Honoring the Flight Into Egypt on February 17

Upcoming on February 17 is a day connected to the Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. 

On February 17 in pre-Vatican II days there was offered in certain places, and even now still is offered with permission in a few places (e.g. the Catholic Cathedral in Cape Town South Africa, which is dedicated to Our Lady of the Flight into Egypt, and churches in Nigeria), a mass in honor of the Flight into Egypt. The date February 17 was chosen because it is fifteen days after the Presentation in the Temple/ Purification of Our Lady and so is a likely time for when the Holy Family actually went into Egypt.

While this mass is no longer offered except as mentioned above, there is still room for private devotions on February 17 in honor of the Flight into Egypt, which is of course is one of the Sorrows of Mary.

The Second Sorrow: The Flight into Egypt (Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori)

"I pity thee, O my afflicted Mother, on account of the second sword that pierced thee when thou didst behold thy innocent Son, so soon after His birth, threatened with death by those very men for whom He had come into the world, so that thou wert obliged to flee with Him by night secretly into Egypt. By the many hardships and anxieties of this sorrowful journey, I beseech thee to obtain for me the grace to bear with patience all the tribulations of this life."

While surely Mary and Joseph would have experienced sorrow during this journey, I wonder if that sorrow was not mixed with joyful anticipation based on Isaiah's prophecy of the idols falling and the heart of Egypt melting (Isaiah 19:1).  Because of Jesus' virgin birth, by that time as devout Jews they must have been aware that Jesus was likely the Messiah and that their presence with Him would bring light and blessing to Egypt.

I think that James Tissot's painting (above) can be a compelling basis for meditation in private devotions. The desert sand and the skeleton of a camel bring to mind just how arduous that journey was.  (I also like how Tissot depicts St. Joseph as a strong young man and how Tissot's rendering of the baby Jesus is so realistic that one can almost feel the child in one's arms.)

As for flowers in one's devotional space for this day, perhaps Lily of the Nile (agapanthus)?

 Image above of Flight into Egypt by James Tissot is courtesy of Brooklyn Museum.