truth may cause loss, suffering or pain. We should not tell a lie even if telling the lie may give us money, power or pleasure. St. Paul advises, "No more lying, then! Everyone must tell the truth to his fellow-believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ" {Ephesians 4: 25}.
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© By: Prof. Dr. Babu Philip, Former Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu, Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally,  Leo. S. John, St. Antony's Public School,  Anakkal, Kanjirappally and Neil John, Alfeen Public School, Kanjirappally, Kerala, India.  For more moral stories, parables and anecdotes for students, catechists, teachers and preachers, kindly visit our web-sites:
                         This is Story No. 341 in the second site. Please click ‘Older Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read previous stories and click 'Newer Posts' at the bottom of a page to read newer stories in these sites. Please click on a word in the 'Story Themes' to read stories on that theme.

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