1. Wadi el-Natroun
Visited the site of many monasteries

2. Matariyah
Where St. Mary’s tree is – the Holy Family rested in its shade and a fragrant balsam plant blossomed where St. Mary poured out the water they washed with. This tree has pain- soothing properties and its essence is used to compose the Holy Myron

3. Old Cairo
Among the most important locations visited by the Holy Family (wells that they drank out of, etc.)

4. Maadi
A sail boat carried them up the Nile towards southern Egypt

5. Monastery of the Virgin up Gabal el Tair (Bird Mountain)
Where they rested in a cave. This is also called Gabal el Kaf (Palm Mountain) where Jesus streted His little hand to hold back a rock that was falling on them while resting in the shade of the mountain

6. Al Abed (The Worshipper) Tree
Bowed to worship the passing Christ; all the branches declined and inclined, trailing towards the ground and then upwards again, covered in a cloak of green leaves

7. Al Muhrraq Monastery
Stayed over six months in a cave and the angel appeared here to Joseph in his dream telling him to return to Israel. The altar is the original stone used as Jesus’ bed and it is in the midst of Egypt

8. Mount Dronka
The route they took back deviated slightly from which they had come and took them to Mount Dronka, the blessed area which has the mountain- top Monastery of St. Mary

9. Their Return
Hosea foresaw the flight from Bethlehem and their eventual return from their sanctuary in Egypt, where Jesus had found a place in the hearts of the Gentiles, when he uttered God’s words, “Out of Egypt I called My Son” (Hos. 2:1)

10. Evaluation of the Visit
Fulfillment of the Messianic Prophecies
Sanctification of Egypt to play its marvelous role in Christendom
Blessing of the Copts the people of God
Destruction of idols which lead to the beginning destruction of paganism in preparation for Christianity
Egypt became a representative of the Gentiles
Many churches, monasteries and monuments were built

11. Conclusion
We celebrate the Holy Family’s journey to Egypt on June 1st of every year.
This date should always be near to our hearts as it is the fulfillment of the Lord’s words “Blessed be Egypt, My people.”
Learning about our tradition and heritage will bring us closer to our church and our Lord.

12. Questions for Reflection
Many Messianic Prophecies from the Old Testament were fulfilled through the life of our Lord Jesus. Name some of the prophecies that were fulfilled by the Holy Family’s journey to Egypt?
We are very blessed to have many culturally important sites and monasteries that were visited by the Holy Family in Egypt. Name some of these?
The Holy Family’s visit fulfilled the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah 19:1, 9 saying “in that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border.” How do we know that this was fulfilled by a Christian altar?

13. Applications
We have to be proud of our church, culture, tradition, heritage and history! We need to learn about its richness and share it with the world.
Learn about the Messianic prophecies from the Old Testament and their fulfillments in the New Testament. This is what will bring us enjoyment in reading and living the Bible, as well as show the unity between the Old and New Testament.
The Holy Family’s journey in Egypt was a blessing to Egypt and the Egyptian people. As this visit opened our hearts to accept the preaching of St. Mark, we still carry Egypt and its blessedness with us here. One of the blessings the Holy Family’s visit and St. Mark’s preaching prepared us for is martyrdom. Therefore, we must always pray for our brothers and sisters in Egypt and all over the world in these times of persecution.