TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: My Papyrus Painting of the Flight to Egypt

Sunday, January 1, 2023

My Papyrus Painting of the Flight to Egypt

I bought this papyrus painting in Cairo. I was studying it this morning, reflecting on the Holy Family's flight to Egypt.

Imagine having to pack up hurriedly, not have the chance to say goodbye to your family and friends, to leave as quickly as you can to save your child's life, your lives. To walk, ride a donkey, ask for help, hide from danger, travel far to another country to seek refuge. To have to learn their language and customs.

This was what the Holy Family had to do, and this is what current-day refugees have to do.

May the Holy Family bless these modern refugees and bless us too.

#flighttoegypt #holyfamily #christianity #catholic #refugees

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's official website is ceciliabrainarddotcom. She is the award-winning author and editor of 22 books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, Magdalena, Selected Stories, Vigan and Other Stories, and more. She edited Growing Up Filipino 1, 2, & 3, Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and other books.. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized. Cecilia has received many awards, including a California Arts Council Fellowship in Fiction, a Brody Arts Fund Award, a Special Recognition Award for her work dealing with Asian American youths, as well as a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate, 21st District, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has lectured and performed at UCLA, USC, University of Connecticut, University of the Philippines, PEN, Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and many others. She has served in the Board of literary arts groups such as PEN, PAWWA (Pacific Asian American Writers West), among others.