Wordless Wednesday: The Flight Into Egypt

Safe journeys are always a good thing to pray for…but I rather feel for the blue donkey! (Oh, I know — the results of lighting and a limited color palette back then. It still makes me feel cold!!)

I really like this icon. So often we forget that the Holy Family had to leave every single thing behind and move to another country…with a baby…it’s worth thinking about.

What I would like to know is; who took care of Joseph’s former children (whose mother died) when they left Judea for Egypt, and when were they picked up again to live with Joseph, Mary and Jesus?

Dear Scott,

Do you have any idea as to the identities of the figures flanking the Holy Family in the icon?

Thanks again.
Michael

The vibrant, majestic colors are lovely!

Hi my name is lauren and im extremely interested in the catholic religion. I’m a person of religiouly mixed background, hoping to find a fit. Faith has always had a permanent place in my life, but I’ve never been an avid church goer nor a daily prayer. I wish to find religion that I feel closest to god and I belive Catholicism may be the one. If anyone reads this and wishes to maybe answer some question in aid to my curiosity, it would be greatly appreciated if you emailed me at LLephant33@yahoo.com

Lauren, why not visit the Forum and ask some questions there?

Beth, the donkey seems green on my monitors (also a rather sad color for a donkey).

Charles refers to a tradition, fairly strong in the Christian East, that St. Joseph was a widower who had other children by his first wife. The tradition is drawn from apocryphal writings, the same ones from which we draw the tradition that St. Joseph was considerably older than the Blessed Virgin. In this tradition, St. James the Less (”the brother of the Lord”) is believed to be one of St. Joseph’s sons.

In the West, those apocryphal writings were generally less well known, though at times, such as the early Renaissance, they gained some popularity. In any case, if the apocryphal writings are to be believed (and no Christian, East or West, is required to believe them), then Joseph’s children by his first wife would have been old enough to care for themselves and would likely never have lived with the Holy Family.

Michael, I don’t have any idea of the identity of the figures. Charles’ question raises an interesting possibility–that, following the Eastern tradition, they are St. Joseph’s children–but I’ll have to consult some sources on Eastern iconography to see if that might be true.

Lauren, let me second ave maria gratia plena’s suggestion. The forum is a great resource, and AMGP himself, who may be entering the seminary this year, is very helpful. You can enter the forum here.

I second the idea of posting your questions to the forum, Lauren. I would also suggest that you could investigate the RCIA program at the Catholic Church nearest to you. They will have sessions called “Inquiry”, which are designed for folks who are curious about the Catholic faith, but not ready to make a commitment to become a Catholic. There is no pressure to join up, and the folks there are usually among the most knowledgeable in the parish and encourage the folks to ask many questions.

To Lauren – I whole heartedly recommend that you check with a Catholic parish in your area regarding RCIA. The Inquiry night(s) is a wonderful introduction into what the program would be if you should decide to investigate the Catholic Faith further. Some weeks into the RCIA journey you are officially welcomed as a “seeker” by the parish community representing the worldwide Church. Then you advance further into the program learning more and more regarding the Faith. There are other milestones along the way if you choose to keep seeking. Final initiation into the Church for most RCIA attendees is at the Easter Vigil after one year.. Our parish has a one year program, some have 2 or 3 years.

mark 6:3