Hardly had You come into the world, O Divine Child, when Your parents had to flee with You to Egypt. The obedience of Your adoptive father, St. Joseph, in leaving immediately after having received this order in a dream, is admirable (Mt 2:13-14).
Toil, hardship and adversity, suffering and death characterise this world as a consequence of sin, and we would be lost forever if it were not for the fact that You came to us and brought us the light of hope.