*Sacred Scripture* St. Joseph’s Dream – Legnani

An angel instructs Saint Joseph in a dream, urging him to take the Holy Family to Egypt. Artwork by Legnani.

Third dream: In Matthew 2:19–20, while in Egypt, Joseph is told that it is safe to go back to Israel.

Mt 2:19-20

The Return from Egypt.

19When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

20and said,^f “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”^*

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/2

Saint Joseph’s Four Dreams

In his 26 January, 2022,  general audience, Pope Francis.

In Egypt, Joseph waited for a sign from God that he could return home, and this is the content of the third dream. The angel reveals to him that those who wanted to kill the Child are dead and orders him to leave with Mary and Jesus and return to his homeland (cf. Mt 2:19-20). Joseph “rose” the Gospel says, “and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel” (v. 21). But on the return journey, “when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there” (v. 22). Here then is the fourth revelation: “Being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth” (vv. 22-23). Fear is also part of life and it too needs our prayer. God does not promise us that we will never have fear, but that, with His help, it will not be the criterion for our decisions. Joseph experiences fear, but God also guides him through it. The power of prayer brings light into situations of darkness.

https://opusdei.org/en-us/article/saint-joseph-a-man-who-dreams-2/