A short time after Jesus birth the small family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus found themselves refugees, running for their lives! Not part of our pretty holiday picture is it? Today we also remember "The Holy Innocents", the baby boys of Bethlehem who died on the orders of Herod. The Church considers them innocent martyrs.

The Holy family didn't get to live a peaceful and quiet life in Bethlehem for very long. Satan would try to get rid of the Saviour using whatever means possible. So Mary and Joseph would had to be placed into God’s “witness protection program” for a little while.

The Magi who came to see the Christ child bringing gifts were warned not to go back to King Herod but to return home by another route and probably told Joseph about that before they left. Then an angel told Joseph in a dream to get up, take the child and his mother and escape into Egypt. He listened and they escaped. We also need to listen becaause we have the same enemy as Jesus. But remember Jesus defeated him at the cross:

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.- 1 John 4:4

At least Mary had recovered from the birth before they had to flee. Note the angel said “child” not “baby” they were in Bethlehem possibly nearly 2 years before the wise men showed up, not the way we usually picture them in the Christmas cards or manger scenes.

As a Carpenter Joseph would find work anywhere, but being a refugee is difficult, leaving the life you know, and everything familiar behind you and coping with a different language, different culture, outsiders with a different religion from those around them. Refugee's today still have to deal with this. Thanks to the Magi, they at least had some resources. Spare a prayer for refugees today - our Lord and Saviour, with his family were once refugees, strangers in a strange land.