Advent #1 Flight
Rest on The Flight into Egypt, Orazio Gentileschi
This is the first Sunday in Advent where we reflect, in the run up to Christmas, on the coming of Jesus. We start further along the story’s timeline than might be expected.
Scripture: Matthew 2:13-15
After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Hurry! Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” That night, under cover of darkness, Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death.
Reflection
There is always a danger of sentimentality with Christmas, of receiving only a babyish message that asks little of us, that does not challenge or console us. This scene, the Flight from Egypt, would often show the Holy family “embraced by welcoming trees, serenaded by circling flocks of angels and bathed in a tender warm light”. This “unflinchingly realistic” painting brutally shows a family that are both very poor and very, very tired.
Joseph has unsaddled the ass and fallen exhausted on the baggage. He has not even had the energy left to cover his body against the night chill. Mary has forced herself upright until she has fed her child. 1
This is a far cry from the electric swarm of trumpeting angels, the honour of a royal visit. This is the roadside inn again, nowhere to stay, nowhere to give birth. This is no pastoral scene, of fields, brooks and trees. Here is a makeshift encampment, hard ground, broken crumbling wall, no roof . And there is a slight menace in the sky.
We see three peasants, three refugees, three poor tired creatures who face the hardness of life bravely but apparently without divine protection. Here are pilgrims, travelling light; worn out, holding out for rest in God’s way in God’s time.
In fact what is protection? What is rest?
• Where is rest? Where is protection? This is Mary, Joseph and Jesus for goodness sake!
• Why was it like that for Mary and Joseph? Why is it like that?
• Is this story and this painting saying something about my life on this earth?
• Is it asking questions about my expectations?
• Does it ask what does faith do? This is faith.
There are no trappings, no comfort. Yet there is a promise fulfilled, in fact it is drinking from Mary’s breast, and there is the voice of God ringing in their hearts.
Mary and Joseph walked in courage and blind faith trusting that their experiences [of God] were true…their only safety net was God’s love and mercy2. Might that be sufficient for me and you? Will we imitate their faith journey?
1 The Gaze of Love, Sister Wendy Beckett ; 2 Advent with Richard Rohr