Chapter 14: Of the persecution of Jesus, and His flight into Egypt

I BLESS You, and give thanks to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, most mighty King of Kings, for Your persecution, and for the hardships forced upon You, in the days of Your childhood, when You did flee from the face of the most wicked King Herod, and were driven forth as a stranger and an outcast from Your own land, and had to enter in secret that land of Egypt, from which, in the days of old. You had with a mighty hand led forth the children of Israel.

I praise and magnify You for the toilsome journey and long exile, which You did undergo, dwelling in a foreign land for the space of seven years, amidst a barbarous people, and men altogether strange to You.

How cruel was the wickedness which could seek to slay the Author of life, and could drive out, from the land into which He had been born, the King of heaven! What tears would not one have shed, could one have seen the graceful virgin Mother, with her Child, so fair and so beloved, hurrying away, sheltered by the darkness of the night, to take refuge in a land of which they knew nothing! Truly this instance of persecution is to us a bright example of patience, and is a lesson to all Christ's people not to wonder at having to suffer many things at the hands of men who know Him not.

I praise and magnify You, O Lord Jesus Christ, for Your blessed return from Egypt; for journeying back again into Your own land; for dwelling with Your parents in the City of Nazareth, as their son; for the innocent life led by You in that city among their friends and neighbours; and for submitting to share the poverty of Your Mother, and of her Spouse, the holy Joseph.

Grant to me now, I beseech You, O my beloved Jesus, to tread, at least in my small degree, in Your steps, in this matter of patience; give me grace not to murmur when I have to suffer wrong; but rather humbly to give way to an angry man, to submit cheerfully to being laughed at, and evil spoken of; and when any one vexes and annoys me, give me grace to curb my anger against him, to pray earnestly for his salvation, and so far as may be, to set down his fault to the account of the old serpent who led him into it.

Give me grace to live peaceably with my brethren, willingly to give way to them, and with them patiently to bear, for Your honour and glory, the lack of this world's goods, no matter how great it may be.