I extend felicitations to all of you today for an occasion that God has granted specifically to Egypt and the Egyptians, with a unique blessing received by no other people in the world: the commemoration of the Holy Family’s entry into the land of Egypt.An angel was sent in a dream to the righteous man Joseph the Carpenter, urging him to leave Bethlehem and to flee to Egypt. Our country was honoredwith receiving the Holy Family, it hosted Lord Christ, His mother Saint Virgin Mary, accompanied by Saint Joseph the Carpenter, they lived among its areas, traveling among its cities and villages.
The Holy Family’s flight to Egypt is a unique historical and religious event that is still grabbing the entire world’s focus towardsEgypt, the journey’s path has attracted wide global attention after His Holiness Pope of Vatican considered it a Christian pilgrimage trip, so a visit to the path was included in the official Vatican program. The Egyptian government was also eager to launcha tourism project called “The Path of the Holy Family”. The first archaeological area in the path was inaugurated in Samanoud city, Gharbiya governorate, the first official Vatican delegation was received in June 2018, on a five-day trip. In 2020, the first official visit of a number of tourists from Italy was received, followed by the visit of a Swiss-French delegation.
The journey of the Holy Family’s flight began more than two thousand years ago, when King Herod sought to get rid of Lord Christ. An angel came in a dream to Saint Joseph the Carpenter, commanding him to flee to the land of Egypt. Righteous Joseph hurriedly took the Boy and His mother at night and fled to Egypt, along, to say the least, an arduous journey of dangers, as the Holy Family was escaping the pursuit of the Roman soldiers; shunningthe known routes of commercial caravans and travel trips at that time. They were escaping Herod’s evil, as he sent spies to track down the Holy Family and arrest the Boy to kill Him.
As for the path taken by the Holy Family, it began by Al-Farma which was the entry gate of Egypt, they stayed few days there before moving towards the east of Delta: they stopped in Tal Basta near Zagazig city in Sharkiya governorate, where the statutes of pagan gods fell shattered! Immediately, news spread all over the city, even to its ruler who realized the reason behind; a woman carrying a little Baby, who is most probably the holy Baby Herod was searching for, he commanded His arrest but the Holy Family quickly left the city at night and headed to Musturud.
In Musturud, the Holy Family stayed in a grotto where Lord Christ generated a spring in which He was bathed and washed; so that place was called “Al-Mahamma” (The bathing place), the water of that spring healed whoever used it. Later on, a church was built in that place named after Saint Virgin Mary, now known as “Saint Virgin of Musturud”. The Holy Family moved to Samanoud city, where they were welcomed and warmly received by its people who took the blessing of Christ. In the city, there was a large granite quarry in which Saint Virgin Mary kneaded, in addition to a waterwell blessed by Lord Christ. The Holy Family moved to Sakha, where a stone was the base of a pillar on which the footprints of Lord Christ were imprinted.
During the movement of the Holy Family from Sakha to Wadi al-Natrun: The Holy Family blessed the region of Mariut; Where it moved from Sakha to Mariout Lakethen to the ancient city of Pomina, then Wadi El-Natrun, which was blessed by Lord Christ and prophesied that it would be filled with hermits, recluse and worshipers of God. Afterwards, the Holy Family reached Al-Matareya and Ain Shams, where the idols of the city collapsed and were destroyed, then moved to Al-Maadi, passing by the regions of Al-Zaytoun and Ancient Cairo, then Al-Bahnasa, Samalut, heading to Jabal Al-Tair, then Al-Ashmunin, where the idols also trembled and were smashed. The Holy Family continued their journey until they reached Dairout Umm Nakhla in the south and moved to Mount Qusqam- where “Monastery of Muharraq” is now located-they settled in one of its caves for six months and ten days until the angel appeared to the righteous Joseph the Carpenter once again, telling him to return to Palestine as Herod had died. Thus, Egypt and its people had been granted a very special blessing that distinguished them from all other countries of the world, fulfilling the prophecy: “Blessed is Egypt, My people.”
Happy feast to all of you, we plead for God to perpetuate blessings on our country, protect it from all evil and give peace to the world and… Stories about beautiful Egypt never end!
The General Bishop
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
