Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, 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."

    Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."

    When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

    Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."

    When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."

    Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

    But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.

    Today’s text invites us to reflect on Jesus’ birth in the context of the mystery of salvation. The reading gives us a sense of the resonance of that mystery. Our collection of past events can make us more alive and responsive to the mystery as it confronts us where we are today in our personal relationship with God.

    Matthew’s account of the flight into Egypt provides today’s gospel proclamation with the story of the angel’s call to Joseph to go to Israel and his response. Matthew’s main concern is in interpreting all these events as the fulfillment of cited prophecies and the direction Joseph receives from "the angel of the Lord" appearing to him in dreams. Matthew sees Jesus as the new Israel, recapitulating the history of Israel in his history.

    This story sets off God’s presence, action and intervention in the context of the humble circumstances of the refugee family in its flight from persecution and its experience of even the death of others.

    While this is a terrible story of persecution and cruelty, it is also the story of deliverance of Jesus Christ. It is also from our point of view, the story of being different. It is the story of the experience of being different which cuts across cultural barriers, religious differences and spiritual pathways.

    Herod knew that the child from whom the wise men searched was possibly the realization of the hopes of his own people. But, instead of being filled with wonder and joy, his response was selfishness and anger.

Instead of seeing this as a moment of grace and redemption for his people, he saw it as a threat to his continued control. He ultimately saw it as a threat, which had to be destroyed.

    Yes, Herod’s plans failed; not because of armies, but because those to whom the child had been entrusted listened to the word of God, believed what they heard and obeyed it.

    Jesus, Mary and Joseph are models for us because they heard the word of God, believed it and lived according to it. They trusted God, they trusted each other and they acted the best way they knew how.

    Because Jesus was raised in a family that trusted God in all things, he learned to do the same. Jesus made no decision without listening first to God’s word and then remaining faithful to that word.

    No matter what our families look like, we are all called to be faithful. When we are faithful, we are little images of heaven, not just during the Christmas season, but always and for everyone.