The Flight into Egypt – The First Altar Among the Nations

In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
May the blessing of the Father who calls us and His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ who saves us,
and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and transforms us be with us all,
that we may hear His word and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Amen.

Gospel Meditation

“When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt.” — Matthew 2:14 (NKJV)

This unique event in the life of our Lord Jesus—the Flight into Egypt—is, first and foremost, a prophetic moment, as presented in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew the Apostle. Today, the Church commemorates it liturgically on the 24th of Bashans.

However, in early Church tradition, the remembrance and celebration of this event originally took place on the first Sunday after the Feast of the Nativity. This is because the Gospel reading of the Flight into Egypt is closely linked to the story of the Nativity, forming a natural continuation of the account of the Magi. The divine revelation given to the Magi in a dream warned them not to return by the same path, lest they encounter Herod—the wicked king who sought to kill the Child. That revelation urged discretion: the Magi were to withhold the location of the birth, the identity of the Child, and any information about His family.

Likewise, in the Gospel narrative, divine revelation appears again—this time to Joseph. In a dream, he is commanded to rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt to escape the murderous intentions of Herod.

In this way, the story of the Magi becomes inseparably connected to the story of the Flight into Egypt, even if a stretch of time separates the two events historically. For the early Church, however, the liturgical arrangement of these readings was guided more by theological meaning than by strict historical sequence.

Thus, the ancient Coptic tradition of commemorating the Flight into Egypt—especially in close proximity to the Gospel of the Nativity—was shaped by the spiritual logic of salvation history, rather than by a chronological reading of events. It was grounded in the mystery of divine providence, not merely in historical sequence.

—Adapted from the writings of Father Matta El-Meskeen (Matthew the Poor)

The Prophetic Foundation of the Flight into Egypt

When we reflect on the story of the Holy Family’s Flight into Egypt and examine the unfolding of this extraordinary event in the life of the Lord, we begin to see just how deeply it aligns with the prophecies recorded by Saint Matthew the Apostle.

From this sacred moment, we uncover a truth that is both profound and luminous: every stage in the life of the Lord Jesus is, in itself, a divine sign—each moment bearing the weight and wonder of a miracle. It is as if the very progression of His life is a series of living revelations.

Saint John the Apostle, in his Gospel, was deeply concerned with presenting the words and miracles of the Lord, not as isolated wonders, but as manifestations of His divine nature. Through them, he sought to stir the heart, shape the conscience, and gather every thought and emotion into the fullness of faith in Christ’s glory.

Likewise, Saint Matthew the Apostle pays close attention to the movements of the Lord’s life—illuminating them with the light of prophecy from every direction. He reveals with remarkable clarity one essential and transformative truth: Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all prophecy, the One in whom all the hopes and visions of the Old Testament converge. Every story, every symbol, every sacred promise finds its completion in Him—the end and the aim of all that came before.

—Adapted from the writings of Father Matta El-Meskeen (Matthew the Poor)

“Out of Egypt I called My Son.” — Hosea 11:1 (NKJV)

This declaration, quoted by St. Matthew, reveals the heart of the journey. Egypt was not a detour. It was the stage of prophecy’s fulfillment, and the land that would cradle the Incarnate Word for nearly four years.

St. Irenaeus “Christ is the true Israel, recapitulating in Himself all the history of God’s people.”

St. Cyril of Alexandria “He who sanctifies all things has entered the land of Egypt not to be hidden but to shine forth even from darkness.”

That light was not just for Egypt’s sake—but for ours. The journey that unfolded was not only geographical but deeply spiritual. Let us now pause and enter into the deeper mystery…

These fathers saw clearly what many missed—that the path of salvation is always a path of descent first. Egypt reminds us: God’s glory often enters hidden places, even when dressed in fear.

Spiritual Insight

“Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and will come into Egypt…” — Isaiah 19:1 (NKJV)

The Holy Family’s footsteps turned Egypt into a living prophecy. In His humility, Christ rewrote history—not as a prince or conqueror, but as a Child in flight. Yet, even this journey was victory in disguise.

St. John Chrysostom “Do you see again after the temptation refreshment? Then after the refreshment danger again? But the whole assault was upon Bethlehem. The tyrant’s son, Archelaus, assumed it was over. He became cautious… And God’s plan advanced.”

What looked like mere escape was, in truth, a sacred procession. And that procession didn’t end—it continues in every generation through the mystery of the Church’s liturgy and memory.

Liturgical Mystery

For the Coptic Church, Egypt is more than geography—it is grace remembered. Every June 1st, the Liturgy lifts up the reading from Matthew 2. The hymns recount how angels guided, how idols crumbled, and how wells sprang up in the Holy Family’s footsteps.

Egypt became a second Bethlehem, a place where Christ was not just born in flesh but embraced by Gentile soil.

“Blessed is Egypt My people.” — Isaiah 19:25 (NKJV)

Let us not forget what this means: If Egypt was worthy to hold the feet of Christ, then so are our homes. If Christ came to Egypt, He will come into your fears, your chaos, your deserts, and dwell there.

But the journey into Egypt was not simply for the past. In every spiritual exile, in every anxious heart, the Holy Family walks again. Their story is our story.

Application for Today

  • Christ enters the lands we flee to.
  • He blesses the exile and transforms it into Eden.
  • He is not absent in suffering—He leads us through it.

Make your home a Nazareth. Let your anxieties become Egypt—sanctified, visited, transformed.

The wisdom of the saints helps us not just to understand this event, but to enter into it. Listen now to how the Church Fathers reflected on the sanctity of this journey.

Early Church Reflections

St. Severus of Antioch “Egypt was once the house of bondage, but through Christ, it became a house of divine visitation.”

St. Gregory Nazianzen “He flees to Egypt—but not to hide. The Light goes into darkness to make it light.”

The Desert Fathers “Wherever Christ walks, even the sand becomes sacred. He tramples thorns so our feet might not be pierced.”

And so, as we trace their footsteps, we find not only historical memory but present mercy. Let us now gather our hearts and receive the blessing of this journey.

Closing Blessing

May the journey of the Holy Family become our journey.

May we walk with them—through wilderness, fear, and silence—and find in every exile the whisper of God’s nearness.

  • Let our Egypt become holy ground.
  • Let our fears give way to the footprints of the Savior.
  • Let our homes become His dwelling place.

“Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

May the Lord bless us, transform our hearts and minds,  
that our homes may stand on the Rock,  
our hands serve in the harvest,  
and our hearts long for Heaven. Amen.