Holy Family's Sufferings & Patience (2)

Sufferings had not left the life of the Holy Family. Since we should never forget how Our Lord was born in this world: not in a palace but in a cave, not in a comfy baby cot but in a manger with itchy straws, not surrounded by servants but by beasts and animals. Jesus who is our God, who own everything but willing to have nothing, who should receive all glory but willing to be born in such a lowly state on earth, who is almighty but willing to appear in front of us as a helpless babe. If one can image the sufferings that a royalty will have when living as a peasant, then how much more sufferings God had when He lived as one the poorest amongst human! The King of Universe enters the world in extreme poverty, as a model for all to live in complete detachment from things in the world. Our Saviour, from the very beginning, already accepted these hardships with patience for the glory of the eternal Father and for the good of men. Let’s also read about the trials of the Holy Family when they escape to Egypt from the vision of Blessed A Emmerich: ‘…I saw them in the wilderness. No words can depict the difficulties of this journey. They always travelled a mile eastward of the ordinary highway and, as they shunned the public inns, they suffered the want of all necessaries. I saw them quite exhausted with not a drop of water (the little jug was empty)… I saw the Holy Family arrive, worn-out and dejected. Mary was very sad; she wept, for they were in want of everything…’ That really was one of the greatest and dangerous sufferings that they experienced. Not only they left everything behind – family, friends, house, possessions, job, things and places they are familiar with...and setting out on this journey which could cost their lives! Those years of exile in Egypt, living as a foreigner, living as a poor immigrant, in a pagan land, where discrimination and bully is common in those days, it is natural to think how hard and difficult their lives had been. But they persevered, no one abandon anyone, supported and looked after each other in spite of the common tribulation, because of their love to God and to one other, and trusted in Divine Providence in their time of need.



●www.prayinglatin.com/joyful-mystery-meditations/

●The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations, Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich