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Guttuso, Flight into Egypt (1983, acrylic on canvas paper)
Matthew 2.13-23: [13] After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and flee into Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is trying to kill the child." [14] Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt, [15] where he remained until Herod's death, it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "From 'Egypt have I called my son. " ([16]Erode, accortosi che i Magi si erano presi gioco di lui, s'infuriò e mandò ad uccidere tutti i bambini di Betlemme e del suo territorio dai due anni in giù, corrispondenti al tempo su cui era stato informato dai Magi. [17]Allora si adempì quel che era stato detto per mezzo del profeta Geremia: “[18]Un grido è stato udito in Rama, un pianto e un lamento grande; Rachele piange i suoi figli e non vuole essere consolata, perché non sono più”.) [19]Morto Erode, un angelo del Signore apparve in sogno a Giuseppe in Egitto [20]e gli disse: «Alzati, prendi con te il bambino e sua madre e và nel paese d'Israele; perché sono morti coloro che insidiavano la vita del bambino». [21]Egli, stood up and took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. [22] But when he heard that Archelaus was king of Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, he withdrew in the regions of Galilee [23] and, just arrived, went to live in a town called Nazareth, it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets: "It will be called a Nazarene."
Dear friends, dear friends,
By next Sunday we are still in the Octave of Christmas (Sunday in the Octave of Christmas, December 30, 2007). The gospel brings us back to a famous episode which much impressed our imagination: The Escape Jesus in Egypt and the subsequent massacre of the innocents (Matthew 2.13-23).
When Matthew decides to write 'his' gospel, he felt that it was impossible to show the divine identity of Jesus of Nazareth, without attempting to describe the Jewish roots. In this way Jesus summed up, since childhood, the entire history of the people in which it was generated. In particular, through the experience of the flight into Egypt, it is as if Jesus was put in a position to relive the bitter experience of exile that had already experienced his people, making him well since it had been written by ancient prophets.
why Matthew is concerned to document carefully the first episodes of Jesus 'childhood, with a series of quotations prophetic, thus affirming that the episode in which we are witnessing, "because they might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:' Out of Egypt I called my son '. " Indeed, at the end of the song, you will notice that, according to the instructions of their 'prophets of old,' Jesus "will be called a Nazarene." That story of love and deliverance that God had begun its binding to the Jewish people, thus finds its fulfillment in Jesus, because of a dangerous despot will be forced to live in Nazareth. However, some questions arise
: Liberation from what? And why its free through Jesus of Nazareth? In that sense Jesus frees us, save us, as well as the people of Israel have been freed and saved? One of the most serious issues from the religious point of view of Western Christianity today is this: From what we can and must liberate itself Jesus of Nazareth? Why give credence to the release, with the liberation and love of Jesus of Nazareth in my life? What comes back from having met me? Why not refer to other projects of liberation more appealing?
The issue is not only in accepting or not a religious of the Western Christian tradition to which we belong. It 'been said quite rightly that "We can not call ourselves Christians" in some respects (B. Cross). Today it is more urgent to try to reformulate the reasons for the hope that the believers in the West they say - at least according to some of their words - to have in Jesus of Nazareth. Without this process of reformulation of Christian hope that comes from him, confine Jesus to be in some good feelings into statements increasingly weak and even simplistic.
There is an expression that returns four times in the Gospel. First of all, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying: "Rise, take the child and his mother ...", sending it first to Egypt and then doing it back in the 'land of Israel'. It 's the time of Joseph who then "woke up and took the child and his mother to flee first to Egypt and to return after a while' time in the country of Israel.
How then re-express the reasons for our hope in Jesus of Nazareth? It tells us precisely the Gospel today: obedience to the Angel who invites us to welcome "the child and his mother." And if it's comforting to look ready obedience of Joseph, then it is important to dig deep on the mode in which is expressed in relation to the custody of Joseph of Jesus His singular authorship. Joseph on the one hand takes care of Jesus, but also with a woman who certainly has not conceived a child that comes from him. Jesus and His mother are one unit for Joseph.
If the first of our reasons to respect the 'custody' of Jesus, there is a deep and trusting obedience, we can reach the heart only if we just listen to God, like Joseph, be able to act as he means to bear yet full and comprehensive of all the mystery of God that is revealed in Jesus
How therefore expresses the faith of Joseph, his holiness? We do not have to do with a believer in the specifically Christian sense of the word. The rest of the gospel even testifies that Joseph was present in the public life of Jesus, His miracles and His preaching, to be like Mary, in front His death and resurrection of Easter. And, then, that holiness is never that of Joseph? Matt describes it through the experience of the dream. Something very similar to the star who had already guided the Magi to Bethlehem: The Magi had departed, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "and" Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream ".
The dream, the stars are different languages \u200b\u200bfrom the experience of the word, of verbalization. If the word has a conversational character of rational primary intention of wanting to explain the dream and the stars allude to something more evocative. At this level includes relished the figure of Joseph, who is "Right" and which, according to the Gospels, does not say a word, a question, like Mary. At this level, pre-verbal is therefore to be understood the sanctity of Joseph who just so he met Jesus as the Son of God If the dreams of Joseph, as the star of the Magi, we introduce a language, an expression of faith that does not coincide with their verbalization of the Gospels, but also reminding us that it leads to the truth of Jesus By establishing real contact with him. As a father learns to keep her son in her arms that just his woman has generated.
is a particular must not miss: the fact that Joseph does follow the experience of the dream, ' actions, of his own people in the Exodus experience, will become full of meaning and salvific value of Jesus with the Passover: that of awakening and rising. Just like standing still, watching the Jews on Easter night, before heading off to the promised land, just as he stands the risen Jesus, after passing through the bitter experience of the sleep of death.
The figure of Joseph is really secondary in meditation on the early Christian community that is concerned to understand fully the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth. Its concrete obedience testifies not only a real assumption of the beginning of the mystery of Jesus, but already a real advance and adherence to the Paschal Mystery of His death and resurrection. Even his own silence is significant. A real introduction to the full unfolding of the Word of God, in Jesus his Son.
A year goes to an end already appears on the horizon is another. Do not miss the serenity to continue to hope in Him who has joined us to stay with us forever. The Lord will shine upon each of you your face and still give you His peace.
What is still to all a good Sunday.
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