LIFE AS MYTH
JOURNAL
JOURNAL 2010
A vision quest
Finding a guiding light
SPRING 2010
Illuminating the hours
The annunciation to the shepherds
The presentation in the temple
LIFEWORKS
ATLAS
SPRING 2010
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
The flight into Egypt. Giotto di Bondone. 1267-1337. Cappella Scrovegni a Padova.
Vespers [Greek εσπερινός and Latin vesper, evening] is the traditional evening prayer service. The service is observed before sunset [i.e. at some point between 4 pm and 6 pm] and consecrates the day to God. Vespers is one of the most ancient and solemn of the church offices.
And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod.
Matthew 2:13-14 [KJV]The illuminated miniature above refers to the flight from Egypt described in Matthew and traditionally associated with Compline in The little office of the blessed Virgin Mary. The miracle of the palm trees is a Christian myth which describes the Christ child ordering a palm tree to bend toward his mother and provide her with food during the journey to Egypt. In the corn myth, corn miraculously grows to maturity overnight, allowing shepherds to report to Herod's soldiers that the family had passed by before the corn had grown. This manipulation of time enabled the shepherd to protect the holy family from the pursuit of Herod's soldiers. Pagan statues also tumbled to the ground as the holy family traveled, according to this myth.
